Malachy O'Keeffe

The latest issue of Public Sector Catering magazine has lots of details about the plans for Public Sector Catering Week taking place 20-24 May. You can read more here - https://lnkd.in/eAF7YQYR As part of the week, we are encouraging everyone to share their stories and tell us about the catering heroes in their kitchens and teams, why not get involved using #PSCHeroes

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The Future of Public Sector Catering report has been praised by Catherine Hinchcliff, head of corporate marketing & insight at Bidfood UK, who described it as a ‘truly invaluable resource’. The Future of Public Sector Catering report offers a comprehensive analysis of the industry, providing insights into market trends, economic and political forecasts, changing customer behaviour and future developments over the next five years. Hinchcliff said: “The Public Sector Catering report is a truly invaluable document which brilliantly sums up the size and significance of, as well as the challenges facing this under-researched part of the out of home market. “It’s the most comprehensive report I’ve seen for many years that covers public sector catering, and a must-have read for any operators or suppliers who support its essential work.” Published by Public Sector Catering and compiled in collaboration with catering and hospitality specialist Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice, it delivers the market-defining data that senior leaders and managers need - whether you're an operator, supplier, opinion-former or influencer. Find out more https://lnkd.in/em7By4DQ or contact me to order your your copy. #Research #PublicSector #PublicSectorCatering #PublicFood

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Many of us in the 'job' sector may relate to it. When I apply for copywriting roles and proudly mention my 2 years of dedicated experience, it sometimes feels like my previous role as a cloud bakery founder gets overlooked. Yes, you heard that right— I'm a baker! 🍰 Running my own business for 5 years was a crash course in resilience, creativity, and wearing multiple hats (often literally 😛 and figuratively). From baking to marketing, customer service to budgeting, I did it all. And yet, when it comes to shortlisting resumes, it seems like the focus remains squarely on those 2 years in the copywriting field. But here's the thing: being an entrepreneur isn't just about the product or service you offer—it's about problem-solving, adaptability, and strategic thinking. These attributes are invaluable in the world of copywriting too. Whether it's crafting compelling ad copy, understanding client needs, or navigating tight deadlines, my entrepreneurial journey has taught me all. So, why does only the "employed" years count? Shouldn't the ability to build a business from scratch and keep it thriving count as work experience? It's ironic how a founder of a startup only sees your job experience and not the fundamental qualities that come with being your previous role as a founder and sole runner of a business. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

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🚨 Exciting New Sustainability Behaviour Change Collaboration Alert 🚨 💚 Collaboration between businesses 💚 Behaviour Change focus 💚 Rooted in citizen insights 💚 Across different categories 💚 Led by the amazing Hubbub 👏 Well done Hubbub, Unilever, B&Q, Starbucks & Barratt Developments plc 🎉 Excited to see the launch of the #HomeAdvantage initiative, which will involve a series of trials to gauge how effective different initiatives are at encouraging sustainable #BehaviourChange with customers. There will also be a focus on building insights to tackle other #Sustainability challenges households face, and the potential role of businesses and NGOs in breaking down these barriers. 🙌 The opportunity is still there to join the #HomeAdvantage initiative. Who’s in?

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The regions and new LVEPs are an important part of the future growth and sustainability of the visitor economy, with partnerships at the heart of everything we do. Today's #VEVBAnnualReview drives home the value of tourism to the national economy.

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How can you best use events to build your brand profile? In partnership with FirstEvent and Campaign UK, our special podcast episode covers why events should be a part of your wider content plan to increase brand awareness and better your public perception. Listen here 🎧 https://lnkd.in/eSKYa3Ws #ad #eventprofs #immersivecontent #experiential #eventmarketing

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We need to talk about GAILS. Yes, even they are susceptible to constructive criticism. The first GAILS bakery opened in Hampstead High Street in 2005, and there are now over 100 shops. All positioned with a look and feel of your local independent bakery. But isn’t this playing a small part in the death of the high street? Yes - they’re more exciting than Starbucks. But they don’t elevate local recipes or experiences. They don’t celebrate the areas they’re in. Everything is standardised. And I can’t help but think that GAILS should localise and articulate WAY beyond just offering the same products all over London. Why not have an East London baker make a 21st century GAILS Pie and Mash in their London Fields store?  Or you could have a GAILS in Haringey inspired by Turkish-Greek Simit and Baklava... All made locally, fresh. Let alone the opportunities to invite the community into store and run baking masterclasses to bring these treasures to life. It’s these small localised changes that I believe will go a long way in changing our culture and bringing love and community (AND EXCITEMENT), back to our highstreets. Come on GAILS, mix it up!

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#Suffolk's pubs and restaurants looking forward to a "very busy and profitable" Sunday during the #Euro2024 final. Thanks to Tom Cann and East Anglian Daily Times for quoting Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in his article about the expected boost for the county's #hospitality #businesses as England play Spain. Yet, this vital sector cannot rely on #business sugar rushes created by major sporting events alone. Here's our quote that didn't make it into the final article: “However, the challenge is now to systematically help the sector rebuild over the longer-term and for this we are looking to the new Westminster #Government to assist, not least in terms of tax reform – including the scrapping of the out-of-date and perverse #businessrates system and its replacement with an #output #tax, streamlining aspects of the #licensing system, swifter turnaround times for smaller #planning applications to pubs, clubs and restaurants and a more flexible #ApprenticeshipLevy to encourage smaller venues to take on the next generation of staff.” In the meantime, C'mon England! https://lnkd.in/eCcX5Dcj Jo Kreckler Peter Osborne Robert Gough Amanda Ankin Alicia Mattcroft Mark Cordell Angela Grey Amie Mullen Steve Elsom

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The best thing I personally love about Last Friday Social from Steve Bjorck is the lack of obligation to go to every single event. Often life events just get in the way so there’s no pressure to attend every event, it will still happen at the next month. Plus, as a new apprentice coming into the Marketing industry, this was invaluable to meet and discuss Marketing with other creatives who were involved in the industry in some way. 📸 So if you’re thinking of attending an event in your industry but you have no one to go with, as scary as it might be going alone, just try it anyway. You never know who you’ll meet or even better: what conversations you’ll have on your own. 🧠 #marketing #norfolkevents #networking #social

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What’s the big deal about local sourcing? Join our Public Sector Catering Week debate to find out. During the free-to-attend #webinar on the 22 May we will be discussing how catering teams support local farmers and growers to get more British food onto public sector plates? Equally, what can farmers and growers do to get their produce in front of foodservice buyers? 💻 Register to join us on the 22 May - https://lnkd.in/eGvkCGXF #PSCWeek #publicfood #publicsectorcatering

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If you are heading to the Independent Schools'​ Bursars Association conference next week, read this. Michelle Parnham (MHFA) lays out six key tips to help independent school catering teams to enhance their operations. #schools #ISBA24 #bursars

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It’s been a hard thing to reconcile, that as a marketer (starting out in ‘Big Food’) I’ve unwittingly played a role in fuelling the crises we face today. I remember seeing the packaging of the brands I managed littering the sides of roads and joking with colleagues that ‘we’d made it’ - instead of considering that perhaps I could have paid more attention to what it was packaged in, how consumers could have better disposed of it and how I might have influenced changes operationally that could have benefited the business, the consumer and the environment. A few months back, I shared a post about how the state of New York is suing PepsiCo for its harmful plastic waste. A peer I deeply respect lamented that what irresponsible consumers do with the packaging once they’ve bought it couldn’t possibly be the fault of the brand. I disagree. I think we can do better than that. What if all brands took responsibility for their waste streams? What if the end of cycle was as important in a product’s design as its pack format, label, branding and marketing campaign? What if organisations were held to a higher standard and were accountable and responsible? That can’t be a bad thing, right?? As marketers, we can have an impact on changing the status quo, by holding ourselves to a higher standard too, and recognising our influence both inside and outside of our organisations. And it has to start with understanding the harms we’re unknowingly (hopefully not knowingly!) causing. If you’re a bold marketer curious to do just this, comment below or DM me and I’ll let you know about something I have up my sleeve, designed especially for you.

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Marketers in hospitality should not neglect high-quality content. It's not uncommon for me to audit a property's website and find: - Low-quality images - Outdated images and videos - No images or videos of the property's unique selling points When this happens, your prospective guests cannot: - Connect with your brand - Consider the experience you offer - Imagine themselves spending time at your property That can hurt your chances of converting the prospective guest. Here is what you should do instead: - Connect with your customers on an emotional level - Create content that captures your property's experience - Showcase lifestyle assets that help the user get excited about your property If you need an example, watch the video below. Created by Wallop Film, it perfectly captures the essence of the Rocky Mountaineer brand.

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The continued rise in foodbank use shows how thin our welfare 'safety net' has become. So many fall through now. This is policy by design - it is an intentional strategy of a Government that considers welfare spending an 'undesirable cost' and always at the mercy of 'scroungers'. But it sits badly with the same Government's continued enthusiasm for giving out huge tax reliefs to high-income individuals, like non-doms, who actually cost the tax payer far more. The worst scroungers in this country wear pin-striped suits and will never need to go near a foodbank. We should fund welfare properly, so it provides a dignified living to those who need our help, and reform our taxes so that those on high incomes pay their way.

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Top Tips For Summer Skincare On the JJ Barnes Blog, I check out top tips for summer skincare so I can keep my skin healthy and feeling fresh as the weather heats up. Summer’s here (for the most part) which means it’s time for barbecues in the garden, excursions to the beach, and soaking up the sunshine on dog walks through the countryside. But with that glorious sunshine comes the challenge of keeping our skin healthy and happy as increased sweating, clogged pores, and potential sun damage become major concerns, so I wanted to learn how to adapt my skincare routine to accommodate the change of season. To help me out, experts at the beauty and wellness marketplace, Fresha, sent over a list of do’s and don’ts for Summer sin care. I’ll be learning how to keep your skin hydrated, protected, and glowing all season long. From sunscreen essentials to lightweight moisturizers and refreshing hacks, get ready to conquer the summer heat with a skincare routine that works wonders. #skincare #skincareroutine #skincareproducts #beauty #health #healthyskin #beautifulskin #summer #summerskincare #blogpost READ MORE NOW https://lnkd.in/eabHYCQ4

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"Thanks for everything, but we have a new general manager that's going to take over the socials" 🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥 Much like senior marketing roles with a wage of 25k per annum, a general manager simply shouldn't be taking on the responsibilities of an entire other role (let alone a department) for the same 😅 This was my reality 2 days home from the hospital after giving birth and it's definitely my biggest struggle with freelancing at the moment. I'm fighting tooth and nail to prove my worth, to get businesses to not only understand their socials but the worth behind it, and truthfully, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows at the moment as much as I wish it was 🌈 But, in true silver lining fashion, we've been able to switch our focus to improving other areas of the business, including: ➡ client onboarding (and offboarding) ➡ monthly reporting ➡ introducing a brand new client portal to streamline our work even more ➡ putting a focus back into our own socials ➡ winning some one-off projects that have opened doors for us already Just got to keep going (and wish that the Sun returns for some outdoor working ☀️)

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Marketing Comms can be a bit of a dark art…but I find 9 times out of 10 marketing folk put far too much pressure on it and try too hard to be clever. I’m a big fan of keeping it simple and not making the consumer have to work for it. This example, however, just made me feel like someone has given up. Should we send help? #marketing #communication #copy

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Eye-catching article here from the BBC. Kudos to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute for putting all the figures together – I absolutely love these kinds of story, where hard data is used to better inform us about our day-to-day lives in an engaging and accessible way. It’s great journalism, and great comms from CTSI. There is a reason the data teams are thriving at news organisations – people like reading this stuff. However – and this is where I put my LinkedIn Lunatic hat on – Britain has a serious problem with pouring pints. And it’s not what the CTSI thinks. “CTSI researchers measured the sample beers based on a pint being completely liquid” – this is criminal. A pilsner should have at least an inch of head. More for a Hefeweizen. British beer drinkers are shooting themselves in the foot here – a greater volume of liquid doesn’t make a better beer. Foam draws out carbonation, adds flavour, and enriches the experience. I am happy for anyone to screenshot this and post it to a forum mocking beer weirdos, by the way. This is all going to sound like a very long-winded ad, but it’s great to see breweries like DONZOKO BREWING COMPANY LTD actively push for a revival of foamy beers, which have a long heritage, especially in the north of England. When I met its founder Reece Hugill studying in Munich, he at least had the advantage of being able to justify attending the city’s endless Lederhosen-clad beer festivals as a form of reconnaissance for his commercial endeavours. So despite what the CTSI tells you – embrace the foam on your pint. Literally. TL;DR -- Good article: https://lnkd.in/eed5iMKN Good beer: https://www.donzoko.org/

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