Tag: Food

Gone are the days when surly ice-cream men trawled suburbia with their diesel spitting vans and bags of flakes. Those travelling sweet-sellers forever condemned to the cultural quirks of childhood. Well, almost. Adam Ellis, design director of brand agency Coley Porter Bell (CPB) has rekindled his love affair with ice-cream in a van and hopes you will too.  Say hello to Scoop.   

“I was inspired when, recently, I bought my four-year-old daughter an ice cream, and the whole theatre of my childhood came flooding back. Wouldn’t it be great to relive the excitement of getting butterflies when you heard that kitsch music playing from around the corner?”

Winning CPB’s ‘Blue Sky’ competition, Ellis took the Ł2000 (US$ 3900) prize money and put it straight into his winning design. “I wanted to rekindle the magic with a mantra of style with a smile and the ice cream’s not bad either”, says Adam.

Playing on that sense of nostalgia, Scoop breathes life into the run down image of selling ice cream on the streets. Taking a blinged out van fitted with chandelier and a host of fancy puddings, Scoop brings boutique eating to the masses. And with flavours including Turkish Delight, organic champagne and traditional marmalade, it’s not exactly child’s play. Delivering it all in bespoke cutlery, who said Mr Whippy was just for kids? 

So far Scoop has only been available in London’s East End, but Ellis has big plans for the summer. “I’d like to do music festivals, art galleries, weddings, anything with that sense of theatre”.

So kids, I mean adults, what are you waiting for? This is a great business opportunity. Contact us for Adam's e-mail address.
By Matthew Hussey

We don't need scientific evidence to believe that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, energy  booster, mood changer, antioxidant and all-around elixir of fabulous life. Neither did the Olmecs, who are the mother culture of MesoAmerica predating even the Mayans and Aztecs, and the first ones to cultivate the cacao trees  (that they called kakawa.)


 
But what we do need is more cool places in which to indulge. Amazing chocolate/candy stores are popping up all over the world and we must visit all of them, for research purposes, of course. 



Please let us know where the best are so that we can investigate them for inclusion in our print magazine. by Tuija  Seipell

Iconic Italian fashion label Dolce & Gabbana are the latest to get into the monochrome color trend. Hot on the heels of Hollywood's green themed bar, Social Hollywood, and the Gold themed Restaurante Les Cols in Catalina, Spain, the dynamic design duo have opened a new restaurant with an entirely gold interior. The golden color scheme is in keeping with the team's limited edition gold phone for Motorola. When news of the D & G restaurant hit the gossip vine expectations were high: could Dolce and Gabanna extend the sassy Italian aesthetic they are renowned for to the restaurant business? The answer is a resounding yes! by Billy T

Forget Brunch and Yum Cha,“ they're so last season. The cool set are embracing the sophisticated ritual of High Tea, which is fast becoming the hottest new trend to hit the dining scene in recent years.

Once the domain of stuffy establishment hotels, High Tea is now in the midst of a fashionable revival. It's being served in trendy restaurants and bars in the style capitals of New York, London and Sydney. A whole new generation is discovering the culinary pleasure of a delicately assembled Florentine and a dainty cucumber sandwich, in between exquisite sips of Russian Caravan served in the finest china teacups.

In Sydney, High Tea at cool restaurant and bar The Victoria Room, has become de de rigueur.. It's so popular with local 20 and 30 something's that patrons must book weeks in advance to secure a table. In New York, east coast sophisticates are revelling in the British tradition at the Wild Lily Tea Room, whose contemporary take on it (think Butternut Squash Cream Spread on Walnut Raisin Bread and apricot and almond scones) has patrons cueing at each sitting. London's Tea Palace is brimming with pretty young things in floral dresses liking their lips at the sight of their delicate cakes and biscuits.

It's only a matter of time before the trend spreads and consumers will want to recreate the sophisticated experience at home. by Lisa Evans

The antithesis to supermarket convenience foods, the trend for 'slow food', hand picked produce and hand made foods continues to grow. One of the sweetest new offerings Bee Raw Inc, who produce a delicious range of ten regionally-sourced floral honeys. The brand is focused on educating consumers about honey (it's nature's sweetener, after all) which can be used for much more than just slathering across fresh bread (our favorite). Try Bee Raw honey in your salad dressings, to flavor meats, fish, chicken and greens. by BIlly T