Chocomel launches £5m marketing campaign
The milk drink brand has created a TV advert to raise brand awareness and increase penetration under the tagline ‘When Life Gives you Chocomel’
Promise Gluten Free set for auction as owner explores options
The Grocer has learned an information memorandum is set to be sent to possible buyers in the coming weeks by Lincoln International, which is running the auction process
Bold Bean Co hires Andrew McIntosh as head of grocery
McIntosh’s past roles include sales manager for posh popcorn brand Joe & Seph’s and most recently as head of international, UK grocery and wholesale sales at vegan confectionery brand LoveRaw
Gymkhana Fine Foods appoints former Oatly UK boss Ishen Paran as MD
Michelin-starred sauces brand Gymkhana Fine Foods has appointed former Oatly UK boss Ishen Paran as its first managing director for the UK and international markets
British Apples & Pears launches manifesto ahead of election
The manifesto is designed to provide all political parties with clear guidance on how best to secure the future of the British apple and pear industry
The Collective launches limited edition strawberry matcha yoghurt
The triple layer yoghurt sandwiches strawberry compote, gourmet yoghurt and matcha sauce
Meat businesses agree to do more on gender equality
Action to be taken following research by Meat Business Women, which revealed gender equality had fallen last year
Thanet Earth acquires new business to produce lettuce all year round
The new venture will trade as Thanet Earth Lettuce and will produce lettuce under glass for 12 months of the year in a deep flow, hydroponic system
Plant-based players plan to ‘refocus and collaborate’ in bid to revive sales
More than 40 plant-based protein businesses, retailers, and NGOs came together for an ‘unprecedented’ summit in London last week
Clarence Court launches limited-edition traditional breed egg box
The box of eight includes two eggs each from the Burford Brown, Seabright Sage, Old Cotswold Legbar and Leghorn White breeds
Growers hunt for buyers following UK Salads collapse
The Grocer understands the vast majority of the crop from UK Salads was intended for Aldi which will now be facing a significant shortfall
Kerrygold explores power of connections in new advertising campaign
The multichannel campaign, ’May your table always be full’, is designed to explore the power of reconnecting with friends and family at mealtimes
Alantra teams up with Brand Growth Heroes for challenger ‘Mini MBA’
Mid-market financial services firm Alantra has teamed up with the Brand Growth Heroes accelerator led by Fiona Fitzpatrick to launch a ‘Mini MBA’ for challenger brand founders
Welsh farmers kick off wellies in protest over sustainability plans
Farmers displayed 5,500 pairs of wellies at the Senedd on Wednesday to represent the potential job losses created by its new sustainable farm subsidy scheme
Samworth Brothers leads £3m investment round for non-HFSS doughnut brand Urban Legend
Samworth Brothers has taken a minority stake in Urban Legend as part of a multimillion-pound investment round to back national expansion at the ‘healthier’ doughnut brand
Little Moons seeks new CEO as Mike Hedges departs
Little Moons has parted company with CEO Mike Hedges after only two years, with co-founder Vivien Wong taking charge while a replacement is found
Pukka Pies kicks off £100m potential sale process
Pukka Pies has kicked off an M&A process that could value the brand at upwards of £100m as supermarket sales of its savoury pastries continue to boom
UK food manufacturers’ profits struggle amid declining sector investment
British food and drink manufacturers are faced with high costs and low sector investment
Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses snaps up Tunworth owner Hampshire Cheese Co
The deal made Butlers the UK’s largest independent soft cheesemaker, Butlers said
Meat snacking brand Ember adds three fmcg big hitters to its board
Tim Rees, Mark Palmer and John McKinley will advise brother founders Jack and Harry Mayhew on the next stage of the brand’s rapid growth
Grwth Club launches venture fund for fmcg startups
Grwth Ventures is founded by Joe Benn and Jake Higgins with a £5m cornerstone investment from media agency MNC
Sniffers Pet Care scores follow-on funding from PE backer Traditum
Pet treat supplier Sniffers Pet Care has secured an £850k investment to ramp up production at its Yorkshire factory
Kettle Produce continues operating at a loss despite turnover increase
The producer, which saw turnover rise by 10% to £161.7m, from £147m, said loss had continued due to a “range of challenging circumstances”
Nomad Foods predicts 2024 volume growth as frozen trend rebounds
The Birds Eye owner has surpassed expectations with a record financial performance last year, with the frozen foods giant forecasting a return to volume growth in 2024
NFU calls for an overhaul of horticultural supply chain relationships
The code of practice would complement and expand on the rules already laid out in GSCOP
Heura turnover boosted by Waitrose listing in 2023
Plant-based brand Heura has boosted turnover by more than 20% to €38.3m (£32.8m) in 2023, helped by growth of 81% in the UK as its listing in Waitrose bolstered the Spanish-headquartered business
Avara posts second year of big losses amid ‘challenging’ environment for poultry
The poultry giant said price hikes did not fully offset its overall increase in production costs
Birds Eye launches Mini Fish Fingers
The fish fingers will be available from March and are designed to tap into new meal occasions
The Co-op completes switch to higher welfare fresh chicken
The retailer’s chicken will now carry the ’Space to to Thrive’ message, to signify its switch to lower stocking densities
Vegan Food Group acquires Germany’s TofuTown
TofuTown generates annual revenues of €60m (£51m) and makes all-natural, organic tofu, plant-based spreads and meat alternatives in one of Europe’s largest vegan factories
Driscoll’s strikes deal to acquire Australia’s Costa Group
US berry giant Driscoll’s has expanded its presence in Australia with the acquisition of Costa Group, a leading grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables in the country
Charlie Bigham’s growth slows as straitened shoppers buy less
Volumes were flat in the year ended 31 August 2023, compared with double-digit gains in the prior 12 months
Whitby Seafoods leads scampi industry sustainability agreement
Scampi fishermen in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have agreed to adopt the Marine Stewardship Council’s new ‘In Transition to MSC’ programme
Chicken ‘artificially cheap’ in supermarkets despite price hikes
Average prices rose by almost 15% last year but needed to increase further to safeguard the sector, producers have warned
Potato prices soar as poor weather affects supply
Core lines of maris piper potatoes across the major multiples saw rises of up to 22% in a month
New dairy regulations and farmer protection could be adopted by other categories: NFU
The new regulations, laid before parliament on Wednesday, include the creation of a new adjudicator-type body
City snapshot: Tate & Lyle hit by soft consumer demand in Q3
Tate & Lyle has reported a 4% drop in third-quarter revenues as softer consumer demand and customer de-stocking hit the ingredients supplier. Plus, C&C Group launches €15m share buyback programme
Sunak promises annual food security review at NFU Conference
Rishi Sunak, as the first prime minister to speak at the conference since 2008, unveiled new plans to boost food security in the UK
Golden Acre Foods to complete £1m donation to environmental charity by 2024
Golden Acre started supporting the ocean preservation charity in 2021, with “a view to making a real difference” in its sustainability plans
Faace secures Dragons’ Den deal from trio of dragons
Founder Jasmine Wicks-Stephens walked away from the den with a combined £60k investment from Steven Bartlett, Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman
How British are the supermarkets and what’s behind their marketing claims?
Much has been made of online ‘buy British’ sections, but farmers aren’t impressed. A consultation is looking to make claims clearer
What will change under regulated dairy contracts?
New rules and the creation of an Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator are set to shake up producer-processor relationships
opinion
Little Moons has shown it isn’t immune from growing pains
The mochi ball ice cream maker is having a wobble, its first since a viral TikTok post sent sales stratospheric in 2021
Suppliers: survive the recession by mastering three trends
Retail media, artificial intelligence and sustainability: all demand a coherent strategy now, says David Sables, CEO of Sentinel Management Consultants
UK farmers should follow their European peers and protest
Thousands of miles apart, angry farmers feel trapped in a system that crushes them, says Joanna Blythman, food journalist and author of Swallow This