All articles by Alex Beckett
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Comment and OpinionWhat grocery brands can learn from beauty and personal care
BPC is approaching the challenges of sustainability, health and pleasure differently, says Alex Beckett, director, Mintel Food & Drink Research
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NewsLevi Roots grows his empire with Vimto soft drinks link-up
Fruit juices and fizzy drinks are being added to Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae portfolio to bring a taste of the Caribbean to the market. Roots is joining forces with Vimto Soft Drinks to launch this month. Vimto will make the drinks under...
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Profiles and QandAsRoots manoeuvres: Dragons' Den star meets The Grocer
From the mean streets to main street, Dragons’ Den star Levi Roots is about to face his biggest challenge yet. Alex Beckett checks out his chances of success
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NewsWispa to hit freezers as Cadbury serves up an ice cream variant
Cadbury is making Wispa a chillier choccie choice this summer by taking the brand into retail ice cream for the first time. Wispa Ice Cream bars (rsp: £1.25 per 80ml bar) will hit freezers this month, with a tub format scheduled for later...
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NewsASA bans Delia Smith’s Christmas cake ad (three months late)
Delia Smith’s Christmas cake advert for Waitrose has been banned by the advertising watchdog for deceiving viewers about the amount of extra ingredients consumers would need to buy.
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NewsSoBe brings a splash of natural energy to the UK
Hit US energy drink SoBe has landed in the UK in a move that promises to improve the market's natural credentials. SoBe Pure Rush a variant of the PepsiCo brand exclusive to the UK is being introduced to garage forecourts, WHSmith...
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NewsMars eschews NPD for ‘big noise’ on favourites
Mars Wrigley has unveiled marketing and NPD plans for the year that include a scientific spin on its Wrigley Extra Food Creatures, the first-ever blue Skittles and new brand positioning for struggling Starburst. The company said its focus...
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Analysis and FeaturesGet drizzling: we’ve found a commodity getting cheaper
Against a background of soaring crop, fuel and packaging cost inflation, a few foodstuffs – notably olive oil – are getting cheaper. Why, asks Alex Beckett
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NewsChase lands national Waitrose listing for its posh vodka lines
Chase Vodka has struck a new national listings deal with Waitrose that it reckons will help boost turnover from £1m to £15m by 2016. The upmarket distillery, which is owned by Tyrrells founder William Chase, revealed this week that its...
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NewsPureVia to take on Truvia in battle of the UK sweeteners
Canderel is preparing to launch its PureVia natural sweetener in the UK and to go head to head with Cargill’s new brand Truvia.
Both brands are set to launch in autumn, pending the anticipated EU approval of stevia leaf extracts, which… -
NewsAsda is the first to unveil its own-label babyfood
Asda has triumphed in the race to launch the first supermarket own-label babyfood range. The retailer started introducing the 14-strong Little Angels organic babyfood range to stores last week following two years of research and...
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NewsChristianity takes on Cadbury as religious Easter egg hits Morrisons
Jesus is taking on the Cadbury’s Caramel Bunny and Aero’s Luvabubble Lamb as a religious-themed Easter egg hits shelves for the first time.
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NewsJordans plays up its heritage with launch of priciest cereal yet
Granola pioneer Jordans is tapping into its 40-year-old heritage to launch its most premium granola to date. Jordans' Creations Oat Granola will arrive next month supported by a £6m campaign highlighting the fact that the UK's first...
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Analysis and Features
Retail Prices: Top grocery brands offering greater savings to shoppers
In stark contrast to the festive period, over the past month the number of deals and the savings offered have risen year-on-year, reports Alex Beckett
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NewsBig Race is here in next phase of Spots v Stripes
Cadbury has fired the starting gun for the next stage of its Spots v Stripes Olympic activity with the launch of a new chocolate bar, a link-up with Guinness World Records and a £6.5m marketing campaign. A limited-edition chocolate wafer...
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NewsBrown to head up Innocent expansion into the food aisles
Innocent has promoted Paul Brown to commercial director of food in a bid to accelerate the brand's expansion beyond drinks. Brown has been commercial controller of Innocent's debut food line, Veg Pots, since they launched three years...
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News100% green packaging gives Innocent the blues
In a major u-turn for the green pioneer, Innocent has slashed the amount of rPET it uses in its smoothie bottles from 100% to 35% blaming a fall in the recycled plastic's quality and an "unpleasant blue tinge". The move, which the company...
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Profiles and QandAsA red hot success story
Times may be hard, but that doesn’t mean shoppers want dull products – and Bespoke is giving them as much excitement as they can handle, says Alex Beckett
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Analysis and FeaturesStella launches a cider? How very ‘reassuring’, say rivals
Will AB InBev reverse slowing category sales or is it taking too much of a risk venturing out of its heartland, ask Anna-Marie Julyan and Alex Beckett
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News
Hunt for Weetabix boss begins as Wood retires
Weetabix boss Ken Wood has announced his retirement and admits his successor will be entering "a competitive marketplace". Wood has been CEO at the cereal giant since 2004, when he arrived with an ambition to "bring the company up to...