latest news
Good Hemp sells majority stake to PE investor Inverleith Subscription
Private equity investor Inverleith has bought a majority shareholding in plant-based food and drink brand Good Hemp after agreeing a ‘seven-figure’ deal.
Quarter of M&S stores unable to accept card payments Subscription
‘Technical difficulties’ have also been affecting refunds and exchanges involving card-based transactions
Asda, Sainsbury's and M&S sign up for 'Purple Tuesday' Subscription
13 November will be the UK’s first dedicated day to promote accessible shopping for customers with disabilities
GM expands Fibre One and Nature Valley snack bar ranges Subscription
New ‘guilt-free’ Fibre One Cake Bars come in Triple Choc and Carrot Cake (rsp: £2.89/4x25g)
Littleseed unveils quartet of extra virgin rapeseed oil Subscription
The extra virgin oils are made with oilseed rape from British farms including the brand’s own near York
Chris Dee to lead food and home departments at Harrods
Former Booths CEO Dee replaces food and restaurants director Alex Dower
Seven new paper cup recycling centres opened in Cornwall Subscription
The new facilities have been supplied by ACE UK, an alliance of packaging companies, in partnership with Cornwall Council
Brits 'more concerned' for independent eateries than chains Subscription
More than half of Brits prefer to eat out at independent restaurants
Riverford Organic to remove single-use plastic from veg boxes
The brand has pledged to ditch single-use plastic by 2020 and replace it with compostable solutions
Campbell-Gibbons to leave the NFU to join AHDB board
She will chair the AHDB’s Horticulture Sector Board as part of the appointment
Pork pie rapper Joe is straight outta Melton
A musical appraisal of the humble pork pie is here. Well, formerly humble
Struik Foods unveils Bunlimited hotdog meal kit
If follows Bunlimited’s rollout last month of individual packs of hotdogs, toppings and sauces
City snapshot: Origin Enterprises completes €41.3m Brazil deal Subscription
Agri services group Origin Enterprises has completed its €41.3m deal to acquire a majority stake in Brazil-based nutrition and crop business Fortgreen Commercial Agricola. Plus, John Menzies has reported a 15% rise in underlying profit before tax in its final results before becoming a pure-play aviation business and all the rest of the latest news from the City.
Media Bites 14 Aug: Monsanto/Bayer, British gin, Campbell Soup Subscription
Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289 million in damages over alleged links between weedkiller and cancer, knocking almost €9 billion off the value of its German owner yesterday.
Old Pulteney refreshes whisky lineup Subscription
It has added three new whiskies to its core range and given its 12-year old variant a new look
Twinings publishes full list of its tea suppliers in India
The business has added an online ‘sourcing map’ as part of its Sourced with Care sustainability initiative
Sainsbury's extends its checkout-free payment trial Subscription
The new trial will take place at its Clapham North station Local store
Meat processors back call for post-Brexit immigration changes
Britain’s meat industry was vulnerable to shortages of workers across all skill levels, the BMPA warned
Risk of petrol price hike, warn MP and Fair Fuel UK
MP for Robert Halfon and the Fair Fuel UK campaign have called for an independent fuel price watchdog
Kumala wine brand to get £1m 'Kolourful' campaign Subscription
It would be centred on “the brand’s core positioning statement of ‘pouring positivity’”
KTC to launch ‘UK first’ legally edible mustard oil Subscription
The oil is made with a blend of rapeseed, reducing the erucic acid content to less than 5%
AB InBev announces Paula Lindenberg as new UK & Ireland boss
She will replace current UK president Jason Warner when he becomes zone president for Europe in January 2019
Retail footfall falls in July but high street stabilises Subscription
Retail footfall fell back another 0.8% in July as the hot weather hit shopper numbers, but the high street showed a modest recovery after numbers plunged last year.
Media Bites 13 Aug: Young's, Asda/Sainsbury's, EU workers Subscription
Young’s Seafood has become the subject of a three-way bid battle as a potential £200m sale of the frozen food manufacturer nears conclusion.
New Japanese trade deal 'positive' for EU Subscription
European food & drink brands stand to reap huge benefits from the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement
Beavertown sets sight on Enfield for new £40m brewery Subscription
The business is awaiting a decision on an application to build the 11,761sq metre premises in Enfield Distribution Park
Holland & Barrett adopts new testing standard for Manuka honey Subscription
Following the lead of NZ government guidelines, every batch will be measured for MGO levels to ensure authenticity
Farmdrop to use AI on its website and app Subscription
Farmdrop is also set to use AI to deliver personalised messages through email and texts
Sales suffer at Thorntons after first full year under Ferrero Subscription
Chocolate retailer and supplier Thorntons has suffered a sharp drop in sales and an expansion of losses in its first full financial year under Ferrero ownership.
Coca-Cola European partners flattened by France and Spain despite levy boost Subscription
The soft drink levy provided a much-needed boost for CCEP despite being expected to stifle fizzy drink makers as sales dived elsewhere in Western Europe
Oppo secures funding to ease cash shortfall after growth Subscription
The fast-growing business secured the loan from private investors following 500% sales growth this summer
Nakd sales growth slows under Lotus ownership Subscription
The maker of Nakd healthy cereal bars Natural Balance Foods has continued to grow sales under the ownership of Lotus Bakeries, but its rate of growth has slowed dramatically since its £60m sale.
New owners bring cereal bar maker Halo Foods back in profit Subscription
The Harvest Cheweee maker completed a turnaround in 2017 to jump up to a £361k pre-tax profit from a £3.1m operating loss
Florette unveils two new salad bags including a 'winter mix' Subscription
Consumers were looking for new salad options that were fresh, convenient and nutritious all year round, said the brand
Savsé sales director Paul Gurnell steps up as new CEO
His promotion follows founder Guka Tavberidze’s departure from the cold-pressed smoothie brand after seven years
insight
Fancy a Lidl drink? What a ‘discounter pub’ could mean for the on-trade Subscription
According to news reports, Lidl could be planning its own entry into the pub sector
Brands facing discounter 'copycat' versions must protest loudly and visibly
The law doesn’t offer brands much support, so they must stand up for themselves, says David Sables
Mashing spuds: rice & noodles category report 2018 Subscription
As Brits fall out of love with potatoes, sales of rice & noodles are booming
Be ruthless: set your mind to achieving laser beam focus
A client described her life as feeling like a “tweeting effect” – everything rushed with short, unfocused bursts of activity
Maltsmiths plays it safe with craft lager dance Video
As craft beer slips into the mainstream, so it must find its place among the big hitters of TV advertising
Ducks makes watermelon 'ham'
Ducks Eatery in New York is serving up watermelon ‘hams’, which take six days to make
Pizza on top in Instagram hashtag poll
Taking photos of your dinner: it’s the new eating your dinner like an adult
Understanding the fundamental rules of grocery category growth
Tailoring products to broaden usage and offer consumers more must drive growth, says Insight Traction’s Jeremy Garlick
Paula Lindenberg is a smart choice for AB InBev, but the pressure will be on
There are significant issues to address across AB InBev’s wider portfolio, writes Grocer senior drinks reporter Dan Woolfson
Letter: Engaged Tracking emissions report was 'flawed'
The report assumed supermarkets not publishing emissions data were performing poorly, says Richard Walker
Food manufacturers need a radical resourcing shakeup
Input costs are rising and the industry is under significant pressure to become more efficient and sustainable, says Martin Chilcott of Manufacture 2030
Robots in the workforce: could the UK miss out? Subscription
Robot density in the UK is below the global average – it must catch up to other countries forging ahead with bot technology
Today's and Landmark merge as Unitas Wholesale: What we know and what it means Subscription
As the two buying groups bury their former rivalry, can Today’s-Landmark merger secure the future for their members?
What Chris Edwards found at Poundstretcher
Saving Poundstretcher on Channel 4 sees Chris Edwards try to revive his one-time rival’s fortunes
Beyond Burger's rollout into Tesco delayed indefinitely
Iceland builds on success of No Bull vegan burger 
Fruity cider: the new cool?
Costa rolls out Chatty Café scheme to battle loneliness
Molson Coors adds two new directors to senior off-trade team
Fresh produce scares show food safety starts with properly trained workers
AB InBev announces Paula Lindenberg as new UK & Ireland boss
What Chris Edwards found at Poundstretcher
Indra Nooyi: 12 key moments of her time as PepsiCo CEO
Chris Dee to lead food and home departments at Harrods
The Collective accuses Aldi of copying its yoghurts
There has never been a better time to start a food business
PHE apologises after falsely accusing Lotus of sugar increase
Premium is the new watchword when it comes to snacking NPD
No-deal Brexit could be an environmental catastrophe too
