All articles by Michael Barker – Page 12
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News
Cheese imports to rise as milk shortages hit
A shortage of milk this autumn could lead to the UK having to import more Cheddar next year as manufacturers struggle to meet demand. Present production rates indicate there could be a shortage of 500,000 litres of milk per day during the low...
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Scots put fish farms at heart of economy
A Scottish government strategy document that puts aquaculture at the heart of the Scottish economy has been welcomed by producer organisations. The Scottish government last week launched a consultation for a Renewed Strategic Framework for Scottish...
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Growers call for flower price hikes as costs hit
Flower prices may rise and bouquet sizes get smaller as suppliers try desperately to mitigate soaring costs, growers have warned. Rocketing fuel costs have made the cost of heating glasshouses unsustainable, claimed a leading UK flower grower, who...
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Tesco’s low-cost milk sparks price war fears
Tesco has risked the wrath of dairy farmers by launching a new range of low-priced semi-skimmed milk. Fresh’n’Lo, which was the UK’s first branded semi-skimmed milk and has been a fixture in Scottish supermarkets for 30 years, was rolled out into...
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Shoppers show how game they really are
Game sales are soaring on the back of celebrity chef endorsements, the meats’ health credentials and renewed consumer interest in classic British cuisine. The game market rose 64% to £64m between 2002 and 2007 [Mintel] and sales growth is predicted...
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A fresh ‘earthier’ logo for Bernard Matthews
Bernard Matthews has unveiled a new look logo as part of a major overhaul of its brand and range. The turkey producer has replaced the old red-ribbon swirl with a more earthy logo in a bid to reflect its roots as a farming entity. Product packaging...
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EU import plans cheese off UK dairy producers
EU import plans cheese off UK dairy producers: Fears are growing in the dairy industry that a proposed EU trade deal could lead to an influx of cheaper Cheddar to the UK market. EU representatives at the Doha round of global trade talks, led by commissioner Peter Mandelson, have proposed ...
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Brits lose appetite for ‘unhealthy’ pork pies
The humble pork pie could be the latest victim of health-conscious consumers’ changing habits. Value sales slumped 5.6% to £132m in the 12 months to 13 July [Bpex] and volume sales fell 4.7%. The main reason for the decline was the pork pie’s...
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DFB business plan ‘on target’ despite losses
Dairy Farmers of Britain insists it is on track to turn a profit by 2009 to 2010, despite recording a £3.55m loss in its latest results. Turnover in the year to 31 March was up 1% to £562m, as a result of higher milk prices. Though operating profit...
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New drink claims to be as healthy as fruit
Fayrefield Foods is introducing a range of fruit drinks to the UK next month that contains exactly the same levels of nutrients as the equivalent fresh fruit, according to its makers. Essential, which is manufactured by Portuguese company Compal and...
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Whole Foods inthe red
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey insists the UK operations will break even by 2011 – despite reporting pre-tax operating losses of $18.4m (£9.4m) on its London-based stores and a 31% reduction in its global third-quarter profits amid the...
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Family affair: Maunder buys up butchers chain
Family affair: Maunder buys up butchers chain: Andrew Maunder is promising a ‘butchers revival’ after buying out the Lloyd Maunder butchers chain. Maunder acquired the 13 shops, located in Devon and Cornwall, from the family’s company Lloyd Maunder Holdings last week, having been in charge of…
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Dairy bodies link up to boost profile of cheese
Dairy bodies link up to boost profile of cheese: Dairy UK and the British Cheese Board are to pool resources in a bid to unify and strengthen the voice of UK cheese suppliers. The decision to work more closely together, announced at the Nantwich Cheese Show this week, will allow ...
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Covent Garden Market targets major revamp
New Covent Garden Market has unveiled further details of the redevelopment project that aims to tap into consumer interest in food security, provenance and traceability. Covent Garden Market Authority is currently overseeing major redevelopment...
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Sales up as public gets taste for long-life milk
Sales up as public gets taste for long-life milk: Sales of long-life milk are staging a dramatic recovery on the back of improved branding and packaging. UHT milk sales have risen steadily this year, and are currently at their highest point since December 2006, according to DairyCo. In the 52 ...
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News
Bad weather blamed as asparagus slumps
British asparagus sales slumped almost 7% this season as a result of bad weather and issues over availability. In the 12 weeks ending 15 June, sales were down 6.9% to £16.5m, according to TNS, with market penetration static at 12.4%. Poor growing...
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News
Promotion of berries ‘must focus on taste’
Blackberries and blueberries must be promoted on taste rather than purely on health grounds if the category is to continue its growth, one of the UK’s largest berry marketers has said.
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News
Lion gets its teeth into frozen with Foodvest
The Foodvest Group is now “a scale player with a scale private equity house behind it”, according to Young’s Seafood MD Jim Cane. Lion Capital, which acquired Foodvest, the owner of Young’s Seafood and Findus, for £1.1bn on Tuesday, would use the...
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Job losses on cards at 75% of companies
Thousand of jobs could be lost in the fresh produce sector this year as businesses are forced to cut costs, new figures indicate. Up to three quarters of the leading 1,200 companies in the fresh produce sector will need to reduce staff numbers in...
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Health agenda drives potato sales forward
Concerted promotion of potatoes as a healthy food is being credited for a major surge in sales across the category over the past year – with even chips and crisps recording large increases. The fresh potato category is now worth £996m, up 6.4% in...