Spread the Christmas Love: Bonne Maman Reveals Festive Jar for Christmas 2024

This Christmas season, Bonne Maman is introducing their award-winning Hazelnut Chocolate Spread in a special limited edition, beautifully embellished jar, just in time for Christmas. 

Combining their much-loved spread with a touch of holiday magic, it's a perfect addition to festive snacking or makes a delicious stocking filler gift.

The whole jar is overlaid with an evocative, snowy Christmas design. Once the Hazelnut Chocolate Spread has been thoroughly enjoyed by all, simply clean, remove the label then upcycle as an adorable way to store or gift some home-made seasonal goodies or create your very own Christmas decoration!

Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is made with top quality, all-natural ingredients, including a generous 20% hazelnuts and no palm oil. Perfect simply spread on toast, croissants or brioche, it also makes a wonderfully satisfying snack at any time of the day added to warm crumpets, waffles and crispy French crêpes or just popped on a simple biscuit for a special moment all of one's own. Spread on digestive biscuits is my thing!

Available while stocks last, the limited edition 360g Xmas jar will be on shelves at all major retailers from early October at rrp £3.60.

Coasting to success this Christmas? Experience Some Maritime Magic at Folkestone Harbour's Festive Marketplace

Grab your seasonal shopping bags, scarves and woolly hats -and head to the Kent coast for a spot of festive gift shopping at Folkestone Harbour's much-loved Festive Marketplace.

From Friday, 15th November until Sunday 22nd December, the market will open every Friday from 4pm to 8pm, and every Saturday and Sunday from 11am until 6pm.  

For the last-minute shoppers, there'll be a special Monday opening on 23rd December from 11am to 6pm and on Christmas Eve, until 4pm.

Set against the amazing backdrop of Folkestone's coastline and world-class views of the English Channel, this year's Festive Marketplace promises a truly magical shopping experience.

Visitors can explore beautifully decorated fisherman huts brimming with local handmade crafts, delicious foods, and unique gift ideas. From artisan treasures to Christmas time goodies, you'll find something special for everyone, set within a wintery wonderland of snowy blizzards and festive lights with a Christmas tree as its centrepiece.

Besides a wide variety of marvellous festive stalls, the market will also feature free classic Christmas-themed films on the Big Screen, adding an extra dose of fun for visitors of all ages. 

Enjoy live music performances and community events, and drink in the lively atmosphere of a seaside Christmas celebration.

The Harbour Grotto, new last year will make a very popular return this year.  Online booking for the Grotto will be available soon here: https://folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk

 Also, enjoy fine dining opportunities in one of Folkestone Harbour's cosy indoor dining options? 

FACTFILE:-

When:

Fridays 4pm until 8pm, Saturdays & Sundays 11am until 6pm, starting Friday 15th November until Sunday 22nd

Monday, 23rd December: 11am to 6pm

Christmas Eve:11am to 4pm

Where:  Folkestone Harbour

What to Expect: Handmade items, food and drink, crafts, original gifts, live music, family films, and community events

Admission: Free

Plan your visit to Folkestone Harbour by visiting the website and following @folkestoneharbour on Instagram. Please note, individual business opening hours may vary, check the website for timings. 

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Next time you go Christmas shopping show the staff some love

 

Why? Because according to recent research retail workers are feeling very undervalued and under appreciated.

Millions of UK workers who feel undervalued by their bosses are on the brink of quitting their jobs, according to a major annual study of employee happiness in the workplace. 

Around 6.5 million Brits who feel underappreciated by their bosses are actively looking to leave – up a million on 2023.

And the picture does not look good for the retail sector, with in excess of 8 in 10 (85%) workers revealing they feel undervalued in the workplace.

The third annual Love2shop Employee Value Report learned 82% of all UK workers who claim to feel undervalued were already preparing to leave their current employers. 

Love2shop’s Employee Value Report asked workers all over  the UK how feeling valued affects their work and whether rewards and recognition have a positive impact on them.

And as the cost of living remains a real concern for workers, with 71% stating that if they received a gift card or bonus from work they would spend it on the weekly shop, clothes or back-to-school essentials.

Lunchtime yoga, dogs in the office, pizza parties and work nights out are ineffective and viewed as being reflexive gimmicks to solve issues around employee appreciation and value, according to the findings. 

Instead, beyond a salary rise, workers actually want more flexible working (20%) and days off (20%), and gift cards or shopping vouchers (18%) to spend on essentials - unchanged from the last three years.

Love2shop's Frank Creighton told us “Retail workers were just behind employees in finance in terms of the most unhappy workers in the UK. Not being acknowledged for their contribution to the business is the top reason for feeling under-appreciated, followed by feeling underpaid (33%).

He added: "But thinking about this solely as a wage issue would be mistaken. We found 29% of people feel undervalued because ‘loyalty is a one-way street’ – meaning they feel employers demand their loyalty but will axe their jobs without even a second thought. A quarter of people also cited the lack of a simple ‘thank you’ as a significant problem."

As well as the increase in unhappy workers generally this year, the survey also discovered the looming employment crisis in education and health refuses to go away despite recent pay settlements.

It revealed 74% of education workers and 71% of healthcare professionals are considering leaving their professions due to feeling undervalued. It is also reflected in the private sector where 89% of finance workers and 85% of retail workers are also seeking ways to leave.

This year the survey found that Northern Ireland has the happiest workers in the UK, with Belfast the happiest city.

While unhappiness grew in last year’s worst performing city – Liverpool – it was eclipsed by Plymouth, where over a third – 36% of workers – said they felt underappreciated at work.

Frank Creighton went on to say: “We have been doing the report for a number of years now and the data clearly shows loyalty, productivity and happiness increase with employers who put the right reward strategies in place. Those businesses grow and thrive more readily than businesses that do not show employees they are valued.

“Employee expectations have changed. If businesses do not change with them, they may very soon find themselves falling behind."

Love2shop’s expert team has helped more than 150,000 businesses create effective reward and engagement strategies for more than 50 years. 

https://business.love2shop.co.uk

Choose Environmentally friendly, innovative PLAYMOBIL JUNIOR Advent Calendars

PLAYMOBIL is staying true to its sustainability strategies with its latest eco-friendly innovation. The latest PLAYMOBIL JUNIOR Advent Calendar eschews plastics, instead it's going for renewable materials from PAPACKS®, Europe’s top manufacturer of moulded fibre packaging. 

This innovative solution wipes away single-use plastic from PLAYMOBIL’s toddler Advent calendars, marking a significant step towards genuine, comprehensive sustainability.

Tahsin Dag, Founder & CEO of PAPACKS®, says: “Our collaboration with PLAYMOBIL is a bold statement for a sustainable future. Our fibre-based trays, made using only renewable resources, offers a cutting-edge, eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic. This doesn't only ensures a sustainable Christmas season but also, we hope, inspires other firms and companies to embrace the move toward a plastic-free economy.”

Since the start of 2024, in excess of 90% of materials used in all PLAYMOBIL JUNIOR sets have been made using special new biobased plastics. 

These plastics follow a circular economy approach, using byproducts from food or paper production. The new materials in the product line for children aged 1 to 4 maintain PLAYMOBIL’s trusted quality, safe for children, durable, and easy to clean. The packaging also features recycled cardboard, and the new moulded fibre inlays, crafted from renewable raw materials, are food-safe and child-friendly, too.

With this sustainable packaging solution for the Advent calendar trays, PLAYMOBIL JUNIOR and PAPACKS® are ensuring the Christmas season can be enjoyed in an eco-conscious way—while toddlers explore a world of fun.

The new PLAYMOBIL JUNIOR Advent Calendar Snowy Christmas (Item No.: 70297) is available wherever good toys are sold.

Product Highlights Include:

Reindeer plane with three attachable and combinable elements

Six stackable footstep stones with control images on the underside

Nine woodland animals

Christmas tree with hidden compartments

Spinning star

Two angels and Santa Claus

Dimensions of reindeer plane (without figures): approx. 23.5 x 12 x 5.5 cm

Christmas tree: approx. 10 x 5.5 x 13.5 cm

FACTFILE:

The Horst Brandstätter Group is a global player known for its renowned brands PLAYMOBIL and LECHUZA, delivering quality, innovation, and genuine value to consumers. PLAYMOBIL's imaginative role-playing toy, featuring its 7.5 cm figures, animals, and extensive accessories, has fascinated children for 50 years. With over 3.8 billion figures produced since 1974, PLAYMOBIL’s award-winning play worlds are available in around 100 countries worldwide.

PAPACKS® leads the charge in developing and manufacturing sustainable, plastic-free packaging solutions. Specializing in moulded fibre packaging made primarily from tree and hemp fibres, PAPACKS® creates food-safe packaging through advanced technology and environmental commitment. Dedicated to a circular economy, PAPACKS® is reducing plastic pollution and invites businesses worldwide to join the movement toward a sustainable future.

You can learn more at https://www.playmobil.com/en-gb