Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street food summit has been described as “empty” by food and farming industry representatives, who rounded on the prime minister for failing to discuss soaring inflation or set out measures to safeguard British food production. (The Guardian)
Rishi Sunak has vowed to take chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef off British tables in future trade deals, promising to put UK farming at the heart of government trade policy. (The Guardian)
More seasonal workers will be allowed into the UK if needed, the prime minister has said after the home secretary said migration must fall. (BBC)
Rishi Sunak must back British food production and farmers or he could face the nightmare scenario of empty supermarket shelves, writes NFU president Minette Batters. “To match its ambitions for food and farming in Britain, and to prevent further food shortages, the Government needs to set ambitious targets for domestic food production, just as it has done for housing, energy and the environment.” (Daily Mail)
Some meat and vegetable lines at supermarkets have almost doubled in price over the past year, research has found, prompting fresh calls for the government to intervene as food industry figures gather for summit in Downing Street. (The Guardian)
Greggs shrugged off tough macroeconomic conditions to deliver strong like-for-like sales growth and remain on target to hit full-year expectations (The Times £). Greggs has begun the year with bumper revenue growth as it benefited from strong demand for affordable treats (Daily Mail).
A heated debate over Greggs’ right to trade into the early hours in central London, amid warnings it could cause a wave of crime and disorder, has been resolved (The Guardian). London’s late-night revellers will be able to stop off at Greggs for bacon baps and coffee as late as 2am, after the bakery chain fought off claims that the “mega-Greggs” would become a hotspot for crime (Telegraph £).
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has disclosed a $41.3m stake in the FTSE 100 maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Tanqueray gin. (The Times £)
Imperial Brands has hailed a robust start to the year following a strong performance from a logistics business in which it holds a majority stake (Daily Mail). Imperial Brands has opened a product development centre in Liverpool as part of the tobacco company’s investment in new products (The Times £).
Two poultry workers in England have tested positive for bird flu, although there are no signs of human-to-human transmission, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. (BBC)
The boss of Harrods has urged the government to “stop burying its head” and rethink its removal of VAT-free shopping for overseas visitors. (The Times £)
The boss of Marston’s said that community “locals” were prospering during the challenging trading environment as customers opted to stay closer to home when going out. (The Times £)
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