Business & Industry

A new branded New Zealand Cheddar is being imported into the UK by Fayrefield Foods to meet demand for products with clear provenance. Rich and mature premium Cheddar Kiwi Gold went into ### Sainsbury#;s this week. The cheese won

Delamere Dairy has launched the UK#;s first four-pack of goats yoghurt into Morrisons and Ocado, made up of two ##g strawberry and two ##g raspberry pots.

Pilgrims Choice is launching an eight-strong line-up of waxed cheese truckles in time for the expected Christmas sales surge. The cheeses come in variants including Smokey Cheddar, Wensleydale & Festive Fruits and Vintage Cheddar. Coated in a variety of

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new cream with ##% less fat than standard double cream has been launched by WeightWatchers. Reduced Fat Thick Cream (rsp: ##p for ###g), manufactured under licence by Dairy Crest, contains only ##% fat. It would address the

Dairy Crest has kicked off a multi-million pound bid to establish Cathedral City as the Heinz Baked Beanz of the dairy category with a ##m [pounds sterling] relaunch. Starting in November, the three-phase strategy will encompass a packaging

A new salmon smoked in Scotch Whisky has been developed following a tie-up between Scottish seafood supplier Loch Fyne Oysters and Glengoyne Distillery. Loch Fyne Whisky Marinated Salmon is produced from Scottish Freedom Food-certified salmon cured and then

Scottish fine food supplier Rannoch Smokery has developed a #m [pounds sterling] hydroscheme and will supply renewable energy exclusively to M&S. Under the scheme, excess water from two rivers on the Rannoch estate is siphoned off before being transported

Lamb producers from across the world have pledged to work together in a landmark move aimed at boosting consumption and production. Younger consumers needed to be encouraged to eat more, the first International Sheepmeat Forum concluded, as research showed they

The quality standard mark for beef and lamb is to live on in independent retailers and the foodservice industry, following an Eblex pledge to support the mark. Many multiple retailers had already dropped the quality standard mark for the Red

A new five-tier vegetable brand aimed at inspiring shoppers to cook with more fresh veg has been unveiled by Fenmarc. The Very Very Veg Co is the first consumer-facing retail brand that Fenmarc, a major supplier of own

Supermarkets and garden retailers are hampering rose sales by not ensuring they are in peak condition, growers have complained. Sales could be improved through better presentation and care information, the Horticultural Trade Association#;s British Rose Group has claimed. Retailers

Sales of Fairtrade bananas are holding up despite fears shoppers would be tempted away by record low prices on conventional fruit. Asda reported that volume sales of loose conventional bananas had risen lo% since it cut the price to ##p

The UK#;s three biggest supermarkets have pledged to increase the amount of British pork they sell in response to damning new figures showing their support to be waning. Analysis by the National Pig Association#;s PorkWatch survey of the

Cider bosses have slammed Tory plans to tackle alcohol misuse through tax hikes on #;super-strength#; cider. Plans to double duty on cider above #.#% abv, which were hinted at in a speech by shadow home secretary Chris Grayling

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] US brewer Flying Dog has won listings in Tesco for two of its beers. The Maryland-based brewer#;s #.#% abv Classic Pale Ale and #.#% Gonzo Imperial Porter--a dark beer with a rich, malty

Unilever hopes to repeat the success of Surf Twilight Sensations with the #.#m [pounds sterling] launch of fabric conditioner version Comfort Twilight Sensations. The two scented liquid concentrates, Jasmine & Black Gardenia and Vanilla & Black Orchid (rsp: #.## [pounds

Unilever has launched a revamped range of ## Christmas health and beauty gift packs for its Lynx, Sure, Dove and Impulse brands. The gift sets, priced from #.## [pounds sterling] to ##.## [pounds sterling], are on shelf now.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] David Jason has lent his reassuring tones to the latest Hovis TV campaign, when the brand supports the Royal British Legion#;s Poppy Appeal for the first time. The bakery is pledging #p from every special pack of

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The looming Christmas party season has prompted GlaxoSmithKline to invest ###,### [pounds sterling] in a new push for heartburn and indigestion relief brand Zantac ##. The #;De-fuse your food#; campaign runs from this week until the

Young#;s Seafood is introducing the first sustainable scampi to the freezer aisle, after a #m [pounds sterling] investment to its key fishery on the Western Isles of Scotland. The Young#;s Premium Whole Isle of Lewis Scampi (rsp: #

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nichols hopes to boost Vimto#;s profile in the south of England via new listings with Ocado. An eight-strong range of Vimto#;s carbonated and cordial soft drinks is now on sale at the online supermarket for

Two of Britain#;s biggest biscuit brands have revealed their festive lineups for this Christmas. Northern Foods brand Fox#;s has introduced Fox#;s Wonders--premium chocolate biscuits in a purple metallic tin, targeted at "stylish consumers" (rsp: #.##

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reckitt Benckiser is gearing up for the winter colds season by ploughing #m [pounds sterling] into the first advertising for its recently launched Lemsip Max All Night tablets and Lemsip Max All in One capsules. The push, which

McCambridge is adding a fruit-filled sub-brand to its Soreen line-up--the company#;s first major NPD since its doomed Disney-branded Mini Malts, which were ditched after just eight months. The new Fruity Five product is being

Tesco has replaced its chilled own-label Chinese ready meals and side dishes with a new range, after securing an exclusive marketing agreement with TV chef Ken Hom. The retailer is switching all ## of its current SKUs for the

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Heinz is appealing to consumers#; emotions with a #m [pounds sterling] marketing push called #;It has to be Heinz#;--the brand#;s biggest media spend in five years. The multimedia campaign kicks off next week with a TV

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pukka Pies has launched its first family-size pies with the aim of becoming market leader in the family-size hot pie market. The ###g pies come in chicken and steak varieties (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling]) and

Premier Foods, Britain#;s biggest food manufacturer, is braced for a "very fierce Christmas" as the fall-out from the recession finally hits home. Consumers had defied expectations last Christmas by refusing to trade down from branded goods to own

Mars is now an official supporter of the England football team. Should our sporting icons be promoting confectionery with obesity such o problem--or is it just business? YES ##% BUSINESS ##% NOR ##%

Freedom and whisky gang tegither" wrote Robert Burns, celebrating this time-honoured Scottish association. The problem now, however, is that a minority of Scots are drinking too much, which has enabled an even smaller band of fanatics to lobby successfully

Human beings are not constant things--they change their mood, desires and feelings in response to a host of external factors. This makes researching what consumers want a complex procedure, and one that is often oversimplified. For example, segmentation studies

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tesco#;s fromage frais (*****) was a touch bland to the taste. It had also separated slightly in the pot, costing it a further point. In comparison, Morrisons#; product (*****) had a good flavour with a bit of a tangy

The banana war trundled on this week as Asda and Morrisons both cut a further #p/kg. And it was this week#;s cheapest retailer, Asda, that offered the lowest price, at ##p/kg. It also knocked a penny off

Name: Roy Hanley Job title: Production director Company name: Ginsters Sales ###m [pounds sterling] at rsp HQ: Callington Employees: ### [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What#;s it like to work for your company? Ginsters (a division of Samworth Bros) is a private

Britain#;s biggest union, Unite, has come under fire as it ups the ante in its attack on food and drink manufacturers. Unite was set to ballot members for strike action at Carlsberg UK following a dispute over job losses

There have been big changes in advertising budgets in the cakes and biscuits category--both up and down. And the money that is being spent is almost exclusively destined for TV. United Biscuits concentrated its activity on certain brands at

There were some big increases in promotional activity over the past year. Fox#;s upped its focus on promotions, with in-store activity linked to its Vinnie the Panda TV ads. The strategy has paid off. It is growing significantly

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Never ones to be killjoys, the FSA suggests on the Eat Well website that people should swap their cake or biscuit treat for a currant bun or molt loaf with low-fat spread. Delicious. The healthy advice was

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Sarah Jessica Parker tucked into a cupcake in Sex & The City in ####, the show#;s followers were not watching the outfits for once. "That scene helped to launch the cupcake on to the world stage," says

The biscuit market has grown #.#% in value in the latest year and now is worth more than #.#bn [pounds sterling]. Growth has been driven by an increase in prices and to a lesser extent shoppers have purchased

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Money may be tight, but at least the crunch of biscuits can be heard. People are still happily keeping a little bit of what they fancy on the shopping list when it comes to cakes and biscuits. And

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The conventional way to raise capital is to sign up for a bank loan, win financial backing from a venture capitalist or tap up wealthy family members. Not to be hit in the face with a wiffle ball

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Enco Products range of the very best Caribbean products includes best-selling Encona Sauces and Nurishment, the leading nutritionally enriched milk drink, plus the Dunn#;s River and Grace ranges of seasonings, sauces and marinades. Shoppers can

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Home baking is on the up, and to help retailers maximise the opportunity Dr Oetker, a leading brand in finishings (ingredients & decorations) and cake mixes, is offering ## readers the chance to win more than ## [pounds sterling

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the festive party season approaches yet again, retailers must ensure they stock a good choice of dishwashing products. Fairy Platinum is a dual-action liquid top that combines Fairy#;s advanced All in # cleaning power with

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kingsmill has extended its family-focused portfolio and launched the perfect solution for smaller households--Kingsmill Little Big Loaf--the only specially baked loaf on the market with full-size slices! Kingsmill has taken consumer favourites--Kingsmill Great

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Walkers Nonsuch Toffees, England#;s finest speciality toffeemaker, is offering ## readers the chance to win a case of its traditional pick #;n#; mix toffees. The range of ## varieties includes two nut varieties (Walkers is the only

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Market leader Heinz is helping the nation#;s sauce fans create delicious, low-cost meals through its new www. lovesauces.co.uk website, where visitors can be inspired by delicious recipes and tasty tips from the nation#;s

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Typhoo is offering five lucky winners the chance to boost sales this autumn with ### [pounds sterling] worth of promotional packs of Typhoo tea. Typhoo, with the help of Sir Geoff Hurst, recently kicked off a new campaign

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Premier Foods, the UK#;s number one food manufacturer, is launching a new range of convenient-sized ###g Hartley#;s jam that will drive fruitful sales for the brand. The distinct tastes and ###g format using Hartley#;s

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Primula has brought a taste of the Orient to its delicious range of ambient dips with its new Thai Sweet Chilli Dip. Joining five other flavours including creamy sour cream & chive, spring onion, roasted garlic, nacho cheese and

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To celebrate the relaunch of the Spar own-label range of products, Spar is giving away to three retailers a hamper full of ## [pounds sterling]-worth of Spar-brand products, with a top prize of a selection

Scottish & Newcastle will review the packaging and marketing of its Newcastle Brown Ale when it moves production away from Tyneside next year. The drinks supplier announced this week that it would relocate production of the beer from its ##-year

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Halewood International#;s plans for Crabbie#;s Alcoholic Ginger Beer are no laughing matter, despite its TV sponsorship of the British Comedy Awards. The company is pumping #m [pounds sterling] into a #### marketing push that includes a

Pernod Ricard has unveiled plans to boost the appeal of Jameson whiskey among young men, aided by the introduction of a smaller bottle size. The Irish whiskey brand has recorded #.#% growth to #.#m [pounds sterling] this year

Chocolate manufacturer Ferrero has struck a five-year deal to source ##% of its palm oil direct from New Britain Palm Oil, a sustainable producer in Papua New Guinea.

The success of Innocent#;s Veg Pots is catching. Alan Rosenthal, former buyer for Spanish food supplier Brindisa, has created Stewed!--a range of chilled exotic premium stews. The four-strong range of Stewed! products (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] US pomegranate juicer POM Wonderful is introducing a range of mini bottles to the UK. The ###ml bottles are half the size of POM Wonderful#;s ###ml line and--at #.## [pounds sterling]--are #.## [pounds

Bottlegreen is aiming to more than double its sales to ##m [pounds sterling] by #### through venturing into the impulse channel and gaining listings with Asda. The adult soft drinks company#;s sales grew ##% to #.#m [pounds sterling

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Free-from specialist Hale & Hearty Foods has secured listings for eight new gluten-flee lines in Waitrose and Ocado. The wholegrain products, which include breakfast cereals and cake mixes (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling] to #.## [pounds

Hancacks has teamed up with Beech#;s to create a range of boxed chocolates bearing messages such as #;happy birthday#; and #;thank you#; on pack.

McCain is extending its frozen potato offer with Homebakes--potato slices in Creamy Cheese and Creamy Garlic sauces (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling])--and a seasonal Sage & Onion variant of Wedges (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling]).

A new jam by Duerr#;s made from English-grown strawberries aims to plug a gap for a "good value" offering. Its English Strawberry Conserve (rsp: #.## [pounds sterling]) is made with three different strawberry types traditionally grown for

Pity the sweet-toothed British construction worker and all fans of builders#; tea--as hikes in the commodity prices of tea and sugar are expected to hit once again. The UK drinks more tea than any other nation--approximately #

Rubbing salt in our wounds." That#;s how one source describes the FSA#;s latest poster campaign, which depicts salt spilling out of cereals, bread, ketchup and pasta sauce. The industry has known since June that the FSA was going

B&M Retail is set for major expansion after unveiling ambitious plans to open ## new stores next year. The discount retailer, which trades as B&M Bargains, has more than ### stores across the north of England, Wales and

DCS Europe has claimed September was its best-ever month, with sales topping ##.#m [pounds sterling]. Its previous best monthly performance was ##.#m [pounds sterling] in April this year.

Independent retailer Jonathan James has promised his new store in Littleport, which is due to open early next year, will focus on "all a local family-owned store is good at". The forecourt store will be the first to be

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Costco Wholesale Corporation, the US parent of Costco UK, has posted an #% drop in sales in its international division in the year to ## August. Costco#;s international division includes the UK, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico and

Frozen food home delivery retailer Eismann UK has launched into meals on wheels with a new venture, Country Home Foods. The company is similar to Eismann UK, which delivers frozen ready meals ordered through a catalogue or the website and

Petty Wood, which handles distribution to independent retailers for brands including Duchy Originals and Sada#;, has had its trade credit insurance withdrawn by Atradius. The move by the UK#;s second-largest credit insurer means suppliers to the company are

Booker has reported a #.#% increase in half-year retail sales, reversing the #.#% drop recorded a year ago. Group sales rose #.#% to #.#bn [pounds sterling] in the ## weeks to ## September, helped by

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The introduction of a code of practice for the Irish grocery sector would result in retailers sourcing more stock overseas, according to the Republic#;s largest independent retail group. The warning has been sounded by the Musgrave group

The managing director of George at Asda is taking on the high street this Christmas with more knitwear and coats designed to be given as gifts. Anthony Thompson, previously of M&S, said the fabric quality had been improved since

Condom-to-footcare manufacturer SSL International, which makes Durex and Scholl, has reported half-year sales up ##% to ###m [pounds sterling].

Tesco#;s iPhone application has finally gone live after overcoming a technical fault, enabling shoppers to locate the nearest branch and find products in store. Tesco.com head of R&D Nick Lansley claimed on his blog that more than

Retailers have failed in their battle to stop the tobacco display ban becoming law, as MPs waved through the controversial Heakh Bill this week. In its third reading in the House of Commons, MPs passed the Bill, which contains proposals

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is Hannah, Estonia#;s biggest pop star, who is to tour the UK to promote Estonian food and drink. Through pop music, Hannah will spread the word about products such as black bread and jellied meats while

The humble Corn Flake is undergoing space-age laser treatment in an outlandish move by Kellogg#;s to help combat cereal fakery by own-label rivals. The cereal giant, which makes ## million boxes of Corn Flakes every year in

Tesco is clearing the storerooms of some of its Extra stores to use as bank branches. The retailer has started storing back stock on the shop floor on its top shelves and is planning to use the free space in

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Coca-Cola is fighting efforts by UK supermarkets to sponsor the London Olympics in ####. The soft drinks giant, which has sponsored the Olympics since ####, is believed to be worried that if supermarkets are permitted to sponsor

NGOs, retailers and manufacturers have joined forces to tackle obesity with a $##m (##.#m [pounds sterling]) fund. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation aims to reduce obesity in children aged six to ## by promoting healthy eating messages. United Supermarkets

Coles is campaigning to have opening hours extended in western Australia where existing laws mean supermarkets have to close at #pm. Four years ago the idea of extended trading hours was voted down in a referendum but Coles says an

Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $##m (#.#m [pounds sterling]) to settle a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of ##,### current and former workers in Iowa aver allegations they were forced to skip breaks or work off

Members of a Women#;s Institute have promised to pose naked if Bristol City Council rejects Tesco#;s plans for a new store next month. Tesco is proposing to open a ##,### sq ft superstore at the Bristol City

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Branded suppliers are fuming at Sainsbury#;s "heavy-handed" new store sampling tests used in its Switch and Save campaign. Last month, the retailer took the own label versus brand war to the next level when it launched

"The times they are a-changin#;," declared The Cooperative Group CEO Peter Marks this week as he picked up The Grocer Cup for Outstanding Business Achievement--just a day after unveiling record half-year sales and profits. Marks beat off

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tesco is taking on M&S with the launch of its latest premium meal range. The Finest Restaurant Collection bit shelves this week, comprising a choice of ## prepared main courses and nine desserts for two. The main

Fine food suppliers are gearing up for a surge in demand this Christmas as Delia Smith#;s new Festive Season book hit shelves this week. In a return to the celebrity cook#;s roots, Delia#;s Happy Christmas champions ##

An over-reliance on price promotions is damaging brands, according to an Institute of Sales Promotion study, which has found more than half of all promotional spend is now spent on cutting prices and offering deals such as bogofs. Suppliers

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GO#, the frozen food range fronted by David Beckham, recorded sales of just ### [pounds sterling] in September, but the football superstar has promised to keep the faith as a series of disasters beset the brand. The range

IBM rolled out new Tivoli Asset Management features that include broader support for software license management and discovery and identification of services for the z/OS platform. The Tivoli software is designed helps companies find and manage software inventory, as

APA has signed Luke Barats and Joe Bereta, far right, for representation. They are best known for their comedic viral videos, which have garnered more than ### million views online, and made them one of YouTube#;s most subscribed and

Las Vegas lounge singer and former "Full House" thesp Brian Evans has sold his comicbook series "Horrorscope" to Zenescope Entertainment. Zenescope, headed by Ralph Tedesco, is a growing Philadelphia-based indic comicbook and graphic novel publisher of titles including "Grimm

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mark and Christine Holder are melding their literary and talent management company Holder Management into Zero Gravity Management, the Los Angeles-based lit management company formed in #### by Eric Williams. Mark Holder said joining forces with Williams

Roadside Attractions has acquired "The Good Guy" and plans to release the comedy-drama in March. "The Good Guy," written and directed by Julio DePietro, stars Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, Anna Chlumsky and Bryan Greenberg. The film, which premiered at

The Apple rumor mill was working overtime this week, with leaked information about Apple preparing to add an FM radio functionality to the iPhone and iPod Touch via a software update. The app is rumored to provide the same functionality

Finland has taken the first step toward mandating that every residence be able to connect to a ### Mbps broadband service by defining broadband Internet access as a legal right. Beginning July ####, broadband service providers must offer every residence

Raytheon, the Waltham-based technology giant, has been awarded a $#.# million contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop self-healing integrated circuits. Raytheon#;s "HEALICS" technology incorporates self-healing into a complex system-on

Teledata Networks, a global provider of multiservice access solutions for NGNs (next-generation networks), has won a $## million deal to provide a major Central Asian telecommunications company with the new BroadAccess-####E systems to advance their existing infrastructure towards