If The Grocer Health Summit proved anything, it is that Britain’s health debate remains trapped between ambition and action. But bringing together retailers, manufacturers, campaigners, academics, policymakers and entrepreneurs was never going to make for a comfortable conversation, and nor was it meant to.

If everyone had left nodding happily in agreement, we would have failed.

So yes, feathers were ruffled. Former health minister James Bethell accused the industry of using tobacco-style tactics to delay reform, while Chris van Tulleken questioned food companies’ lobbying efforts and called on supermarkets to form a cartel against UPFs.

Not everyone welcomed those perspectives. Some felt retailers and manufacturers had been put on the naughty step, while others questioned whether enough attention had been paid to the practical (and commercial) realities of operating in one of the world’s most competitive grocery markets.

But most post-event feedback shared a common theme: there was real value in bringing together voices that rarely share the same stage. Progress does not come from rooms where everyone politely agrees, and Britain’s health crisis will not be solved by only talking to people who already share your views.

Amid the friction, there were also signs of common ground. Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts argued health and wellbeing must sit at the heart of the industry, stressing the need for collaboration, common standards and mandatory reporting. Most striking was his call for “progress over perfection”.

Retailers and brands spoke passionately about improving the nation’s health, reformulating products and building a better food system. But those ambitions also require investment, reduced margins and an acceptance of accountability.

There is a clear appetite to keep the conversation going. Since the event, there have been calls for The Grocer-led coalitions, working groups and shared plans – but if the industry is serious about improving the nation’s health, the next phase cannot simply be more debate.

As Hal Robson-Kanu, founder of The Turmeric Co, said: the action starts when the lanyards come off.

My picks this week:

  1. You wait ages for one turnaround and then two come along at once. OK, so maybe calling Asda’s 0.1% sales growth a turnaround is a little generous, but hey, it’s Friday and the sun is (almost) shining, so I’m going with it. It’s the struggling retailer’s first increase since March 2024, but whether it’s enough to back up executive chairman Allan Leighton’s recent comments that the supermarket has “turned a milestone” is yet to be seen. Over at Morrisons it’s a clearer story, after the supermarket posted its 15th consecutive quarter of growth. CEO Rami Baitiéh credited the heatwaves and the World Cup for the uptick, but it was also another quarter defined by job cuts, with more than 400 roles being trimmed from the business.

  2. When is a spirit not a spirit? That was the question posed in drinks editor James Beeson’s LinkedIn comments, after he wrote about Diageo’s major foray into mid-strength spirits. The drinks giant is launching 20% abv products from three of its biggest brands, with the new Gordon’s, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan Mid-Strength drinks combining “the familiarity of some of Diageo’s best-known brands with a proposition that reflects the increasingly flexible way consumers approach alcohol”. James argued that industry anger over the move was misplaced. Many of you disagreed.

  3. Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker is no stranger to a PR coup. So it was only right that international trade editor Kevin White took a closer look at what’s behind the frozen food retailer’s surprising decision that now is the right time to open a store in the Falkland Islands. Much lower prices and a wider range of Brit favourites are part of the appeal for consumers – but what’s really in it for the frozen supermarket?

  4. In this week’s big interview, we sat down with Dr Megan Rossi and Jon Walsh of Bio&Me. Fmcg’s self-confessed “odd couple” discussed winning big at the Grocer Golds, scaling a challenger and an ambition to be “in every country in the world”. This gets my top billing this week for two reasons. Firstly, because I interviewed Megan at the Health Summit and I’ve never known anyone to be so passionate about gut health (and healthy pooing), and secondly, because Jon, who has been in the industry for years, says Bio&Me is his way of “saying sorry about Sunny D”. Can’t argue with that.

  5. And finally, I feel like this story has gone a little under the radar. Lidl has launched the “first-of-its-kind” hybrid meat range, combining meat with plant-based pea protein to give shoppers “at least 20% more protein than its traditional meat counterparts”. It’s not clear whether the plant-based protein will be replacing some of the meat or is being added on top, but this could be a great solution to helping consumers eat less meat. Hybrids don’t typically have a great time in the grocery sector, but can the extra protein message here do enough to change that?

Thanks for reading. We’re always keen to hear your thoughts, so please do email with any questions, comments or feedback on jacqui.parr@thegrocer.co.uk

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