From Tesco turkeys to Fudge bar scandals and the New Year’s Honours, here is our roundup of key food and grocery stories you may have missed since Christmas.
Tesco apologises for ‘rancid’ turkeys: Tesco hits the headlines at Christmas after several shoppers complain of ‘rotten, rancid’ turkeys. The retailer apologises and promises to investigate, stressing there had only been a small number of complaints and it had sold “hundreds of thousands of great-quality British turkeys this Christmas”.
Brexit warning from BRC over global trade deals: The British Retail Consortium publishes new figures and analysis showing just how crucial it will be for the UK to maintain the benefits of not just free trade with the EU but also of trade deals the EU has negotiated with third countries. In a ‘no deal’ scenarios, tariffs on fish from Iceland could rise from 3.4% to 11%, it warns.
Cadbury prompts Fudge bar despair: There’s outrage after Cadbury replaces Fudge bars with Dairy Milk Oreo in its Christmas selection boxes. One angry punter tweeted (in all caps, inevitably): “WHY HAVE YOU REPLACED MY FUDGE BAR IN THE SELECTION PACKS WITH THE HORRIBLE OREO BAR. ITS NOT THE SAME ANY MORE.”
Muscle Food scores £10m investment: The specialist online retailer, which sells meat and fish as well as a range of supplements, secures a £10m injection from BGF to boost its global expansion plans.
A recovery for bread sales?: ‘Bread sales rise for the first time in three years’ the Telegraph proclaims, citing Nielsen. It’s all down to shoppers ditching out-of-home brunches and rustling up bready meals at home. The article doesn’t feature value or volume sales, but suggests the number of households buying bread increased by 397,000 in the 12 weeks to 8 October.
Co-op eyes 5 million pints of craft beer: The retailer is increasing listings for independent brewers following a successful pilot project as it aims to massively boost the amount of craft beer it sells.
Green light for Tesco-Booker deal: Just before the festive break, Tesco and Booker received the official green light from the CMA for their £3.7bn mega merger. The deal is now expected to complete in March 2018.
Charles Wilson is named business person of the year: Hot on the heels of the CMA’s clearance, the Sunday Times names Booker CEO Charles Wilson (aka the man with three brains) its business person of the year.
Red Tractor’s David Clarke receives CBE: Clarke is a founding member of Assured Food Standards and led the organisation for nearly 20 years. Other food industry figures recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours include Ian Harris, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.
Questions over Palmer & Harvey loan: P&H returns to the headlines after The Times reports the terms of a £3.4m loan to former boss Chris Etherington were changed so it would not need to be repaid in case the company went bust.
Edwin Booth lets rip in letter to customer: The boss of the upmarket supermarket chain responds to a customer complaint by vowing to address ‘inadequacies’ in the business. He writes: “I was uneasy about the layout of our new store right from the start and called for a number of changes to be made. Sadly these did not materialise and now that I have taken on responsibility for running our business, I am working to address a number of inadequacies that are evident throughout our business.’
Steinhoff accounting scandal deepens: The Poundland owner says its accounting problems could stretch back to before 2015, meaning more accounts may need to be restated. It follows separate reports that Poundland as well as sister companies Bensons for Beds, Harveys and Pep&Co look set to be sold in the wake of Steinhoff’s problems.
Finnebrogue unveils nitrite-free bacon: The sausage and bacon supplier garnered plenty of positive headlines with hews it has developed bacon that contains zero nitrites. The new Naked range is the result of a £14m investment by Finnebrogue. Nitrites in cured meats such as bacon are associated with increased cancer risks.
Special K gets ‘food positive’: Kellogg’s announces a new creative direction for its Special K brand, moving it away from traditional diet messaging to a more food-positive attitude. Its new ‘Powering You’ campaign will run throughout 2018.
Compass CEO Richard Cousins dies in plane crash: Finally, 2018 gets off to a sad start with news Compass’s group CEO, Richard Cousins, has passed away following a plane crash in Australia. Four members of his close family also die in the accident.
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