Feature: Winning the Mercurys


A profile of Monty’s Bakehouse Said Matt: “Our aim was to supply handheld snacks using ingredients we would be happy to have in our own kitchen cupboard. We also wanted to ensure that the product would be packed and baked in packaging that told a story about the recipe and that baking, serving and eating any Monty’s Bakehouse product was as easy and crumb-free as possible.” Monty’s Bakehouse’s initial market sectors


were sports stadia and food service. After being introduced to Air Canada by David Hyde of DSI Foods at Twickenham Rugby stadium and working with Lou Carvalho and the team at Air Canada the products began flying with Air Canada in the autumn of 2006.


The Mercurys effect Monty’s Bakehouse was introduced to ITCA by the team at OnBoard Hospitality after giving them a taste for the products one lunchtime. They joined ITCA shortly afterwards and attended ITCA Cologne in 2006 before entering the 2007 Mercury Awards. Winning the 2007 Mercury Award for Food & Beverage put Monty’s Bakehouse on the map and in the minds of airlines and airline caterers. Adds Matt: “Product confidence amongst caterer’s and in-flight teams is vital, and all of us at Monty’s Bakehouse try wherever possible to exceed expectations.” www.montysbakehouse.co.uk


Right: Fleur and Abi, creators of Grasshopper porridge www.onboardhospitality.com 49


Grasshopper Grasshopper produces instant organic porridge in a recyclable one-portion pot. You don’t need a saucepan, microwave or fresh milk to make it. Just add hot water, stir, replace the lid and wait for five minutes. Certified organic by The Soil Association, Grasshopper uses only simple, natural ingredients for each pot. The latest new flavour to be launched is a plain porridge with a sachet of fair-trade organic sugar. It joins current flavours Cinnamon & Raisin, Coconut & Date and Chocolate porridge. All the packaging is biodegradable, even the shrink-wrap which is made of cornstarch. Grasshopper porridge bridges the gap between healthy food and food that’s great to eat!


The Grasshopper team Sisters, Fleur and Abi began Grasshopper because they wanted something hot and healthy to eat after sailing and surfing. They initially sold homemade pots to friends from their VW camper van and the business grew from there. The brand is lively and simple, with no hidden agendas, and has a large and loyal following. People take the saying on the pot ‘Take me with you’ to heart and Grasshopper porridge has been taken up Mount Everest, around the world via the Southern Ocean and was the breakfast of choice during a swim around Manhattan Island recently. Fleur writes: “When Abi and I entered our Grasshopper porridge products into the Mercurys last year we did so knowing that we were up against some stiff competition. For weeks we anxiously prepared our presentation but when the judging finally came we realised that we needn’t have been nervous. The process was enormous fun because everyone was so interested and encouraging. Afterwards we felt that whatever the result turned out to be we’d already had a great experience and learnt a lot. “Arriving at ITCA faced with the palatial Gate Gourmet stand and the hundreds of international delegates we really felt like the smallest business ever to be trying to infiltrate this industry and decided to just enjoy the event and stop worrying. We went to the party that night, danced along to Abba (and the amazing man who shimmied up and down the pole) and had a great time. “By the time it came to the Mercurys Dinner


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