All articles by Vince Bamford
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Category ReportAre bagged snacks brands digging deep enough on health?
Brands are reformulating to boost health credentials – and dodge the crackdown on HFSS products
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Category ReportCrisps & bagged snacks brace for a shake-up as government renews HFSS crackdown
Snacks are in for a shake-up as the government prepares to crack down on junk food with a new nutrient profiling model
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Category ReportSalt & fat levels in bagged snacks still high despite recipe changes
When it comes to how tighter HFSS rules have changed the market, most brands will point to sweeping recipe changes that have cut salt and satfat while upping protein and fibre
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Category ReportDo people know (or care) about the HFSS crackdown?
Ask the average shopper about HFSS and you’re likely to get a blank look
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Category ReportBrands divert marketing spend in face of ad ban
The latest advertising rules for HFSS goods are pretty strict
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Category ReportWalkers tries to crack coated nuts with crisps-inspired NPD
Over recent months, two heavyweight snack manufacturers have taken their popular crisps flavours into nuts
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Category ReportGoing Japanese: brands bill Asian flavours as the next big thing in crisps
Alongside the growth in premium sharing and new takes on classics, another big thing in snacking is global flavours
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Category ReportWhy popcorn brands are betting big on big night in occasions
Popcorn is a tiny part of the bagged snacks market, accounting for a little over 2% by volume
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Analysis & FeaturesThe UK Food & Drink Shows 2026: Three days that brought the industry together
Around 1,200 exhibitors, from the world’s biggest names in fmcg and manufacturing to startup businesses taking their first steps, travelled from across the globe to present their products and services
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NewsChilli paste brand MisoHeat scoops Taste the Future prize at UK Food & Drink Shows
MisoHeat is now manufactured in Denver and is sold in more than 30 Whole Foods stores in the Rocky Mountain region and more than 100 small retailers across the US
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NewsFarm Shop & Deli Awards retailer of the year 2026 revealed
The Leamington Spa business was praised by judges for its work in the community and care of its employees
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Analysis & FeaturesWhy does the UK lag globally on food redistribution?
Distribution of surplus food is one of the topics in the spotlight at The UK Food & Drink Shows this month
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Analysis & FeaturesHow independent retailers can foster positive, inclusive staff cultures
The Staff Culture: Building a Team to Thrive panel at the UK Food & Drink Shows offers vital insight into building a strong team. Two panellists share their advice
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Category ReportWhat will be the next big thing in beer and cider?
Beer and cider could do with a shake-up. So, what are brands and retailers doing to inject excitement back into the category?
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Category ReportPunk in a funk: what next for IPA?
Punk’s not dead. But it is in a funk. No, we’re not referring to BrewDog going into administration this month before selling for £33m
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Category ReportLow & no cider outgrows beer
Thatchers is the fastest-growing brand in NIQ’s list of the top 10 bestselling low & no beers and ciders
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Category ReportThree quarters of drinkers say alcohol-free beer is too pricey
After years of consistent growth, low & no beer and cider is now worth just shy of £260m. But that’s, well, small beer compared with the £5.7bn alcoholic beer and cider category [NIQ]
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Category ReportCan beer put the ‘fun’ in functional?
Traditionally, beer is made with just four ingredients: water, malted barley (or other grains), hops and yeast
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Category ReportSmall Beer hails big gains as mid-strength brews gain ground
Supermarkets have invested heavily in low & no alcohol offers in recent years. The category has grown in value by 14.3% to £378.3m on volumes up 11.2% [NIQ]
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Category ReportCider brands big up craft cues
In this era of growing suspicion about the processes and ingredients used to produce food and drink, it’s perhaps no surprise lurid, saccharine-sweet fruit ciders are falling out of favour