WE'RE PLEASED TO BRING YOU JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR FOOD & DRINK RETAIL AND SUPPLY STORIES RECENTLY COVERED BY THE GROCER.
Red Tractor launches celebrity partnership with TV’s Angellica Bell
Former children’s TV presenter Bell has joined forces with Red Tractor, and it hopes she can help drive consumer awareness of the scheme. Read more>>
Food poverty report calls for a ‘junk food’ tax to subsidise healthy diets
The proposal comes in a report by the Food Foundation, which finds one in seven households with children are struggling to afford food. Read more>>
Food inflation falls to 4.5% in August but CPI holds firm
Food inflation fell to 4.5% in the 12 months to September 2025, despite overall consumer price rises holding steady on August’s levels at 4.1%. Read more>>
Saputo suspends Cornish farm over animal abuse footage
The Cathedral City-owned brand said it does ‘not condone any act of animal cruelty’. Read more>>
Campaigners call on RSPCA Assured to end Cranswick endorsement
Animal protection campaigners have said Cherry Tree Farm in Norfolk is the subject of environmental breaches and unlawful development but continues to be part of the scheme. Read more>>
UK fishing communities get £360m government funding
The £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will ‘boost’ fishing business and coastal communities, with £56m earmarked for those in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Read more>>
Seasonal Worker scheme rules change to improve flexibility
The rule change will come into effect in November 2025 and will allow horticulture workers to work in the UK for up to six months within any 10-month period. Read more>>
Beef prices set to rise until the new year, industry warns
According to latest data from levy board AHDB, beef prices continued to rise by 17% year-on-year with volume sales dropping by 8.3%. Read more>>
Key fish stocks continuing to decline, Good Fish Guide warns
North Sea herring has been downgraded due to an increased fishing pressure. Read more>>
Defra must legislate against cages, new campaign calls
The six-week campaign features an animation that contrasts the life of a caged hen with one that has more freedom to engage in natural behaviours. Read more>>
UK unprepared for challenges, Climate Change Committee warns
The CCC said the UK had not yet adapted to ’the changes in weather and climate that we are living with today, let alone those that are expected over coming decades’. Read more>>
Countryside Stewardship funds extended for next year
Defra secretary Emma Reynolds and NFU president Tom Bradshaw had a meeting and confirmed the extension of the scheme, which was due to expire at the end of the year. Read more>>
UK food needs radical and urgent transformation, new study finds
The report, The Roadmap for Resilience: A UK Food Plan for 2050, has said that if there is no action the UK will lurch from crisis to crisis. Read more>>
Red Tractor slams ASA after advert banned for ‘misleading’ consumers
The farm assurance scheme’s advert was found to have misled consumers over its environmental standards. Read more>>
England experiences second worst harvest on record
New analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has shown the scale of impact the warmest spring and summer and driest spring in over 100 years has had on cereal harvests. Read more>>
No food strategy until spring 2026 at earliest, admits Defra
Defra presented an update on the food strategy during an industry webinar in which officials appeared flummoxed by several questions. Read more>>
Farmgate milk prices fall as production hits highest point in a decade
Milk production has reached 5.5 billion litres, 217 million litres (5.2%) ahead of this time last year and 4.1% ahead of the five-year average, according to AHDB. Read more>>
Noble Foods and Co-op partner with Yellow Wellies for farm safety
The initiative, launched exclusively in 100 Co-op stores this September, is designed to raise awareness of the challenges facing British farmers. Read more>>
Dry winter is major threat to supply, warns leading grower
After a hot, dry summer, diminished water supplies across the country could lead to issues with next year’s plantings. Read more>>
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