Blog

Consumer event bringing Welsh lamb to London

focuspr — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:32:52 +0000

My first month at Focus PR has been action-packed, exciting and a challenge. One of the first projects I have got my teeth stuck into is an inaugural event celebrating Welsh lamb coming into season. A World of Welsh Lamb is a culinary extravaganza which will see six top chefs serving six signature Welsh lamb dishes on Wednesday lunchtimes between 8 September and 13 October in the heart of the square mile at The Butcher in Leadenhall Market.

I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve spent the last three weeks talking to some of London’s finest chefs including Francesco Mazzel from L’Anima and Joe Gray from Kenza to entice them to take part in this exciting event. The results of the team’s efforts speak for themselves. Our line-up consists of:

8 September – Andre Garret, Galvin at Windows
15 September – Joe Gray, Kenza Restaurant (part of the Levant Group), cooking Muhammar
22 September – Sophie Wright of UKTV’s Market Kitchen, BBC Food Poker, ITV Daily Cooks fame
29 September – Anthony Demetre, Arbutus and Wild Honey, cooking slow cooked shoulder of Elwy Valley lamb with white coco beans
6 October – Francesco Mazzel, L’Anima, cooking Lamb Salmoriglio with Quinoa
13 October – Cyrus Todiwala, Café Spice Namaste cooking Kharu Gos

I’ve also been in the thick of the media liaison campaign, speaking daily with journalists from numerous London newspapers and magazines, as well as foodie titles and bloggers to secure editorial.

If I’ve whet your appetite, make sure you are there between 12 and 2pm to sample the very best in Welsh Lamb. Look forward to seeing you there!

Fine Wine Fair: the countdown begins

focuspr — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:50:23 +0000

Just under two months to go until the inaugural Fine Wine Fair hits London (15-17 October). It’s looking like it will be a really exciting event with new exhibitors from all over the world being signed up daily. To date, flying the flag for France we have Bouvet-Ladubay, Caves Du Mont Tauch, Chateau Camplazens, Conseil Interprofessionnel Du Vin De Bordeaux and Vinoteque. Across the border in Spain, Marqués de Càceres and Wines from Spain will be representing the home of Tempranillo, Rioja and other Iberian treats. On the other side of the pond Errazuriz, Terrazas, Viña Concha y Toro and Wines of Chile will bring some Latin flavour into the mix, whilst the Wine Institute of California will be Stateside ambassadors. Finally, on the opposite side of the Pacific, New Zealand’s Little Beauty will be stunning Chelsea Old Town Hall this October.

From deep, rich reds to refreshing crisp whites, the Fine Wine Fair has something to surprise and delight all taste buds, and with such a line-up you’d be mad not to go! Tickets are now available from http://www.finewinefair.org/ from £20. And if you don’t believe us, Event magazine and Fine + Rare agree the Fine Wine Fair is a must-do for those who enjoy the finer things in life this autumn!

The watercooler goes virtual

focuspr — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:38:55 +0000

Here at Focus PR we’re constantly monitoring trends and assessing which emerging tools and technologies are appropriate for integrating into client campaigns. For instance, over the last couple of months location has been the big word in social media, with Facebook Places making its debut, journalists arguing about the usefulness of Foursquare and individuals either using or neglecting the Twitter location feature. Potentially very useful for some clients, especially those with retail outlets, there are significant privacy issues associated with such technology so its still early days.

Other recent new (and, arguably, less controversial) arrivals on our radar are entertainment-based communities and social networks which are building on consumers’ desire to share online what they are currently watching, reading and listening to. Numerous Facebook fan pages and tweets are solid proof that people enjoy exchanging views, so new services created to capitalise on this trend seem like the natural consequence. Social networks like Philo or Get Glue (five million ratings in July alone) are built around users watching, chatting, commenting, rating and discovering what others are viewing. Young people are certainly adept at multi-tasking their entertainment, frequently surfing the web, chatting online, watching TV and listening to music simultaneously, so it’s easy to see why these new sites are attracting and engaging users.

And with the ultimate water-cooler TV – X Factor – just starting its 2010 run, this trend could be about to get a whole lot more popular.