A Cracker of a Joke
Beefeater Grill launches search to find the UK’s funniest Christmas cracker joke
As some of the UK’s most traditional and well known Christmas cracker jokes face the axe this festive season, restaurant chain Beefeater Grill today announces the launch of a nation-wide search to find the UK’s funniest cracker jokes for Christmas 2011. The winning comics will earn the honour of seeing their yuletide yarn printed in a special set of limited edition crackers.
Everyone loves a festive frolic and with three kings, a group of shepherds and an ass there’s plenty of material to inspire the UK’s budding jokers. Beefeater Grill will be picking the best six jokes from those sent in to be included in the limited edition crackers, winners will also be able to win a festive meal with family in the restaurant.
Amanda Barnett, a spokeswoman for Beefeater Grill, said; “Sharing a Christmas dinner is a time for families to relax and really celebrate together. At Beefeater Grill we hope to find a cracking joke to make us all laugh and we look forward to welcoming everyone to sample our new festive menus this Christmas.”
Anyone who fancies themselves something of a festive joker can enter their Christmas jokes at www.beefeatergrill.co.uk/cracker. Entries close 10th December 2011.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
NEWS FROM GRAZE.COM
Berry good discovery by graze.com
The lingonberry, an unlikely foraged fruit from the forests of the Nordics, is set for its UK debut as graze.com, who offer healthy snacks by post, bring the berry to British shores this December. Thought to be the only company in the UK to import the dried lingonberry fruit, the company, who offer over 100 healthy snacks and nibbles delivered straight to your door, are now including them in their latest snack combination.
Foraged from the floors of Norwegian forests the berries have been used in folk medicine for generations and in preserves, though never widely available in dried form. The berries kick a powerful health punch, containing vitamin C, provitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Ylva Johannesson Nutritionist at graze.com said; “Packed with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals the lingonberry is an incredible, though surprisingly underappreciated fruit! We predict the humble lingonberry to be one of the big new superfoods of 2012 and are really excited to be including it in one of our healthy punnets!”
For further information or to try a box please contact Sophie Smallwood or Tom Antoniw at FrankPR – 020 7693 6999 or email graze@frankpr.it. Please visit www.graze.com/press for product images and other bits and bobs or contact Ben Jones at graze directly on ben.jones@graze.com.
Notes to editors:
graze boxes are only available from www.graze.com and cost £3.49 including delivery using Royal Mail. The boxes fit perfectly through the letter box and arrive with the rest of your post, they are being delivered everywhere in the UK, from the Channel Islands to the Shetland Islands.
You can make a graze box even healthier if you choose one of the two ‘nutrition boxes’ put together by the nutrition team. Nutrition boxes contain only the healthiest snacks which are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and complex omegas to give you the maximum nutritional benefit.
The company was started by seven school friends (Graham, Ben, Tom N, Neil, Edd, Tom P and Brendan) who all gave up their jobs to build the graze.com kitchen in April 2008. Their shared and continued passion to create tasty snacks that do you good has resulted in the creation of a brand new food category and a very clever route to market - Nature Delivered.
The company set up the ‘graze school of farming’ in 2010 (Reg. Charity No. 1102474). The school is based in Kabubbu in the heart of rural Uganda where students are taught how to grow, maintain and then harvest fruit from their own trees – graze.com have donated over £40,000 since 2010.
Graze.com won New Product of the Year at the Growing Business Awards in 2009 and were voted Venture Candy’s Best Food and Drink Company 2010 by Metro readers; they are also part of the Smarta 100.
The lingonberry, an unlikely foraged fruit from the forests of the Nordics, is set for its UK debut as graze.com, who offer healthy snacks by post, bring the berry to British shores this December. Thought to be the only company in the UK to import the dried lingonberry fruit, the company, who offer over 100 healthy snacks and nibbles delivered straight to your door, are now including them in their latest snack combination.
Foraged from the floors of Norwegian forests the berries have been used in folk medicine for generations and in preserves, though never widely available in dried form. The berries kick a powerful health punch, containing vitamin C, provitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Ylva Johannesson Nutritionist at graze.com said; “Packed with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals the lingonberry is an incredible, though surprisingly underappreciated fruit! We predict the humble lingonberry to be one of the big new superfoods of 2012 and are really excited to be including it in one of our healthy punnets!”
For further information or to try a box please contact Sophie Smallwood or Tom Antoniw at FrankPR – 020 7693 6999 or email graze@frankpr.it. Please visit www.graze.com/press for product images and other bits and bobs or contact Ben Jones at graze directly on ben.jones@graze.com.
Notes to editors:
graze boxes are only available from www.graze.com and cost £3.49 including delivery using Royal Mail. The boxes fit perfectly through the letter box and arrive with the rest of your post, they are being delivered everywhere in the UK, from the Channel Islands to the Shetland Islands.
You can make a graze box even healthier if you choose one of the two ‘nutrition boxes’ put together by the nutrition team. Nutrition boxes contain only the healthiest snacks which are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and complex omegas to give you the maximum nutritional benefit.
The company was started by seven school friends (Graham, Ben, Tom N, Neil, Edd, Tom P and Brendan) who all gave up their jobs to build the graze.com kitchen in April 2008. Their shared and continued passion to create tasty snacks that do you good has resulted in the creation of a brand new food category and a very clever route to market - Nature Delivered.
The company set up the ‘graze school of farming’ in 2010 (Reg. Charity No. 1102474). The school is based in Kabubbu in the heart of rural Uganda where students are taught how to grow, maintain and then harvest fruit from their own trees – graze.com have donated over £40,000 since 2010.
Graze.com won New Product of the Year at the Growing Business Awards in 2009 and were voted Venture Candy’s Best Food and Drink Company 2010 by Metro readers; they are also part of the Smarta 100.
Friday, 18 November 2011
NEWS FROM PREMIER INN
BRITS WORRY THEIR WEEKENDS ARE BECOMING WASHOUTS
New research reveals Brits are not making enough of their weekends
With Brits having just two days a week to rest up after five long days at work, new research out today [18th November 2011] reveals that 70% of us confess to worrying we are ‘wasting’ our weekends by choosing to have lie ins and lazy mornings.
The research, carried out by the UK’s biggest hotel chain, Premier Inn, showed that millions of Brits are still relaxing in their pyjamas at midday on a Saturday, despite the average wake up time being 8.37am, with only one in ten of us getting up straight away.
With the working week being longer and more stressful than ever, when it comes to the weekend it takes an average of 23 minutes to get out of bed and until 10am to open the curtains, with 51% of Brits hitting the snooze button rather than getting up to enjoy the day ahead.
The Premier Inn research asked 3000 UK adults about their weekend behaviour and showed that whilst most of us indulge in a lazy morning, 41% would like to do more at a weekend and a third of us admit to feeling jealous of colleagues who talk about their fun-packed weekend on a Monday morning.
Claire Haigh from Premier Inn, which commissioned the study, said: “It’s important to enjoy quality time away and a change of scenery and a few days away can make a big difference.
Recharging the batteries is important so getting away from the stresses and strains of work is vital so we want to encourage Brits to enjoy a lie in but make the most of their weekend once they are up and about.
We are rewarding our customers with a fantastic offer of a free nights stay when they stay at a Premier Inn on three separate occasions. With over 600 Premier Inn hotels across the UK the benefits of a free night’s stay means that customers can enjoy a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank.
It’s natural that we take our foot off the pedal at the weekend after having worked hard all week.”
The nationwide survey of adults highlighted that a third of the nation feel ‘shattered’ from work and other weekday duties, which was the main reason cited for not making more of the weekend. Those who do muster up the time to get things done said their weekends are swallowed up by household chores and preparing for the week ahead, with little time to chill out and enjoy the time off work.
Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.
To find out more go to www.greatnightgiveaway.com.
- Ends -
For further information please contact the Premier Inn team on 020 7693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it
The research was carried out by One Poll amongst 3000 UK adults in November 2011
Premier Inn was voted Hotel Chain of the Year at the British Travel Awards 2010 and 2011
NOTES TO EDITORS
Premier Inn
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.
Premier Inn is open in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.
Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.
Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. To date Premier Inn has raised £1m for the charity.
New research reveals Brits are not making enough of their weekends
With Brits having just two days a week to rest up after five long days at work, new research out today [18th November 2011] reveals that 70% of us confess to worrying we are ‘wasting’ our weekends by choosing to have lie ins and lazy mornings.
The research, carried out by the UK’s biggest hotel chain, Premier Inn, showed that millions of Brits are still relaxing in their pyjamas at midday on a Saturday, despite the average wake up time being 8.37am, with only one in ten of us getting up straight away.
With the working week being longer and more stressful than ever, when it comes to the weekend it takes an average of 23 minutes to get out of bed and until 10am to open the curtains, with 51% of Brits hitting the snooze button rather than getting up to enjoy the day ahead.
The Premier Inn research asked 3000 UK adults about their weekend behaviour and showed that whilst most of us indulge in a lazy morning, 41% would like to do more at a weekend and a third of us admit to feeling jealous of colleagues who talk about their fun-packed weekend on a Monday morning.
Claire Haigh from Premier Inn, which commissioned the study, said: “It’s important to enjoy quality time away and a change of scenery and a few days away can make a big difference.
Recharging the batteries is important so getting away from the stresses and strains of work is vital so we want to encourage Brits to enjoy a lie in but make the most of their weekend once they are up and about.
We are rewarding our customers with a fantastic offer of a free nights stay when they stay at a Premier Inn on three separate occasions. With over 600 Premier Inn hotels across the UK the benefits of a free night’s stay means that customers can enjoy a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank.
It’s natural that we take our foot off the pedal at the weekend after having worked hard all week.”
The nationwide survey of adults highlighted that a third of the nation feel ‘shattered’ from work and other weekday duties, which was the main reason cited for not making more of the weekend. Those who do muster up the time to get things done said their weekends are swallowed up by household chores and preparing for the week ahead, with little time to chill out and enjoy the time off work.
Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.
To find out more go to www.greatnightgiveaway.com.
- Ends -
For further information please contact the Premier Inn team on 020 7693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it
The research was carried out by One Poll amongst 3000 UK adults in November 2011
Premier Inn was voted Hotel Chain of the Year at the British Travel Awards 2010 and 2011
NOTES TO EDITORS
Premier Inn
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.
Premier Inn is open in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.
Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.
Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. To date Premier Inn has raised £1m for the charity.
NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM
Parlay voo onglaze?
Brits ‘terribles’ at foreign languages, with 19% unable to even translate "bonjour"
While everyone loves going on holiday, research by Hotels.com today reveals that this does not 'translate' for Brits into an ability to understand and speak the local language. Shockingly 64% of us are completely unable to say anything in a foreign tongue, and only a third (34%) of us are willing to give the lingo a go when abroad. Even simple words such as "bonjour" and “goedemorgen” failed to register, with 19% and 63% of us respectively unable to translate “good morning” in French and Dutch.
Despite French, German and Spanish being on the National Curriculum, only 13%, 8% and 6% of Brits respectively consider themselves able to speak the language. Of those in this category, 25% can ask a limited range of everyday questions, 21% can just say “hello” and “goodbye” and a strange 2% claim that they can understand everything that is said to them, but are unable to say anything back.
The majority of Brits (61%) rarely or never try to speak a foreign language, with reasons for their lack of effort being put down to simply not being bothered (16%), being too embarrassed they will make a mistake (35%) or simply assuming that everyone can speak English (23%).
Surprisingly 47% of 18-24 year olds reported that they haven’t spoken the foreign language they learnt at school, since they left. Conversely, those aged over 55 were most likely to try and speak the country’s local language when on holiday, with 45% of respondents claiming to very often or always try.
Putting pints before their Ps & Qs, more people (43%) were able to translate “a beer please” in Spanish (“una cerveza por favor”) than were able to correctly translate “thank you” in Portuguese (“prego”) 29%.
Kate Hopcraft, from Hotels.com, said: “The results of our study seem to put British holiday makers to shame, with even languages typically learnt at school such as German, French and Spanish having incredibly low levels of comprehension. Brits often have a negative image abroad when it comes to languages and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be anything we'll be saying auf wiedersehen to anytime soon.”
Percentage of Brits who could correctly translate these common foreign phrases:
Bonjour 81%
Una cerveza por favor 43%
Prego 29%
Ja 57%
Danke schoen 57%
Goedemorgen 37%
Buenas Noches 56%
For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
Notes to Editors
The research was carried out between 12.10.2011 - 14.10.2011
Sample: 2,000 UK adults
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are more than 2.5 million reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres in England. During 2011, Hotels.com launched a specially-designed app for the iPad and several smart phone apps, all available to download for free. These allow users to search and book more than 20,000 last minute deals from around the world. Available in more than 30 languages, the apps also allow users to sort and filter hotels, browse user reviews plus find last minute hotel deals close to their location. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme worldwide, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com .
Brits ‘terribles’ at foreign languages, with 19% unable to even translate "bonjour"
While everyone loves going on holiday, research by Hotels.com today reveals that this does not 'translate' for Brits into an ability to understand and speak the local language. Shockingly 64% of us are completely unable to say anything in a foreign tongue, and only a third (34%) of us are willing to give the lingo a go when abroad. Even simple words such as "bonjour" and “goedemorgen” failed to register, with 19% and 63% of us respectively unable to translate “good morning” in French and Dutch.
Despite French, German and Spanish being on the National Curriculum, only 13%, 8% and 6% of Brits respectively consider themselves able to speak the language. Of those in this category, 25% can ask a limited range of everyday questions, 21% can just say “hello” and “goodbye” and a strange 2% claim that they can understand everything that is said to them, but are unable to say anything back.
The majority of Brits (61%) rarely or never try to speak a foreign language, with reasons for their lack of effort being put down to simply not being bothered (16%), being too embarrassed they will make a mistake (35%) or simply assuming that everyone can speak English (23%).
Surprisingly 47% of 18-24 year olds reported that they haven’t spoken the foreign language they learnt at school, since they left. Conversely, those aged over 55 were most likely to try and speak the country’s local language when on holiday, with 45% of respondents claiming to very often or always try.
Putting pints before their Ps & Qs, more people (43%) were able to translate “a beer please” in Spanish (“una cerveza por favor”) than were able to correctly translate “thank you” in Portuguese (“prego”) 29%.
Kate Hopcraft, from Hotels.com, said: “The results of our study seem to put British holiday makers to shame, with even languages typically learnt at school such as German, French and Spanish having incredibly low levels of comprehension. Brits often have a negative image abroad when it comes to languages and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be anything we'll be saying auf wiedersehen to anytime soon.”
Percentage of Brits who could correctly translate these common foreign phrases:
Bonjour 81%
Una cerveza por favor 43%
Prego 29%
Ja 57%
Danke schoen 57%
Goedemorgen 37%
Buenas Noches 56%
For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
Notes to Editors
The research was carried out between 12.10.2011 - 14.10.2011
Sample: 2,000 UK adults
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are more than 2.5 million reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres in England. During 2011, Hotels.com launched a specially-designed app for the iPad and several smart phone apps, all available to download for free. These allow users to search and book more than 20,000 last minute deals from around the world. Available in more than 30 languages, the apps also allow users to sort and filter hotels, browse user reviews plus find last minute hotel deals close to their location. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme worldwide, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com .
NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO
FOXY LAUNCHES CELEB CALENDAR
Foxy Bingo enlists a host of TV’s top stars from Nanny Pat to Alex Reid to feature in his 2012 calendar
Foxy, bingo’s biggest bachelor and face of FoxyBingo.com, has teamed up with a host of celebs to launch his calendar for 2012. Stars of ‘The Only Way is Essex’ Maria Fowler and Nanny Pat, cage fighter Alex Reid, and the cast of Geordie Shore join Foxy in recreating various iconic images for the aptly named ‘Foxy And His Famous Friends’ calendar. The calendar is available exclusively through FoxyBingo.com.
Following in the footsteps of the likes of Cliff Richard, Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole, Foxy is the latest in a long line of beloved showbiz personalities to launch his own official calendar. In January, Foxy will be king of the world as he embraces Maria Fowler on the bow of the Titanic. Come spring, the cast of Geordie shore join Foxy suspended on a girder above the New York sky line and in May, Foxy fans will be treated to the sight of their favourite Essex gran, Nanny Pat, posing over a subway grate as Marilyn Monroe. Alex Reid also stands alongside Foxy and dons an afro wig as the pair give their take on ‘Pulp Fiction’.
Foxy said, “Shooting this calendar has been the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ve been covered in clay with Maria, put an afro wig on Alex Reid and I’ve seen further up Nanny Pat’s skirt than I care to mention. I texted Mark Wright and said, ‘I’ve got your Nan here looking foxy dressed as Marilyn.’ He wasn’t impressed. But she’s a lovely lady and I know all the Foxy fans out there will love the pictures as much as I do.”
Foxy Bingo is the most popular online bingo site in the UK with over one million people registered to play and chat together. ‘Foxy’s Famous Friends Calendar’ is available exclusively at FoxyBingo.com from Friday 18th November 2011.
ENDS
For more information please contact Katie Bawler or Paul Goodman on
020 7693 6999 / foxy@frankpr.it
Notes to editors
Shot List:
January: Foxy and Maria Fowler embrace on the Titanic
February: Foxy enjoys a date with a mystery beauty
March: Foxy and the Geordie Shore cast share a ‘high tea’
April: Foxy in his golfing gear
May: Foxy and Nanny Pat in ‘The Seven Year Itch’
June: Foxy and Alex Reid in ‘Pulp Fiction’
July: Foxy stretches in his gym gear
August: Foxy and Maria Fowler at the pottery wheel
September: Foxy at his grand piano
October: Foxy loses out to Alex Reid
November: Foxy lounging in his bachelor pad
December: Foxy and Nanny Pat celebrate V-J Day
About Foxy Bingo:
Foxy Bingo launched in 2005 and is now one of the biggest names in UK bingo with more than 40 game rooms to play in. Cards start from just 1p and a whopping £6,000,000 is given away each month. Foxy Bingo players can enjoy a range of instant win games with progressive jackpots up to £50,000.
About bwin.party:
bwin.party digital entertainment plc is the world’s largest listed online gaming company. The Company was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc on 31 March 2011. Incorporated and licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, the Group has over 3,100 employees in offices in Europe, India, Israel and the US and generated total pro forma revenues of €724.1m and pro forma Clean EBITDA of €193.7m in 2009. bwin.party is also licensed in Alderney, France and Italy and commands leading market positions in each of our four key product verticals: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo. At the heart of our business, our proprietary software, online gaming platforms and a strong portfolio of games collectively differentiate our customer offer compared with our competitors.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
NEWS FROM OCADO
Grocery pioneer Ocado is continuing its mission to deliver ‘on the go’ shopping to the masses by launching the UK’s first ever transactional supermarket app on BlackBerry.
A staggering 18.6 per cent of all Ocado checkouts are now attributable to mobile devices , little more than two years on from the arrival of an Ocado On The Go shopping app to Apple’s iPhone. Ocado, the first supermarket in the world to sell over iPhone, has since expanded its popular m-commerce platform to Android handsets and the iPad; and now extends it even further to BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 handsets.
BlackBerry is a logical progression for the online grocer, given its reputation as the businessperson’s mobile of choice. Recent Ocado analysis of food shopping habits has found that orders made using the Ocado On The Go app are highest during peak travel times , in turn suggesting that mobile shoppers regularly use the daily commute to place their weekly shop. According to October 2011 data from Canalys, BlackBerry was the number one selling Smartphone in the UK .
Launched this week, the Ocado On The Go app for BlackBerry is both touch-screen and roller-ball enabled, and offers a specially-designed interface compatible with over 30 different models and handsets. Upgrades, including barcode scanning and delivery slot syncing with phone calendars, will be implemented in the coming weeks.
Ocado’s move onto BlackBerry coincides with a progression onto Windows Phone 7 handsets, a platform given added momentum by Nokia’s deal with Microsoft to use its operating system in place of Symbian. Both apps will provide customers with great value – across Ocado’s entire 21,000-product catalogue - and basket-filling flexibility around the clock, whether price matching on thousands of Tesco products on the commute to work or finalising Christmas plans at the school gates.
Interestingly, further sales data has revealed that Ocado On The Go customers have a different palate to those who place their orders via Ocado.com. While webshop users stock up on indulgent treats such as home baking products, wine and butter , , those using the app tend to prefer healthier ingredients with fresh fruit, veg, fruit juice and salads top buys .
Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, comments: “Ocado is proud to be a major innovator when it comes to mobile commerce.
“Ocado On The Go is the first BlackBerry app in the UK to support supermarket shopping and the app’s arrival on to Windows Phone 7 will widen our reach even further, which is hugely exciting.
“Busy workers and casual mobile users alike can now find everything they need to ensure their households run smoothly; over 21,000 great value and quality products in their pocket.”
Available to customers today, find Ocado On The Go for BlackBerry by visiting the BlackBerry App World through your handset; the Ocado On The Go app for Windows Phone 7 is available from the Windows Phone Marketplace.
A staggering 18.6 per cent of all Ocado checkouts are now attributable to mobile devices , little more than two years on from the arrival of an Ocado On The Go shopping app to Apple’s iPhone. Ocado, the first supermarket in the world to sell over iPhone, has since expanded its popular m-commerce platform to Android handsets and the iPad; and now extends it even further to BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 handsets.
BlackBerry is a logical progression for the online grocer, given its reputation as the businessperson’s mobile of choice. Recent Ocado analysis of food shopping habits has found that orders made using the Ocado On The Go app are highest during peak travel times , in turn suggesting that mobile shoppers regularly use the daily commute to place their weekly shop. According to October 2011 data from Canalys, BlackBerry was the number one selling Smartphone in the UK .
Launched this week, the Ocado On The Go app for BlackBerry is both touch-screen and roller-ball enabled, and offers a specially-designed interface compatible with over 30 different models and handsets. Upgrades, including barcode scanning and delivery slot syncing with phone calendars, will be implemented in the coming weeks.
Ocado’s move onto BlackBerry coincides with a progression onto Windows Phone 7 handsets, a platform given added momentum by Nokia’s deal with Microsoft to use its operating system in place of Symbian. Both apps will provide customers with great value – across Ocado’s entire 21,000-product catalogue - and basket-filling flexibility around the clock, whether price matching on thousands of Tesco products on the commute to work or finalising Christmas plans at the school gates.
Interestingly, further sales data has revealed that Ocado On The Go customers have a different palate to those who place their orders via Ocado.com. While webshop users stock up on indulgent treats such as home baking products, wine and butter , , those using the app tend to prefer healthier ingredients with fresh fruit, veg, fruit juice and salads top buys .
Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, comments: “Ocado is proud to be a major innovator when it comes to mobile commerce.
“Ocado On The Go is the first BlackBerry app in the UK to support supermarket shopping and the app’s arrival on to Windows Phone 7 will widen our reach even further, which is hugely exciting.
“Busy workers and casual mobile users alike can now find everything they need to ensure their households run smoothly; over 21,000 great value and quality products in their pocket.”
Available to customers today, find Ocado On The Go for BlackBerry by visiting the BlackBerry App World through your handset; the Ocado On The Go app for Windows Phone 7 is available from the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Monday, 7 November 2011
NEWS FROM OCADO
Window Shopping...
Online supermarket Ocado hits the high street with pioneering new ‘shop’
November 04, 2011 OCADO, the award-winning online supermarket, has moved from computer screens to shop windows by taking residence on the high street this month with an innovative experiment in virtual shopping at Bristol’s Cabot Circus. It follows the arrival of Ocado’s great value, great quality delivery service to Bristol (and parts of South Wales and the South West) in March.
Live between November 4 and 10, Ocado’s integrated window display will let Bristolians purchase all their grocery essentials, and a few indulgent treats, on their mobile phones; all to be delivered direct to their kitchen table.
Ocado’s virtual shopping wall will offer household essentials ranging from tea bags and toilet rolls to pasta and potatoes – branded goods and quality Waitrose products alongside those from its fast-growing Ocado range; not to mention tasty treats from Ocado’s newly-stocked Reflets de France and Daylesford Organic ranges.
The Ocado virtual store at Unit 16 of Cabot Circus, between Ernest Jones and Wallis on Concorde Street, will be accessible 24 hours a day with customers able to shop in a few easy steps:
1. If you don’t have it already, download the Ocado On The Go app from the App Store or Android Market
2. Open the app and press the barcode symbol in the top right of your screen
3. Hold the camera screen over the barcode of a product until it recognises it
4. When the product appears on your screen, press ‘add’ to put it in your basket
5. Keep on shopping and then check out!
The online supermarket first hit the high street this August at the One New Change shopping centre in central London. It was the first time that Ocado, a strictly online business, had migrated from the internet to bricks and mortar. However, being a leader in online grocery retail - introducing the world’s first supermarket shopping mobile application on iPhone in 2009 and now, this month, launching onto Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 handsets - the company stuck to its digital technology roots with a distinctive spin on the future of high street shopping.
As of this October, mobile devices were used in a staggering 18.6 per cent of Ocado checkouts; an ever-increasing number of customers now regularly shop via the award-winning Ocado On The Go app.
Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder, said: “Taking the virtual window shopping experience to Bristol is a natural move for Ocado, following a successful trial of this bold venture in London.
“Bristol is the perfect choice because, as of March, we started making our first deliveries here, and to people in the surrounding areas. The response since we arrived has been great. We hope that our loyal customers, and a few new faces, are just as excited to browse our innovative shop front, as we were to create it.”
Head down to Cabot Circus, Bristol from November 4 until the end of the week geared with your mobile phone to trial this unique window shopping experience.
-Ends-
For further information contact:
Estelle Boon, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6959 Email: estelleboon@frankpr.it
Francesca Hall, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6983 Email: francescahall@frankpr.it
Rochelle Collison, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496 Email: rochellecollison@frankpr.it
Notes to Editors:
About Ocado:
Ocado (www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers – orders are fulfilled at a unique, high-automated Customer Fulfilment Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, before being loaded onto delivery vans making local routes, or transported by HGV to vans stationed at a network of regional UK distribution spokes. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. Last October it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards and, earlier this year, won Consumer Initiative of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards for its popular mobile commerce platform.
NEWS FROM SODASTREAM
SodaStream Sparkles with New Naturals Range
New range of ‘better for you’ flavours for the whole family
Everyone knows the importance of natural goodness in your family’s diet but it doesn’t have to be boring, as SodaStream have proven with their brand new range of all-natural flavours.
The Sparkling Naturals range is available in three flavours; Lemon & Lime, Blackcurrant & Pear and Pink Grapefruit, with a sub-range of Sparkling Naturals for Kids also available in three flavours; Apple, Strawberry, and Orange & Peach. All six are free from artificial flavours and made from all-natural ingredients and bursting with flavour, enabling fizzy families to create their own delicious sparkling drinks at home with water straight from the tap.
Each of the Naturals flavours will be available in 750ml bottles priced at £3.99, which creates six litres of sparkling soft drink, offering a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to other carbonated soft drinks. Plus, kids will love being able to create their own fruity flavours, whilst having some fizzy kitchen fun!
This ‘better for you’ range has no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners, simply using cane sugar and natural fruit juices to create the great taste. Parents can rest assured that this fruit fun is also providing sparkling goodness, as the Sparkling Naturals for Kids range gives 100% RDA of Vitamin C per serving.
SodaStream also helps to reduce bottle waste; its reusable carbonating bottle lasts up to three years and is estimated to save 2000 bottles. There are also fewer empty bottles or cans to discard or recycle and less energy wasted by transporting billions of litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks. This enables families to practice ‘precycling’ - reducing waste before recycling is necessary.
Each Sodastream drinksmaker also comes with a full CO2 gas cylinder and a one-off ‘user licence’ entitling you to use the cylinder throughout the life of your Sodastream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you just exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill.
So with this new range of great-tasting fruity flavours for your SodaStream, why not stock up on Naturals and start having some ‘good for you’ family fun in the kitchen!
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic products will be exclusively stocking the Naturals Kids range in their Kensington store until the end of October. Both the adult and kids’ ranges will be rolling out to other key retailers towards the end of the year and are also available from SodaStream online.
SodaStream drinksmakers, and gas are available from John Lewis, Selfridges, Comet, Argos, Robert Dyas, Lakeland, Harvey Nichols, The Range, Maplin, Curry’s Megastores and selected Sainsbury, Asda and Homebase stores. SodaStream drinksmakers cost from £49.99 and 500 ml flavour concentrates from £3.29.
The 750 ml bottles of Naturals flavour syrups are available in Blackcurrant & Pear, Lemon & Lime, and Pink Grapefruit, priced at £3.99 each
The 750 ml bottles of Kids Naturals flavour syrups are available in Apple, Orange & Peach, and Strawberry, priced at £3.99 each
About SodaStream:
SodaStream manufactures home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 40,000 retail stores in 41 countries around the world.
Gas refills & cylinders:
SodaStream drinks makers work by dispensing CO2 from a gas cylinder in the back of the drinks maker, into fresh tap water to make your sparkling drinks. When you buy your SodaStream drinks maker, a full CO2 gas cylinder is included under licence, entitling you to use the cylinder with your SodaStream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill. You can exchange your empty cylinder for a new one either in store or through our direct delivery system. For full details on the gas exchange process, see http://www.sodastream.co.uk/gbretail/Exchang-Programme.aspx
New range of ‘better for you’ flavours for the whole family
Everyone knows the importance of natural goodness in your family’s diet but it doesn’t have to be boring, as SodaStream have proven with their brand new range of all-natural flavours.
The Sparkling Naturals range is available in three flavours; Lemon & Lime, Blackcurrant & Pear and Pink Grapefruit, with a sub-range of Sparkling Naturals for Kids also available in three flavours; Apple, Strawberry, and Orange & Peach. All six are free from artificial flavours and made from all-natural ingredients and bursting with flavour, enabling fizzy families to create their own delicious sparkling drinks at home with water straight from the tap.
Each of the Naturals flavours will be available in 750ml bottles priced at £3.99, which creates six litres of sparkling soft drink, offering a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to other carbonated soft drinks. Plus, kids will love being able to create their own fruity flavours, whilst having some fizzy kitchen fun!
This ‘better for you’ range has no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners, simply using cane sugar and natural fruit juices to create the great taste. Parents can rest assured that this fruit fun is also providing sparkling goodness, as the Sparkling Naturals for Kids range gives 100% RDA of Vitamin C per serving.
SodaStream also helps to reduce bottle waste; its reusable carbonating bottle lasts up to three years and is estimated to save 2000 bottles. There are also fewer empty bottles or cans to discard or recycle and less energy wasted by transporting billions of litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks. This enables families to practice ‘precycling’ - reducing waste before recycling is necessary.
Each Sodastream drinksmaker also comes with a full CO2 gas cylinder and a one-off ‘user licence’ entitling you to use the cylinder throughout the life of your Sodastream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you just exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill.
So with this new range of great-tasting fruity flavours for your SodaStream, why not stock up on Naturals and start having some ‘good for you’ family fun in the kitchen!
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic products will be exclusively stocking the Naturals Kids range in their Kensington store until the end of October. Both the adult and kids’ ranges will be rolling out to other key retailers towards the end of the year and are also available from SodaStream online.
SodaStream drinksmakers, and gas are available from John Lewis, Selfridges, Comet, Argos, Robert Dyas, Lakeland, Harvey Nichols, The Range, Maplin, Curry’s Megastores and selected Sainsbury, Asda and Homebase stores. SodaStream drinksmakers cost from £49.99 and 500 ml flavour concentrates from £3.29.
The 750 ml bottles of Naturals flavour syrups are available in Blackcurrant & Pear, Lemon & Lime, and Pink Grapefruit, priced at £3.99 each
The 750 ml bottles of Kids Naturals flavour syrups are available in Apple, Orange & Peach, and Strawberry, priced at £3.99 each
About SodaStream:
SodaStream manufactures home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 40,000 retail stores in 41 countries around the world.
Gas refills & cylinders:
SodaStream drinks makers work by dispensing CO2 from a gas cylinder in the back of the drinks maker, into fresh tap water to make your sparkling drinks. When you buy your SodaStream drinks maker, a full CO2 gas cylinder is included under licence, entitling you to use the cylinder with your SodaStream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill. You can exchange your empty cylinder for a new one either in store or through our direct delivery system. For full details on the gas exchange process, see http://www.sodastream.co.uk/gbretail/Exchang-Programme.aspx
Monday, 31 October 2011
NEWS FROM NATIONALFIELD
As the Obama re-election campaign swings back in to action this autumn, NationalField, the private social network for enterprise and organisations that helped the US President to the White House, is launching in the UK.
With clients including the NHS, Ocean Sky, Kaiser Permanente and the 2012 Obama re-election campaign, NationalField has had a stellar start. The company has grown rapidly and became profitable in its first year, with firms buying into the unique management tool designed to streamline internal communications, communicate vision and capture real-time data.
Founded by Oxford and Sorbonne educated Edward Saatchi and entrepreneurs Justin Lewis and Aharon Wasserman during the 2008 Obama for American campaign, NationalField is advised by some of the world’s leading luminaries across the social, enterprise social and pure enterprise sectors – bringing a breadth of relevant experience to the table. These include Chris Hughes - a founding member of Facebook, Sam Lawrence – former CMO of Jive and Jay Rossiter – SVP at Yahoo and VP at Oracle.
NationalField is a management tool for the 21st century, enabling managers to filter key business metrics to different parts of the company, oversee projects wherever they and their team are and understand what’s going on in their business at any given time. The patented technology allows businesses to combine the ‘Facebook generation’s’ enthusiasm for social with enterprise resource planning systems already in place – creating a unique structure for internal communications and management.
The system allows employees to swap information and intelligence in real time whether they are sitting next to each other or out in the field. It also helps to address some of the disconnect that can be experienced across different levels in a company.
“NationalField has resonance with today’s workforce as it looks and feels like social networks such as Facebook,” says Saatchi. “But it also gives managers a chance to see exactly what is happening in their organisation at any given time.
“Employees of all ages are now used to updating their status and getting instant feedback in their personal lives. We’re giving them an outlet to show what they are contributing to their company every day – not just once a year in their annual review,” says Saatchi.
It was on the 2008 Obama campaign trail that Saatchi, Lewis and Wasserman recognised a significant gap in the way communication was managed on the campaign. NationalField was born as a tool to improve communication among field staff and managers, revolutionising the way the campaign was managed.
NationalField’s success during the Obama campaign led its founders to take it to the next level and roll it out as a standalone company in the post-campaign period. Since 2009 the company has taken corporate and political America - and now the UK - by storm with a number of high profile clients across a cross section of industries.
As the company embarks on a new round of fundraising in Silicon Valley, it has also set up its European HQ at The Hub in Kings Cross near to London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’. “We’ve chosen The Hub in order to tap into the entrepreneurial buzz in the area and help us fulfil our goal of becoming the market leader in the emerging ‘global social enterprise resource planning’ sector by 2020” says Saatchi.
NationalField’s executive team includes Edward Saatchi, CEO, Aharon Wasserman, chief product officer and Justin Lewis, chief technology officer. To grow the EMEA business, Saatchi is working with former Obama campaign colleague and organisational expert Alex Lofton, who is the firm’s head of business development in Europe.
With clients including the NHS, Ocean Sky, Kaiser Permanente and the 2012 Obama re-election campaign, NationalField has had a stellar start. The company has grown rapidly and became profitable in its first year, with firms buying into the unique management tool designed to streamline internal communications, communicate vision and capture real-time data.
Founded by Oxford and Sorbonne educated Edward Saatchi and entrepreneurs Justin Lewis and Aharon Wasserman during the 2008 Obama for American campaign, NationalField is advised by some of the world’s leading luminaries across the social, enterprise social and pure enterprise sectors – bringing a breadth of relevant experience to the table. These include Chris Hughes - a founding member of Facebook, Sam Lawrence – former CMO of Jive and Jay Rossiter – SVP at Yahoo and VP at Oracle.
NationalField is a management tool for the 21st century, enabling managers to filter key business metrics to different parts of the company, oversee projects wherever they and their team are and understand what’s going on in their business at any given time. The patented technology allows businesses to combine the ‘Facebook generation’s’ enthusiasm for social with enterprise resource planning systems already in place – creating a unique structure for internal communications and management.
The system allows employees to swap information and intelligence in real time whether they are sitting next to each other or out in the field. It also helps to address some of the disconnect that can be experienced across different levels in a company.
“NationalField has resonance with today’s workforce as it looks and feels like social networks such as Facebook,” says Saatchi. “But it also gives managers a chance to see exactly what is happening in their organisation at any given time.
“Employees of all ages are now used to updating their status and getting instant feedback in their personal lives. We’re giving them an outlet to show what they are contributing to their company every day – not just once a year in their annual review,” says Saatchi.
It was on the 2008 Obama campaign trail that Saatchi, Lewis and Wasserman recognised a significant gap in the way communication was managed on the campaign. NationalField was born as a tool to improve communication among field staff and managers, revolutionising the way the campaign was managed.
NationalField’s success during the Obama campaign led its founders to take it to the next level and roll it out as a standalone company in the post-campaign period. Since 2009 the company has taken corporate and political America - and now the UK - by storm with a number of high profile clients across a cross section of industries.
As the company embarks on a new round of fundraising in Silicon Valley, it has also set up its European HQ at The Hub in Kings Cross near to London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’. “We’ve chosen The Hub in order to tap into the entrepreneurial buzz in the area and help us fulfil our goal of becoming the market leader in the emerging ‘global social enterprise resource planning’ sector by 2020” says Saatchi.
NationalField’s executive team includes Edward Saatchi, CEO, Aharon Wasserman, chief product officer and Justin Lewis, chief technology officer. To grow the EMEA business, Saatchi is working with former Obama campaign colleague and organisational expert Alex Lofton, who is the firm’s head of business development in Europe.
Friday, 21 October 2011
NEWS FROM THE FOOD NETWORK
World’s largest edible Taj Mahal sculpture unveiled by Food Network UK
A 3ft X 10ft X 5ft edible Taj Mahal sculpture was unveiled today, consisting of the nation’s favourite curry ingredients from pilau rice and poppadoms to Bombay potatoes.
The renowned and iconic white domes of the Taj Mahal were immortalised in Indian cuisine, outside one of the UK’s most famous landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The spicy sculpture was commissioned by Food Network UK to celebrate the launch of its new series Reza, Spice Prince of India, starring celebrity chef Reza Mahammad, and consists of some of the most-loved ingredients used in Indian cooking:
- Pilau rice creates the structure of the Taj
- Poppadoms make up part of the garden leading up to the palace
- Green chillies were placed in the garden as trees
- Mango chutney was used as part of the garden
- Chipati bread forms main dome of the Taj
Nick Thorogood, Managing Director of Food Network EMEA says: “Our new show Reza, Spice Prince of India sees Reza exploring the magnificent palaces of Rajasthan, learning about the history and sampling local cuisine - so it’s only fitting that we created the most famous Indian palace out of food, giving people a unique taste of India here in the UK!”
Whilst the Taj Mahal took 22 years in total to complete and needed the help of more than 1,000 elephants and 20,000 North Indian labourers, this version, created by food artist Prudence Staite, took 5 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes to construct.
Reza Mahammad, TV chef and host of the show comments: “Whilst filming the show in Rajasthan, we visited the most extraordinary royal palaces, all which took years to complete, so it was incredible to watch this beautiful, edible Taj Mahal being constructed with such detail, and even better to taste it!”
Reza, Spice Prince of India premieres on Food Network UK on Monday, 24th October at 6.30pm. The show follows Reza Mahammad, as he embarks on an unforgettable journey around India’s residences to discover the fascinating traditions of Rajasthan food and royal feasting, with Reza offering his own contemporary take on traditional Indian dishes.
-Ends-
For further information please contact the Food Network UK team at Frank PR on foodnetwork@frankpr.it or call 0207 693 6977
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
NEWS FROM PREMIER INN
IS THIS THE DREAM JOB?
Meet Premier Inn’s new Director of Bed Bouncing
Most people dream of spending their working day reclining on a comfortable bed, but for Natalie Thomas it’s a reality in her job as The Director of Bed Bouncing [DOBB] for Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain.
In her role as DOBB, Natalie Thomas, aged 39 and ironically from ‘Bed’fordshire, is tasked with testing how comfortable each of the hotel chain’s 46,000 beds are every six months to ensure every guest gets a good night’s sleep guaranteed.
Natalie was appointed as DOBB due to her unique ability to feel even the smallest lump or bump in a mattress. With Natalie spending up to eight hours a day bouncing her botty on beds she has to take extra special care of her derriere, with regular moisturising and being careful not to wear any hard wearing materials, like denim.
So important is Natalie’s sensitive behind to being an expert at her job, that Premier Inn may well follow in the footsteps of J-Lo, who famously insured her bum for £18 million[i], with the budget hotel chain already in talks to insure Natalie’s bottom for up to £4m.
With almost two thirds of Brits* admitting that they have suffered a bad night’s sleep as a result of an uncomfortable mattress and 63% of Brits admitting to having suffered neck and back pain as a result of a bad mattress, Premier Inn made the decision to appoint a Director of Bed Bouncing to check the comfort levels of all their beds across their 602 hotels. And with 62% of the nation citing that they would like mattresses at hotels to be checked regularly to ensure maximum comfort, this was quite simply something the budget hotel chain could not ignore.
Natalie comments: “I absolutely love my job and really can’t imagine doing anything else now! I work with an excellent team of ‘bouncers’ and we work together to bounce on every part of the bed, before testing how comfortable it is to lie and sleep on. Whilst we have lots of fun bouncing on beds, we take our job very seriously as making sure every guest gets a good night’s sleep is of paramount importance to us all.”
Claire Haigh, spokesperson for Premier Inn said, “We’re thrilled with the work our Director of Bed Bouncing and her team are doing and we hope their hard work ensures our guests continue to have a good night’s rest on our comfortable beds.”
As DOBB for Premier Inn, Natalie travels 1000’s of miles a year across the UK visiting every one of the 602 hotels. Since being appointed at the beginning of the month, Natalie and her team of dedicated ‘bouncers’ have tested an average of 7200 beds and they plan to have tested all of them by the end of February 2012.
Premier Inn bosses are then planning to give Natalie’s bottom a rest and have provided her with a special support chair to use for a two week break before she will then hit the road to start the next round of mattress testing.
Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.
-Ends-
For more information, imagery or an interview with DOBB, please contact
Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 / premierinn@frankpr.it
Notes to editors:
*Research carried out by One Poll for Premier Inn, 2,000 respondents were surveyed in September 2011
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.
Premier Inn has hotels in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.
Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.
Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
[1] Jennifer Lopez insured her bottom for £18 million - one of the largest insurance premiums placed on a celebrity body part. http://tinyurl.com/6lx2fut
Friday, 30 September 2011
NEWS FROM THE FOOD NETWORK
Airing weekdays (Double Bill), at 12.30pm & 6.30pm from Monday 26th September
Watch cheeky UK chef Andy Bates delve into the history of Britain’s most famous dishes and give them a modern ‘street food’ interpretation.
Andy Bates Street Feasts follows Andy as he travels the UK, stopping off at some of the nation’s most vibrant food destinations. In each location he zones in on popular local markets, food festivals, events or speciality food producers, cooking with some of the people he meets who share his passion for traditional British fare.
Classic treats such as Scotch Eggs, Chicken and Ham Christmas Pie, Baked Custard and Black Pudding, are all given a contemporary sparkle. Take pride in British food and tuck in, as Andy shows you how to rediscover these true classics.
Andy Bates
Andy Bates is known for his hearty, traditional British street food. Starting work in kitchens at 14 (before getting the chance at 17 to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant), Andy went on to study at a catering college in Canterbury. He then headed to France to hone his skills in French cuisine. Now, his company, Eat My Pies, produces classic Scotch eggs, pies and tarts which are sold on his stand at Whitecross street market.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
NEWS FROM GROLSCH
Harmony Korine, Jan Kwiecinski and Alexei Fedorchenko shoot new film
London September 22, 2011 – GROLSCH FILM WORKS today announces a trilogy of international directors brought together to shoot a unique, experimental feature film.
Each director will film a 30-minute short in their home nation - Harmony Korine in the US, Alexsei Fedorchenko in Russia and Jan Kwiecinski in Poland.
This is the first film to come from Grolsch Film Works, which launched in April 2011 as a studio to champion film talent worldwide and help bring creative, independent cinema to a wider audience. Grolsch Film Works is funded by the Dutch beer Grolsch and this feature film is created in collaboration with VICE Films.
Each film-maker will follow the same brief designed by project director Eddy Moretti, executive director of VICE, best known for his film Heavy Metal in Baghdad. Moretti will oversee the continuity of the three-part film.
Moretti said: “Grolsch is serious and sincere about supporting film art. They want to add something to the global film community, something far beyond sponsorship which is why we wanted to get involved.
“The mandate of the project is to create cinematic experiences with filmmakers that have truly unique approaches to character and story-telling. I created a weird and wonderful brief that tasks each director to create riveting characters that inhabit supra-normal worlds.
“At the heart of the brief is the notion of the ‘Fourth Dimension’. Each director was asked to explore what a ‘Fourth Dimension’ might be. What is it? Where is it? What does it look and sound like?
“What we got back from the filmmakers was in turns intense, hilarious, poignant and completely without precedent.”
Korine, whose credits include Kids, Gummo and Mister Lonely, is the first to shoot with Val Kilmer taking the lead role of a motivational speaker at the fictional ‘Lotus Community Centre’, set in Nashville.
Fedorchenko, who’s Silent Souls showed at the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals last year – scooping three jury prizes at the Lido - will start shooting in Eekaterinburg after he completes judging on the 2011 Venice Film Festival jury.
Kwiecinski is best known for his short-film Incident which won awards in festivals across Poland (e.g. New Horizons International Film Festival, Polish Film Festival) and attracted international attention when it screened around the world. Kwiecinski will shoot in Parysow, near Warsaw. This will be the first time he has directed on a full feature project.
Thomas Kamphuis, who heads up the Grolsch Film Works programme, said: “Grolsch Film Works supports all directors who are bold, standby their creative beliefs and bring to cinema audiences the opportunity to choose interesting films to sit back and enjoy.
“We want to work with film makers who create the sort of work that transports viewers somewhere new and original.
“The director’s involved in this project have had full creative licence to realise their vision of the brief. It’s an equal bold move from us to handover the controlling reigns of this project to their unique interpretations.
“We’re delighted to be working with three brilliant directors on our first feature film and are looking forward to showing the results of the debut project from Grolsch Film Works to the world.”
The currently untitled film is scheduled for release in the early part of 2012 and will be screened in each of the director’s countries and other territories globally.
Director Harmony Korine added: "I'm really excited to make a film with Grolsch Film Works. It's a great chance to experiment and make something amazing.
“The idea of these three films working together under one central idea is great. I think it's gonna turn out really nice. I'm very excited about it.”
His leading-man Val Kilmer, who will next be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt, added: “I've never been more nervous during a comedy, and I've truly never been treated with more respect and pure love.”
Russian director Alexsei Fedorchenko, commented: “It has been a long time since I wanted to make a short-length film but the concept of the project seemed appealing because of how risque and cheeky, in a good way, it was.
“That was why I was excited to join this project. I wish luck to all film-directors on this project, its producers and the bold Grolsch company!”
Directing the Polish chapter of the film, Jan Kwiecinski, added: “Grolsch Film Works' first film brings together three directors from three totally different parts of the world and will give us access to the private lives of people and places we have never seen before.
“For me as a director there is nothing more exciting than that.”
For further information, images of the directors and pictures from the set of Harmony Korine and Val Kilmer’s film please contact grolsch@frankpr.it or call on 0207 6936999.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS
Alton Towers Resort have this week unveiled a select group of ‘Coaster Cuties’ as the official faces of ultimate rollercoaster TH13TEEN. Launched in June by Celebrity Big Brother and TOWIE star Amy Childs, the nationwide ‘Coaster Cuties’ search attracted nearly 1,000 entries from young women with a thirst for thrills and the chosen girls now feature in the unique thirteen month calendar, which is downloadable from www.altontowers.com
Having impressed the panel, the final 18 girls were invited to Britain’s Greatest Escape for the calendar photoshoot on board the world’s first freefall drop coaster. Having been put through their paces on the ultimate ride, the ‘Coaster Cuties’ feature in a variety of images for the official TH13TEEN calendar.
Katherine Duckworth, Head of Consumer Marketing at the Alton Towers Resort: “The ‘Coaster Cuties’ search generated an impressive array of entries from thrill seeking females across the country. TH13TEEN is certainly not for the fainthearted so it’s great to discover such an array of adrenaline junkies that are flying the flag for all female rollercoaster fans out there!”
The ultimate rollercoaster, THI3TEEN takes riders on a gruelling journey through The Dark Forest while being put through a series of twists and turns before plummeting into the unknown. If you dare, log onto www.altontowers.com for ticket and pricing information to experience the thrills of TH13TEEN for yourself!
NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS
The Alton Towers Resort has today launched ‘Extreme Apple Bobbing’ – a Halloween attraction with a difference that will see guests bob for apples in a shark tank. The unique attraction will be available at this year’s Scarefest event taking place from 15th – 31st October hosted at the Resort’s aquarium, Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE, with resident sharks for company!
A first of its kind and available on request, guests visiting the Resort over Scarefest will have the opportunity to face their fears whilst plunging into the shark-infested waters for a selection of apples. A scary slant on the traditional Halloween favorite, the attraction is one of many interactive events taking place at Britain’s Greatest Escape this Halloween.
Guaranteed to be the most spooktacular yet, featuring favourites such as the Boiler House, Carnival of Screams and the infamous Terror of the Towers, guests will also be able to experience the theme park’s adrenaline pumping rides and family attractions until 9pm every night.
Katherine Duckworth, Head of Consumer Marketing at the Alton Towers Resort: “With Halloween preparations now well underway, we wanted to offer thrill-seeking families something bigger and better this year – so what better than old favourite apple bobbing, with a twist! For those too spooked to take to the shark-infested waters, we’ve also got a range of haunting horrors that cater for all ages this October.”
For more information about the Alton Towers Resort’s annual Scarefest or to book tickets and hotel packages, log onto www.altontowers.com.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
NEWS FROM PINKBERRY
Pinkberry debut their designer collection in celebration of London Fashion Week
It’s long been Hollywood’s most desirable fashion accessory, so in anticipation of London Fashion Week Pinkberry, the capital’s hottest new resident, introduces three delicious frozen yoghurts inspired by fashion greats.
Taking their place on the catwalk are three delectable new flavour combinations characterising some of the biggest names in the fashion industry:
The Anna: coconut with mango, strawberry and cap’n crunch – cool and crisp with a fantastic bite.
The Henry: watermelon with strawberry, pineapple and fruity pebbles – a real treat of a Pinkberry that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Karl: original with blueberries – classically sophisticated with a tart and tangy edge; loved and imitated by many.
California-born Pinkberry is the original and number one frozen yoghurt brand, made with only non-fat yogurt and natural, non-fat milk for a light, refreshing, clean taste that’s truly covetable. It’s the frozen yoghurt of choice for style icons across the US, with a solid celebrity following including David Beckham, Lady Gaga, The Saturdays and JLS.
The Pinkberry fashion menu is available exclusively at Selfridges’ London Foodhall from 16th to 20th September, so bag your spot on the front row and pay homage to the fiercest of fashionistas with a swirl of the original frozen yoghurt.
Join us on Facebook.com/pinkberryUK and Twitter.com/pinkberryUK for all the latest news.
It’s long been Hollywood’s most desirable fashion accessory, so in anticipation of London Fashion Week Pinkberry, the capital’s hottest new resident, introduces three delicious frozen yoghurts inspired by fashion greats.
Taking their place on the catwalk are three delectable new flavour combinations characterising some of the biggest names in the fashion industry:
The Anna: coconut with mango, strawberry and cap’n crunch – cool and crisp with a fantastic bite.
The Henry: watermelon with strawberry, pineapple and fruity pebbles – a real treat of a Pinkberry that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Karl: original with blueberries – classically sophisticated with a tart and tangy edge; loved and imitated by many.
California-born Pinkberry is the original and number one frozen yoghurt brand, made with only non-fat yogurt and natural, non-fat milk for a light, refreshing, clean taste that’s truly covetable. It’s the frozen yoghurt of choice for style icons across the US, with a solid celebrity following including David Beckham, Lady Gaga, The Saturdays and JLS.
The Pinkberry fashion menu is available exclusively at Selfridges’ London Foodhall from 16th to 20th September, so bag your spot on the front row and pay homage to the fiercest of fashionistas with a swirl of the original frozen yoghurt.
Join us on Facebook.com/pinkberryUK and Twitter.com/pinkberryUK for all the latest news.
Friday, 9 September 2011
NEWS FROM SODASTREAM
SodaStream is getting fizz-ical this October in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
SodaStream is joining the fight for women’s survival and helping to raise significant funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer this October, with the launch of a gorgeous limited edition Pink Fizz drinksmaker.
The baby pink drinksmaker will add the perfect pop of colour to brighten up any kitchen and has been specially designed with all-over pink packaging inspired by this worthy cause.
By making this must-have girly kitchen product top of your wish list, you can do you bit to help win the battle against breast cancer. For every Pink Fizz sold, SodaStream worldwide will donate 5% of the purchase price to charity, helping to fund vital research, campaigning and education.
Practical yet pretty, the Pink Fizz machine, with its patented in-built Fizz Chip™ technology and digital display indicates when the gas cylinder needs to be re-filled and means no fizz fans will be left feeling flat! As well as being a delightful asset to any fashionista’s party, you and the girls can rest assured that you will be helping a truly inspiring cause.
Fiona Hope; Managing Director of SodaStream UK said, “As the most commonly diagnosed cancer, affecting almost 48,000 women each year, it’s a cause that SodaStream are proud to support and that’s why we’ve made a global commitment to raise funds in the fight against
breast cancer. In getting your hands on one of these unique, baby-pink drinks makers, you are helping SodaStream UK raise money for a wonderful cause.”
SodaStream also helps to reduce bottle waste; its reusable carbonating bottle is estimated to save 2000 bottles and cans in 3 years. With SodaStream there are fewer empty bottles or cans to discard or recycle and less energy wasted by transporting billions of litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks. SodaStream offers over 30 flavours to choose from in their extensive flavor range; the only hard part will be choosing which one to try first!
The limited edition Pink Fizz SodaStream will be available from October at Harvey Nichols, other good independent retailers and on the SodaStream UK website (www.sodastream.co.uk), priced at £119.99.
NEWS FROM FOSTER'S
FOSTER’S AND THE FAST SHOW
Heineken UK is delighted to confirm that Foster’s, its leading lager brand, is commissioning a brand new series of The Fast Show which will take the series online for the first time.
The series that delivers quickfire sketches and a barrel of fast laughs will be available exclusively on www.fostersfunny.co.uk, the site that hosted the highly-acclaimed Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and Vic & Bob’s Afternoon Delights.
Fast Show creators Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson say: "We are delighted to bring back the Fast Show not only for our old fans but also, we hope, for a whole generation of new ones. We'll be bringing back all our most popular characters from the show and we’ve managed to get the majority of the team back together, including Caroline Aherne. It’s also great to be sharing the Foster’s site with some of our comedy favourites like Vic n Bob and that other bloke who was in that thing with Rob Brydon."
Gayle Harrison, Marketing Manager - Foster’s at Heineken UK says: “The Fast Show is one of the best loved British shows and is famous for bringing innovative, fast-paced sketches to our screens with a speed and style that had never been seen before . We’re excited by our collaboration with the Fast Show team and we look forward to sharing more great new comedy via the fostersfunny website.”
-Ends-
September 2011
EDITORS’ NOTE:
Foster’s is the leading sponsor of comedy in the UK with a sponsorship portfolio that includes the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, the 2011 British Comedy Awards and over 100 hours of Original Comedy programming on Channel 4. The Foster’s- commissioned internet series Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge attracted over 3 million hits and universal acclaim, cementing the brand’s position at the cutting-edge of British comedy.
Foster’s recently announced plans to sponsor Foster’s Comedy Live, a series of live stand-up shows in Highlight comedy club venues across the country and Foster’s Funny Live , a new programme of stand-up comedy in pubs and clubs that will run throughout the UK until October.
Heineken UK is delighted to confirm that Foster’s, its leading lager brand, is commissioning a brand new series of The Fast Show which will take the series online for the first time.
The series that delivers quickfire sketches and a barrel of fast laughs will be available exclusively on www.fostersfunny.co.uk, the site that hosted the highly-acclaimed Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and Vic & Bob’s Afternoon Delights.
Fast Show creators Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson say: "We are delighted to bring back the Fast Show not only for our old fans but also, we hope, for a whole generation of new ones. We'll be bringing back all our most popular characters from the show and we’ve managed to get the majority of the team back together, including Caroline Aherne. It’s also great to be sharing the Foster’s site with some of our comedy favourites like Vic n Bob and that other bloke who was in that thing with Rob Brydon."
Gayle Harrison, Marketing Manager - Foster’s at Heineken UK says: “The Fast Show is one of the best loved British shows and is famous for bringing innovative, fast-paced sketches to our screens with a speed and style that had never been seen before . We’re excited by our collaboration with the Fast Show team and we look forward to sharing more great new comedy via the fostersfunny website.”
-Ends-
September 2011
EDITORS’ NOTE:
Foster’s is the leading sponsor of comedy in the UK with a sponsorship portfolio that includes the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, the 2011 British Comedy Awards and over 100 hours of Original Comedy programming on Channel 4. The Foster’s- commissioned internet series Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge attracted over 3 million hits and universal acclaim, cementing the brand’s position at the cutting-edge of British comedy.
Foster’s recently announced plans to sponsor Foster’s Comedy Live, a series of live stand-up shows in Highlight comedy club venues across the country and Foster’s Funny Live , a new programme of stand-up comedy in pubs and clubs that will run throughout the UK until October.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
NEWS FROM SODASTREAM
Research out today - 26th August - reveals over 10 million Brits are planning on celebrating the three-day weekend with parties, festivals and family get-togethers, predicted to result in over 40 million bin bags of rubbish.
Only a fifth of this will be recycled, and staggeringly half of the Britons surveyed in the study by Sodastream admit they do not feel guilty about it.
Furthermore 10% of this non-recycled rubbish will consist of plastic bottles with over a third of the nation admitting it hadn’t crossed their mind to try and reduce the number of plastic bottles they use, despite the impact it can have on the environment.
Brits top five bad habits this Bank Holiday are likely to include:
1. Throwing away food
2. Leaving lights on/wasting energy
3. Not recycling food packaging
4. Throwing away plastic bottles
5. Buying/using too many plastic bottles
The most wasteful cities in the UK when it comes to bottle waste are set to be Newcastle and Sheffield, with Brighton and Bristol the least wasteful.
The top five reasons cited for not recycling more in general were:
1. Local council do not provide enough facilities
2. It is easier to throw things in the bin
3. The bins the council provide are misleading
4. I am too busy to worry about it
5. I don’t know where to recycle
SodaStream research has revealed that Brits grossly underestimate the number of plastic bottles they use per week, with 60% believing they only use 1-4 plastic bottles, when the actual number is 15 each week.
SodaStream have commissioned the research to raise awareness of the practice of ‘pre-cycling’, reducing waste before there is any need for recycling. To illustrate the number of plastic bottles we waste in particular, SodaStream commissioned artist Bamber Hawes to create a ‘Bottle Family’ sculpture made up of 827 plastic bottles. This is the number of plastic carbonated bottles that an average family in the UK will use in a year; one SodaStream can help dramatically reduce all this bottle waste and more.
A spokesperson for SodaStream comments: “Looking at the Bank Holiday alone, it is staggering how much waste we will produce as a nation. With recycling so low on people’s agenda it makes the need for pre-cycling ever more pertinent so it is important to encourage people to reduce their everyday waste in the first place. SodaStream is the perfect alternative to other pre-packaged carbonated drinks.”
NEWS FROM PREMIER INN
To celebrate the impending opening of the brand new Premier Inn hotel in London Stratford, today [1st September 2011] 50 gymnasts broke a World Record for the most people on one bed.
The flexible folk spent several hours limbering up in preparation to contort themselves to eventually create a 7ft high formation on top of a King Size Premier Inn bed.
The World Record attempt took place in the most talked-about location for next Summer overlooking the spectacular backdrop of the Olympic Stadium. The record marked both the opening of the new site for the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain, but also the first of many for Stratford, with plenty more sporting world records sure to be broken next year.
Patrick Dempsey, spokesperson for Premier Inn says, ‘"We are delighted to be opening our latest Premier Inn in such a fantastic location which has great views of the Olympic Park and is in the heart of Westfield shopping centre."
Jon Walters General Manager for Premier Inn London Stratford says, “I’m really looking forward to opening the doors to the new hotel and welcoming guests and what better way to mark the opening than breaking a World Record!”
Premier Inn London Stratford opens its doors to the public on the 13th September 2011, marking a £25m investment into the area. It is the closest hotel to the Stratford International station, making it only minutes from Central London and just over two hours to Paris on the Eurostar so it is set to be one of the best connected hotels in the country. The hotel is also just minutes away from Europe’s largest indoor shopping centre, Westfield - ideal for those planning a shopping break.
Rooms are now available to book at www.premierinn.com
Thursday, 25 August 2011
NEWS FROM NPOWER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
What’s Your Goal
Premieres Thursday 25th August at 19.30 Sky Sports 2 /2HD
Three part series to run weekly
TEENS REACH FOR THE STARS AS THEY WORK ALONGSIDE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN THE NPOWER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Earlier in the year, npower offered every budding Alex Ferguson, potential Howard Webb and future Jeff Stelling a chance to bring their dreams to life with the ‘What’s Your Goal?’ competition.
From the high-pressure role of a football manager to the split-second timing of a pitch-side photographer, this was an opportunity for children yearning for a job in sports media to get first-hand experience of the industry.
The prizes took youngsters to the QPR training ground, inside the Sky Sports studios and even within touching distance of the players in the npower Championship Play-Off final at Wembley Stadium.
Among the professionals offering their advice were Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock and Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones.
In this three-part series, the children demonstrate the desire and passion needed to cut it in one of the nation’s biggest industries.
And for those youngsters aiming for a similar career, heed the advice of 12-year-old Oliver Marden who, having won the chance to experience being a sports presenter, said “You should try for everything and grasp every opportunity you can.”
npower is bringing back its What’s Your Goal initiative bigger and better than ever before for 2012. Any young people interested in getting involved should keep an eye out for updates on the website: www.npower.com/whatsyourgoal.
-ENDS-
For further information please contact the npower press office at Frank Lizzie Earl and Carmel Mulhall
0207 693 6999/ npower@frankpr.it
NEWS FROM THE ENGLAND & WALES CRICKET BOARD (ECB)
GEMMA SWAPS HOLLY-OAK FOR CRICKET WILLOW
Gemma Merna pads up to captain the Lazy Bar Walkers (LBW) for this year’s Friends Life t20 Finals Day
Hollyoaks star Gemma Merna is set to bowl over Twenty20 cricket fans after being announced as the new captain of the LBW – Lazy Bar Walkers.
The new LBW initiative by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was launched by The Only Way is Essex star Sam Faiers at the start of the competition, but with Essex Eagles failing to progress to the finals, Lancashire girl Gemma stepped up to the plate. The Channel 4 actress will give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Leg Before Wicket’ as the sporty siren exchanges her handbag for a cricket bat.
Gemma’s latest starring role sees her captain The LBW team during Friends Life t20 Finals Day. Along with Gemma, the Lazy Bar Walkers will be helping cricket fans enjoy the finals even more on Saturday 27th August by being match-goers’ personal helper.
Friends Life t20 Finals Day takes place at Edgbaston and sees Lancashire Lightning take on Leicestershire Foxes in the first semi final followed by Somerset against Hampshire Royals. The winning sides will meet in the final scheduled to start at 18.45.
Following feedback from fans, the ECB launched the LBW service so that groups of match-goers wouldn’t miss any of the excitement of Friends Life t20 cricket which is a fast and adrenaline fuelled variety of the sport. Since its launch in June, the LBW service has proved hugely popular with fans, with thousands of booking requests received via the initiative’s website.
On the LBW initiative, Gemma said; “Being a Manchester girl, I’ve obviously got a real soft spot for Lancashire Lightning, but I won’t let my bias get in the way of making sure fans of all sides have a great day. Having been to a few t20 matches I understand the frustration of being stuck at the bar whilst all the action is happening at the crease.
“The LBW will take this pain away. We’re here so that cricket fans can enjoy the Friends Life t20 Finals Day even more than ever before and I like to think we can also provide a bit of friendly banter!”
The Friends Life t20 is the first cricket competition where the LBW service has been implemented in the UK and was selected due to the tournament’s lively nature which proves a great day out for groups of friends to watch matches together. Fans can expect a real carnival atmosphere at Edgbaston as the competition comes to an end and organisers are encouraging as many as possible to take advantage of the service so as not to miss out on some great moments.
A spokesperson for the ECB also commented: “The Friends Life t20 is an all out action competition. The speed of the game is so fast that if you blink, you will miss it.
“We are expecting a dramatic conclusion to this year’s t20 competition at Edgbaston on Saturday, so it is all the more important that the decisive moments are not missed queuing for food and drink. The LBW service has proved a massive hit at county grounds this summer, so we’re delighted to roll the team out for Finals Day and to have Gemma as our team captain.”
“Edgbaston is a fantastic cricket ground, with a vibrant atmosphere and has played host to some truly memorable moments in recent years. We’re hoping for more of the same on Saturday so urge cricket fans from all across the country to come down for what will be a great day out.”
The team of Lazy Bar Walkers are available to be booked for free from the LBW’s bespoke website www.lazybarwalkers.co.uk. To reserve an LBW for Friends Life t20 Finals Day, cricket fans can choose their own LBW, girl or boy, who will accompany them to the match.
For more information about the Lazy Bar Walkers Service, the ECB or Friends Life t20 please contact:
Greg Double on 020 7693 6999 or email ecb@frankpr.it
-ENDS-
Notes to editor:
• A t20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings batting for a maximum of 20 overs.
• A t20 game is completed in about three and half hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes.
• It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television.
• The Friends Life t20 season runs from 1st June through to Finals Day in 2011 at Edgbaston on August 27.
Gemma Merna pads up to captain the Lazy Bar Walkers (LBW) for this year’s Friends Life t20 Finals Day
Hollyoaks star Gemma Merna is set to bowl over Twenty20 cricket fans after being announced as the new captain of the LBW – Lazy Bar Walkers.
The new LBW initiative by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was launched by The Only Way is Essex star Sam Faiers at the start of the competition, but with Essex Eagles failing to progress to the finals, Lancashire girl Gemma stepped up to the plate. The Channel 4 actress will give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Leg Before Wicket’ as the sporty siren exchanges her handbag for a cricket bat.
Gemma’s latest starring role sees her captain The LBW team during Friends Life t20 Finals Day. Along with Gemma, the Lazy Bar Walkers will be helping cricket fans enjoy the finals even more on Saturday 27th August by being match-goers’ personal helper.
Friends Life t20 Finals Day takes place at Edgbaston and sees Lancashire Lightning take on Leicestershire Foxes in the first semi final followed by Somerset against Hampshire Royals. The winning sides will meet in the final scheduled to start at 18.45.
Following feedback from fans, the ECB launched the LBW service so that groups of match-goers wouldn’t miss any of the excitement of Friends Life t20 cricket which is a fast and adrenaline fuelled variety of the sport. Since its launch in June, the LBW service has proved hugely popular with fans, with thousands of booking requests received via the initiative’s website.
On the LBW initiative, Gemma said; “Being a Manchester girl, I’ve obviously got a real soft spot for Lancashire Lightning, but I won’t let my bias get in the way of making sure fans of all sides have a great day. Having been to a few t20 matches I understand the frustration of being stuck at the bar whilst all the action is happening at the crease.
“The LBW will take this pain away. We’re here so that cricket fans can enjoy the Friends Life t20 Finals Day even more than ever before and I like to think we can also provide a bit of friendly banter!”
The Friends Life t20 is the first cricket competition where the LBW service has been implemented in the UK and was selected due to the tournament’s lively nature which proves a great day out for groups of friends to watch matches together. Fans can expect a real carnival atmosphere at Edgbaston as the competition comes to an end and organisers are encouraging as many as possible to take advantage of the service so as not to miss out on some great moments.
A spokesperson for the ECB also commented: “The Friends Life t20 is an all out action competition. The speed of the game is so fast that if you blink, you will miss it.
“We are expecting a dramatic conclusion to this year’s t20 competition at Edgbaston on Saturday, so it is all the more important that the decisive moments are not missed queuing for food and drink. The LBW service has proved a massive hit at county grounds this summer, so we’re delighted to roll the team out for Finals Day and to have Gemma as our team captain.”
“Edgbaston is a fantastic cricket ground, with a vibrant atmosphere and has played host to some truly memorable moments in recent years. We’re hoping for more of the same on Saturday so urge cricket fans from all across the country to come down for what will be a great day out.”
The team of Lazy Bar Walkers are available to be booked for free from the LBW’s bespoke website www.lazybarwalkers.co.uk. To reserve an LBW for Friends Life t20 Finals Day, cricket fans can choose their own LBW, girl or boy, who will accompany them to the match.
For more information about the Lazy Bar Walkers Service, the ECB or Friends Life t20 please contact:
Greg Double on 020 7693 6999 or email ecb@frankpr.it
-ENDS-
Notes to editor:
• A t20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings batting for a maximum of 20 overs.
• A t20 game is completed in about three and half hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes.
• It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television.
• The Friends Life t20 season runs from 1st June through to Finals Day in 2011 at Edgbaston on August 27.
NEWS FROM OCADO
Window Shopping...
Online supermarket, Ocado, hits the high street with innovative new ‘shop’
OCADO will be moving from computer screens to shop windows, as the award-winning online supermarket takes residence at central London shopping centre, One New Change, to showcase the next generation in shopping.
In a UK first, live between August 25 and September 1, an integrated window display will allow shoppers to purchase all their grocery essentials and a few indulgent treats on their mobile phones, to be delivered direct to their door. From stamps to Shiraz; toilet roll to tuna; even delicious treats from the supermarket’s new Reflets de France and Daylesford Organic ranges, never has window shopping been so satisfying.
An experimental and innovative departure from its traditional business model, the Ocado virtual store at Unit 23, One New Change in the City of London will be accessible 24 hours a day with customers able to shop in a few easy steps:
1. If you don’t have it already, download the Ocado on the Go app from the App Store or Android Market
2. Open the app and press the barcode symbol in the top right of your screen
3. Hold the camera screen over the barcode of a product until it recognises it
4. When the product appears on your screen, press ‘add’ to put it in your basket
5. Keep on shopping and then check out!
A strictly online business, this is the first time Ocado has migrated from the internet to bricks and mortar. However, being pioneers in online grocery retail - introducing the world’s first transactional supermarket mobile application on iPhone in 2009 - the company was keen to stick to both its roots and strengths of digital technology with this unique spin on high street shopping. As of this May, mobile devices were used in a staggering 15% of Ocado checkouts; customers now regularly shop via the Ocado On The Go application.
Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder, said: “The virtual shop window is a bold move for Ocado and something we are very excited about.
“We hope this trial is a hit, and based on its success, we’ll be looking at options around continuing this ‘virtual window shopping’ approach in other locations UK-wide.”
Head down to Unit 23, One New Change, from 26th August until the end of the month armed with your mobile phone for a truly unique shopping experience!
-Ends-
For further information contact:
Estelle Boon, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6959 Email: estelleboon@frankpr.it
Francesca Hall, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6983 Email: francescahall@frankpr.it
Rochelle Collison, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496 Email: rochellecollison@frankpr.it
Notes to Editors:
About Ocado:
Ocado (http://www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. In June 2010, it scooped Online Retailer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 and Customer Technology of the Year at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2010. In October 2010 it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards
Thursday, 18 August 2011
NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM
EU must be joking!
England has the least number of paid and public holidays across Europe
As our European neighbours begin their August escapes, research released today by Hotels.com reveals discrepancies in paid and public holiday entitlements across Europe. When looking at both statutory annual leave and public holiday allowances across the EU, it’s the English who come bottom of the table, with a minimum of only 28 days holiday when compared to residents of Sweden and Portugal, who benefit from 39 days in total.
Of the 12 nations surveyed, the hotel expert revealed the average leave and public holiday entitlement to be 34 days across Europe, meaning UK workers lose out on over a week away from the office and working at least six days more. With Ireland and the Netherlands following suit with just 29 days, it’s Denmark, parts of Germany, Portugal and Sweden doing the least work, with 38 and 39 days holiday respectively.
Despite having one of the lowest number of bank holidays on the calendar, the Danish appear to be well looked after, with 27 statutory days of annual leave ahead of Finland, France, Norway, Portugal and Sweden who all receive 25 days. Residents in the Netherlands, England, Ireland and Italy have just 20 days statutory paid annual leave, with additional entitlement at the discretion of employers.
A plethora of annual bank holidays also exist across Europe, with Portugal, Sweden, Spain and some parts of Germany topping the list with 14 days each, with holidays such as ‘Freedom Day’ (Dia da Liberdade) on April 25th in Portugal and ‘Midsummer's Day’ on June 25th in Sweden. In contrast, England has the least number of public holidays, only eight, with our patron saint’s day, St George’s Day on 23rd April not recognised with a public holiday, unlike Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day, whose celebrations on 17th March are famous worldwide.
Alison Couper, from Hotels.com, said: “August is often the month when English holidaymakers typically head to continental European destinations such as France and Italy, just as residents of these countries escape themselves! The results of our research are sure to leave many thinking they’ve drawn the European short straw and wondering what they might do with the extra 11 days holiday a year if they lived and worked in Sweden or Portugal!”
Total European holiday entitlement (Click to enlarge)
For more information, please call:
Tom Antoniw or Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or
Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.
England has the least number of paid and public holidays across Europe
As our European neighbours begin their August escapes, research released today by Hotels.com reveals discrepancies in paid and public holiday entitlements across Europe. When looking at both statutory annual leave and public holiday allowances across the EU, it’s the English who come bottom of the table, with a minimum of only 28 days holiday when compared to residents of Sweden and Portugal, who benefit from 39 days in total.
Of the 12 nations surveyed, the hotel expert revealed the average leave and public holiday entitlement to be 34 days across Europe, meaning UK workers lose out on over a week away from the office and working at least six days more. With Ireland and the Netherlands following suit with just 29 days, it’s Denmark, parts of Germany, Portugal and Sweden doing the least work, with 38 and 39 days holiday respectively.
Despite having one of the lowest number of bank holidays on the calendar, the Danish appear to be well looked after, with 27 statutory days of annual leave ahead of Finland, France, Norway, Portugal and Sweden who all receive 25 days. Residents in the Netherlands, England, Ireland and Italy have just 20 days statutory paid annual leave, with additional entitlement at the discretion of employers.
A plethora of annual bank holidays also exist across Europe, with Portugal, Sweden, Spain and some parts of Germany topping the list with 14 days each, with holidays such as ‘Freedom Day’ (Dia da Liberdade) on April 25th in Portugal and ‘Midsummer's Day’ on June 25th in Sweden. In contrast, England has the least number of public holidays, only eight, with our patron saint’s day, St George’s Day on 23rd April not recognised with a public holiday, unlike Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day, whose celebrations on 17th March are famous worldwide.
Alison Couper, from Hotels.com, said: “August is often the month when English holidaymakers typically head to continental European destinations such as France and Italy, just as residents of these countries escape themselves! The results of our research are sure to leave many thinking they’ve drawn the European short straw and wondering what they might do with the extra 11 days holiday a year if they lived and worked in Sweden or Portugal!”
Total European holiday entitlement (Click to enlarge)
For more information, please call:
Tom Antoniw or Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or
Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.
NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM
The Inbetweeners Effect
Tourism surge as Brits follow The Inbetweeners to Malia
With The Inbetweeners Movie hitting the big screen this week, latest figures by Hotels.com reveal an increase in searches to Malia, Crete, where the nation’s favorite inbetweeners – Simon, Jay, Neil and Will take a trip in pursuit of the ultimate lad’s holiday. It appears the Greek destination is becoming a hit for fellow party-goers, with searches by holidaymakers up 243% this July when compared with the same time last year.
As Brits look to emulate the epic trip of the comedy foursome living up to their reputation as the ‘socially awkward’ teens, other findings from the hotel expert reveals that despite the tightening of purse strings, Brits are looking to head overseas this summer in hope of some guaranteed sunshine. Spanish destinations Cala Millor, Mallorca and Tenerife’s San Miguel de Abona, experienced an increase in searches of 360% and 321% respectively in July, whilst Greek destination Ayios Nikolaos also saw searches rise 346%.
Crawley, West Sussex also made it into the top ten of fastest rising searched destinations in July (up 432% year on year), as jet-setters choose to stay close to Gatwick airport ahead of an early morning check-in or late landing back into the UK.
Whilst Brits are looking to head abroad for their summer holidays, the Italians and Spanish are destined to stay closest to home. With nine out of the top ten fastest rising searched destinations for Italians residing within their own borders, seven out of the top ten fastest rising destinations searched for by the Spanish are also on the mainland, up 422% and 433% respectively when compared to the same time last year.
Kate Hopcraft from Hotels.com, said; ‘With thousands of Brits looking for a fun and lively get away this summer, it’s no surprise people are following in the footsteps of The Inbetweeners to the party town of Malia. With Neil’s extravagant dance moves and Simon on a mission to get over his break-up with Carly, there is definitely something everyone can relate to in this latest box office hit! ’
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For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.
Tourism surge as Brits follow The Inbetweeners to Malia
With The Inbetweeners Movie hitting the big screen this week, latest figures by Hotels.com reveal an increase in searches to Malia, Crete, where the nation’s favorite inbetweeners – Simon, Jay, Neil and Will take a trip in pursuit of the ultimate lad’s holiday. It appears the Greek destination is becoming a hit for fellow party-goers, with searches by holidaymakers up 243% this July when compared with the same time last year.
As Brits look to emulate the epic trip of the comedy foursome living up to their reputation as the ‘socially awkward’ teens, other findings from the hotel expert reveals that despite the tightening of purse strings, Brits are looking to head overseas this summer in hope of some guaranteed sunshine. Spanish destinations Cala Millor, Mallorca and Tenerife’s San Miguel de Abona, experienced an increase in searches of 360% and 321% respectively in July, whilst Greek destination Ayios Nikolaos also saw searches rise 346%.
Crawley, West Sussex also made it into the top ten of fastest rising searched destinations in July (up 432% year on year), as jet-setters choose to stay close to Gatwick airport ahead of an early morning check-in or late landing back into the UK.
Whilst Brits are looking to head abroad for their summer holidays, the Italians and Spanish are destined to stay closest to home. With nine out of the top ten fastest rising searched destinations for Italians residing within their own borders, seven out of the top ten fastest rising destinations searched for by the Spanish are also on the mainland, up 422% and 433% respectively when compared to the same time last year.
Kate Hopcraft from Hotels.com, said; ‘With thousands of Brits looking for a fun and lively get away this summer, it’s no surprise people are following in the footsteps of The Inbetweeners to the party town of Malia. With Neil’s extravagant dance moves and Simon on a mission to get over his break-up with Carly, there is definitely something everyone can relate to in this latest box office hit! ’
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For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.
NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS
Lights out for the bedtime story?
Research reveals 57% of children are never read to by an adult at home, despite 44% loving cosying up with their parents to a good book!
Snuggling down to a bedtime story and escaping into a world of fantasy is what childhood memories are made of, however research commissioned by the Alton Towers Resort Hotels reveals that over half of the nation's children (57%) are never read to by an adult during the average week at home. According to the findings by Britain's Greatest Escape, the widely cherished childhood routine of the bedtime story is in danger of being lost altogether, despite 44% of children admitting to loving their parents reading to them.
The study, involving over 500 six to eleven year old British children also reveals that a mere 8% are read to on a daily basis, with the majority of children (16%) only being read to once a week. Triggered by many parents being forced to juggle their professional and family life, the average reading time for children with a parent has fallen to less than a minute, with 29% experiencing as little as half a minute of reading. Less than one in ten children (9%) are able to enjoy half an hour of reading time with their parents, with the majority (12%) only getting to relish a precious ten minutes.
Whilst traditional forms of childhood entertainment are having to contend with the incessant lure of flashy gizmos, gadgets and computer games, it appears that our children's love of literature is not lost, with a surprisingly low 18% of the younger generation admitting to preferring playing computer games or watching TV over reading. In fact, nearly one third (30%) of children regard reading as the best one-on-one time they get with their parents, with the same number wishing their parents were able to spend more time reading to them.
The small and silver screen have undoubtedly had their influence on children's literary awareness, with books adapted for TV and film soaring past their classic counterparts in being the most recognised. Less than half the respondents had heard of children's classic, Robinson Crusoe (45%) whereas 98% and 95% were familiar with Horrid Henry and Harry Potter respectively. In terms of fictional characters, cartoon and computer animated Spongebob Squarepants (96%) and Shrek (96%) were the most recognised, ahead of Treasure Island's Long John Silver (55%) and the Railway Children's Roberta Phyllis with a mere 11%.
David Steel, Hotels Director at the Alton Towers Resort commented: "It's particularly striking to discover the amount of children who love being read to versus those who actually experience reading time with their parents. Given that nearly a third of children feel reading is the best one-on-one time they get with their parents, the Alton Towers Resort Hotels are encouraging parents to 'take a leaf out of their children's books' by offering a unique bedtime reading service on request* to help trigger the bonding benefits of reading at bedtime.”
Overnight packages at the Resort start from just £29.75 per person* per night and include a scrumptious breakfast and fantastical entertainment. The Alton Towers Resort’s bedtime reading service is available on request at the time of booking.** For the Theme Park, family prices start from £104.00 plus VAT for a two day family of four ticket when booked in advance at www.altontowers.com.
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For more information please contact Freyja Phillips or Harriet Ray at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or e-mail altontowers@frankpr..it
*Based on four people sharing. Subject to availability
**Subject to availability
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 74 attractions, six hotels/two holiday villages in 17 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 43.6 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 15,000 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Heide Park, Earth Explorer, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Tower Observatory and Skywalk, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter Underwater World, Oceanworld Manly and Hamilton Island Koala Gallery. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
NEWS FROM BANROCK STATION
Banrock Station creates the world’s first living billboard made entirely of British flowers in support of Natural England
Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.
The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.
Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora; the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms. An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.
The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.
The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.
Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said; “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves. Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit. In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”
Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added, “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature. ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine. We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”
The billboard shall remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed. The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.
For more information about Banrock Station wines please visit:
www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
Banrock Station Special Edition wines are available at Morrisons for RRP £6.49
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Notes to Editors:
About Banrock Station:
• Banrock Station is no stranger to eco-friendly deeds; since 1994 the wine brand has donated more than £2.5 million to 98 environmental projects in 13 countries. The winery uses the conservation expertise acquired from restoring the natural land of its own Australian vineyards to select which projects to support.
• 90% of UK sales of Banrock Station are from wines bottled in the UK. Analysis shows that shipping wine in bulk to bottle in the UK reduces CO2 emissions by 164g per 75cl bottle or 38% when compared against bottling at source. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Banrock Station core range uses a lighter weight glass. The impact of light weighting from the transportation stages when importing bottled wine from Australia is up to a 20% reduction on CO2. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Wine and Wetland Centre at Banrock Station uses as little energy as possible. The building is designed to catch cool breezes from the lagoon and the roof has double the usual amount of insulation to retain heat in winter, and to maintain a cool temperature during hot summers.
• For more information about Banrock Station Wines please visit www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
About the Banrock Station Living Billboard:
• The billboard is made of 80% post-industrial recycled material
• All plants and soil will be up-cycled to new locations once the installation is removed
• The printed elements use Bio Print products - this unique product is fully bio-degradable; the materials attract microbes from the earth allowing them to break down completely in 9 months in compost and five years in landfill.
• All elements of the water pump will be broken down and re-used in future projects
Tasting notes and serving suggestions:
Banrock Station Chardonnay
The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
Enjoy flavours of citrus peach and vanilla. A soft delicate Chardonnay with a light oak influence adding a touch of complexity. Enjoy served with fresh fish or chicken salad.
Banrock Station Cabernet Merlot
The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
A lively fruity red with flavours of ripe plum and blackcurrant. Oak influence adds a touch of delicate swe etness and complexity. Enjoy served with rich creamy pasta or blue cheese.
About Natural England:
Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
• Natural England establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
• Natural England work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and advising widely on their conservation.
• Natural England run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
• Natural England fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
• Natural England promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them www.naturalengland.org.uk
National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are some of the very finest sites in England for wildlife and geology, and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature. They protect the special wildlife habitats, species and geological features that occur there. These features are of national and often international importance, and many NNRs are important for study and research. Many are fully open throughout the year and free to visit. There are 224 throughout England.
Natural England manages a total of about 750ha of lowland and upland hay meadows across 25 sites. The funds will help to pay for vital survey work, restoration, public events and equipment
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