GREEN ROW COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTS CHAIRMAN

Ethical and lifestyle specialist Green Row Communications has appointed Christopher Broadbent as non executive chairman. Green Row’s current clients include Ban Bullying at work, Percol Coffee, Fairhills, the world’s largest Fairtrade wine producer, London Aware and Green Cuisine.

Helen Trevorrow, Green Row’s founder said; ‘Christopher brings a great combination of long term PR business knowledge with considerable experience of the areas of CR, and sustainability. He is very well connected in the business, political and NGO communities around these sectors, all of which will add strength and knowledge to our offering.’

‘Last year, more was spent on ethical goods and services by UK consumers than on alcohol and tobacco, at over £28bn’ added Christopher. ‘This is a great time to be specialising in this area. Add to that the sustainability agenda, which is not going to go away and any PR company knows its stuff will thrive.’

He remains on the boards of travel specialist Brighter Group and of Argyll Consultancies, the parent Kaizo.

PERCOL COFFEE LAUNCH NEW AFRICAN RANGE

The people at Percol have teamed up with charity Schools for Africa to launch a new range of hot drinks. The Africa range includes tea, ground coffee, instant coffee and hot chocolate and is as delicious as all the other multi-award winning Percol products.

Percol has created its own new initiative, ‘Children in Africa’, where Percol raises money from the sales of the Africa range to support a number of children’s charities – the first of these being Schools for Africa (www.schoolsforafrica.co.uk), which raises capital to build schools in remote and poor areas of Africa. 30p will be made on every case sold.

Green Row wins Arniston Bay reports PR Week

Green Row Communications has won the retained account for South African wine producer Arniston Bay.

The agency has been retained for 12 months following a four-way competitive pitch.
It will raise brand awareness in the key female lifestyle press such as Eve magazine and wants the wine to be seen as 'relaxing and unpretentious'.
It will support the summer marketing drive for the brand's wine pouch, a product that claims to have an 80 per cent smaller carbon footprint than wine bottles.
Next week the wine brand will launch consumer sampling in mainline city railway stations. The Metro is also running a competition with the brand.
The agency also handles PR for fairtrade wine brand Fairhills.

GREEN ROW TEAM UP WITH COOKIE GIRL

Xanthe Milton is Cookie Girl. She began making cookies at age 6. During a break from her acting career she began selling freshly baked cookies in a basket tucked under her arm knocking on the doors of west London offices and studios - before long her customers were hooked. Her cookies have been sold at Selfridges and she is currently working on a book of recipes with Ebury Press. She writes the popular Cookie Chronicles in Grove Magazine and appearances include Master Chef, Market Kitchen and will be appearing in Diet on the Dance Floor on Living this summer.

In Summer 2008 by the powers of the internet you are going to be able to order cookies online delievered to your door, desk, wherever. Blending magic with reality, sumptuous chocolate with crisp golden dough, London’s best kept secret, Cookie Girl and her veritable feast of cookies are now available all over the UK by delivery from http://www.cookiegirl.co.uk/

Famous amongst the residents and celebrities of Notting Hill, where Cookie Girl sells her wares each Saturday from her bijous1950’s styled stall, she has honed her skills from the age of 6. Learning from her mother and now cooking with her own daughter each cookie is individually hand-made using only very the finest Belgian chocolate and ingredients. Choose from milk, dark or white chocolate or cookies rolled with oats or sultanas all made to Cookie Girl’s exacting secret recipes.

Traditionally delivered only by hand by Cookie Girl herself the new online service will spread the Cookie Girl experience all over the country. Simply visit http://www.cookiegirl.co.uk/ordercookies.asp to order baskets of milk, dark or white chocolate cookies to your office, as a gift or just to indulge yourself, bite into a cookie and let your imagination melt away. Baskets are available in 3 sizes 25 (£40.00) 50 (£60.00) or 100 (£100.00) but Cookie Girl and her team also make bespoke baskets with prior arrangement. Discounts are available for weekly or regularly deliveries.

Russell Brand said; “I’m in love with Cookie Girl and it is making me ill.”
Caprice said; “These cookies are irresistible.”
Jade Jagger said; “The best cookies I have ever tasted.”

Cookie Girl’s clientele include Will Young, Cat Stevens, Gareth Gates, Jasmine Guinness, Sienna Miller, Belinda Carlisle, KT Tunstall, The Gorillaz, The Magic Numbers, James Morrison and the great and the good of Notting Hill.

Carly and co go to The Castello di Gabbiano, Tuscany

As Press Officer for Gabbiano wines my main role is to meet with and speak to wine writers and journalists, send out samples and attend tastings. However, this Spring I had the best three days of my career so far when I got to escort eight journalists to the Castello Di Gabbiano in Italy for the ultimate Tuscan wine experience.

I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling very nervous – “what if one of the journalists forgets their passport?!” I thought. Despite the panic I got myself to Gatwick Airport and luckily enough all of the journalists arrived on time with passports in hand. After a short flight to Pisa and a hot mini-bus ride into the hills (plus numerous head counts) we finally arrived at the stunning Castello Di Gabbiano set at one of the highest points of the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany.

We spent the first hour soaking up the amazing scenery and serenity of the Tuscan hills, before we were taken down to cellars and shown the wine making facilities. We were then taken through a tasting of the whole range of Gabbiano wines as the sun set over the Castello. We worked our way up through the range, starting with the entry level wines and the refreshing 2007 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, made with 85% Pinot Grigio and 15% Gargenega. We then sampled the 2007 100% Sangiovese Rosé, followed by the entry level Chianti DOCG 2006. Moving onto the premium wines, made with grapes grown purely on the Gabbiano estate, we sampled the Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva and the Super Tucans, Alleanza and Belleza – each glass increasing with flavour and body.

Just up the hillside from the Castello stands Il Cavilaire, an authentic Tuscan restaurant where we were treated to a fantastic meal of smoked goose carpaccio, asparagus and parmesan risotto, ravioli of chicken liver with a saffron sauce, rack of lamb with a Rosé wine and pink peppercorn sauce and a lemon and amaretto crème to finish – each dish paired with one of the Gabbiano wines to compliment the flavour. Despite polishing off five courses and huge amounts of homemade bread with the estate’s own produced olive oil and vinegar I still managed to squeeze in some delicious chocolates and a couple of shots of limoncello!

We awoke on the second day to glorious sunshine and looked forward to a trip to Florence. We arrived at the far end of the city and entered the indoor food market, which was like nothing you will ever see in the UK. Cured meats and cheese hung from every corner, fresh fish and meat lay out on every surface and the smell of fresh pesto and pasta was intoxifying. We were collecting ingredients for the evening’s meal when Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, of TV and restaurant fame, would prepare us a delicious meal.

Following our shopping trip we wandered through the city soaking up culture and fashion at every turn. We stopped for lunch and ‘gelato’ before heading back to the Castello where Giancarlo and Katie had already begun to prepare the evening’s meal.

After a short rest we all met back I the kitchen for a quick demonstration and then enjoyed another evening of great food and great wine before turning in reluctantly, knowing we had to return back to London the following morning.

So, after a long wait, I finally got to visit the Castello Di Gabbiano for an amazing three days of drinking wine, eating glorious authentic Tuscan food and soaking up the incredible culture up in the hills of the Chianti Classico region, as well as the historical buzzing city of Florence. The journalists were all great and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we have already started to see some great features as a result. I would definitely recommend the Castello Di Gabbiano as a great place to visit – I know I will be returning one day and not in a professional capacity!

Posted by: Carly Thornton, Account Executive

LONDON AWARE WEEKEND 10TH AND 11TH MAY 08
CHANGING THE WORLD WITH THE POUND IN MY POCKET

2 million Londoners are gearing up to put their money where their mouths are with a weekend dedicated to buying environmentally sustainable products and services only. Whether it is wine, beer, chocolate, transport, saucy undies, toiletries or even a holiday the LONDON AWARE 08 Weekend marks the launch of a major new initiative dedicated to putting the power back into the hands of everyday people.

UK AWARE, the organisation behind the LONDON AWARE O8 weekend, is a social enterprise founded by full time Firefighter Danny Carnegie, who was so baffled about how to make positive changes in his day to day life he decided to take action to bring business and consumers face to face. The LONDON AWARE 08 weekend is about making the right consumer decisions. It encourages consumer to spend their money but empowers them in the knowledge that their consumer choices matter.

Over the LONDON AWARE 08 Weekend 10th and 11th May it is expect that:

2 million Londoners will buy a sustainable product
£4.5 million will be spent on environmentally sustainable products
1 in 4 Londoners will purchase only environmentally sustainable products
The most comprehensive green consumer event ever will be staged

Danny Carnegie, Founder UK AWARE said; “The principle is very simple – just buy the things you want but make the decision based on the products which are the most environmentally sustainable. As consumers we can force change through our purchasing decisions. We can make a difference by hitting business where it counts – in the pocket. We are demanding that business gives us the options, the innovations and a positive future for our plant.”

Zac goldsmith, The Ecologist said; “The sheer diversity of activities at LONDON AWARE 08 is testament to how much we can all do to make a difference. It's inspiring.”

The LONDON AWARE 08 Show has assembled the most comprehensive definitive list of exhibitors and fused them with most pioneering brands in the environmental movement. It is a mixing pot of authors, music, shopping, food, media, travel, health and beauty and even comedy. The event is expecting 12 000 visitors over 2 days and already boasts an exhibitor list including, Trevor Baylis OBE, Greenpeace, The London Development Agency and many exciting consumer products.

ALIENS LAND AT COLOGNE BONN AIRPORT YOU TUBE FILM PROVES EXISTENCE OF ALIEN LIFE

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=VNdWQuNtJ8Y

Live footage recorded at Cologne Bonn airport this week confirms the existence of extra terrestrial life. Recorded by Swedish tourists on route from Stockholm to Rome via Cologne the tourists unknowingly recorded a UFO in the skies above Cologne Bonn airport.

The footage has become a phenomenon on You Tube all over Europe. The footage shows a female tourist at Cologne-Bonn Airport being filmed by her friend with a hand held camera. Suddenly, while she speaks to the camera, the skies immediately darken above her and panic breaks out amongst the travelers at the airport. The footage seems to present remarkably clear pictures of an approaching UFO.
UFO researchers are examining the footage while committed UFO fans believe this proves the existence of intelligent life in space. An expert said; “This is bound to be seen in the mainstream as extremely controversial however, the authenticity of the footage is not in doubt and it does seem to confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life."

Gabbiano appoints TV Chefs Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi

Tuscan wine brand, Gabbiano, owned by Foster’s EMEA, has joined forces with husband and wife team and stars of BBC’s Return to Tuscany, Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi. Katie and Giancarlo will act as brand ambassadors to promote the Gabbiano brand in the UK and Europe.

As part of the overall Gabbiano marketing campaign, the TV stars will be hosting their extremely successful annual cookery school, which started with the Return to Tuscany TV show, at the Castello di Gabbiano, Tuscany in October.

The Caldesis will be working with Gabbiano on a number of PR initiatives, including a press trip to the Castello di Gabbiano where the wine is produced and a cookery class for media at La Cucina Caldesi cookery school in Marylebone.

Giancarlo and Katie will also be developing a range of rustic Tuscan recipes to accompany the Gabbiano Pinot Grigio IGT Della Venezie 2007 and Chianti DOCG 2005 as well as using the wines in the recipes and their three restaurants, Caldesi Tuscan Restaurant, Caffe Caldesi and Caldesi in Campagna.

Giancarlo Caldesi says; “We are really pleased to be working with Gabbiano. With its Tuscan heritage and quality wines they couldn’t be a more perfect for partner us. We are also very excited to be hosting our cookery school for the first time at the beautiful Castello Di Gabbiano. The stunning castle and Tuscan sunshine will make the event very special.”

The Gabbiano Chianti DOCG 2005 is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes with fresh violet and cherry flavours. The Gabbiano Pinot Grigio IGT Della Venezie 2007 is a blend of 85% Pinot Grigio and 15% Garganega which is peachy and refreshing with a fantastic zingy mouth feel.

Foster’s Marketing Director, James Lousada; “We are thrilled to have the Caldesi’s on board. Following the success of their TV Show, it was clear they would be ideal brand ambassadors. Gabbiano is all about enjoying good food with family, just like in the Mediterranean, and with the Caldesi’s great love of cooking rustic Tuscan cuisine and dedication to their family, they are the perfect match.”

Wines to share with family and friends, Gabbiano Pinot Grigio IGT Della Venezie 2007 and Gabbiano Chianti DOCG 2005 are produced by the Castello Di Gabbiano, a 12th century Castello set on a hilltop in the heart of Tuscany, Italy.

NEW FROM THE UK’S HOTTEST COFFEE - THE PERCOL GOLD AWARDS
Percol, the Award-winning Fairtrade and Organic coffee brand is launching a new set of awards to recognise gold standard excellence in food and drink. The inaugural Percol Gold Awards will mark the winning of five gold awards for Percol themselves at the Great Taste Awards in 2007 taking the total number of Percol awards for quality and taste to 27 since 2002.
The Percol Gold Awards are voted for by Percol’s 1 million customers and celebrate quality and excellence in food and drink. Customers can nominate individuals or brands to win a Percol Gold Award in the following categories:

1. Best food and drink writer
2. Best food and drink TV programme
3. Best Fairtrade product
4. Best Organic product
5. Best food and drink personality

To nominate please send your nominations to gold@greenrow.co.uk

Brian Chapman, Founder, Percol said; “We are delighted to be launching these awards which we hope will grow bigger every year. There is an abundance of talent and excellence in British food and drink at the moment and Percol customers recognise that.”
Angela Mount, Percol taste expert said; “We are looking to reward brands and people who represent everything that is exciting and innovative. We’ve had many entries already which just goes to show how the public feel about their quality food and drink.”

7th November 2007 is Ban Bullying At Work Day

We reckon that around 5 million people took part in Ban Bullying At Work Day 2007.

We had a superb lunch at the Kensington Roof Gardens with supporters, trustees, the media and many many friends of the Andrea Adams Trust.

Matt and Lyn were split up and sent off for live interviews on BBC Breakfast, BBC News 24, gm.tv, Sky, BBC London, LBC and loads of other radio and TV stations.

At 2pm we let hundreds of balloons off each carrying a message from a member of the public about workplace bullying.