The authoritative independent voice of the UK food industry

Lidl to create up to 500 new jobs

Sep 17, 2018

Lidl UK has announced the purchase of its 17th distribution centre, which could lead to as many as 500 new jobs once operational. The supermarket has purchased a 38-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds, for a new regional distribution centre (RDC). The RDC joins an existing...

Co-op sales growth driven by Nisa acquisition

Sep 14, 2018

Food retailer Co-op has seen a like-for-like sales boost of 4.4%, and is now enjoying its 18th consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth. Sales have increased by 10% to £5bn, and Co-op says this is driven by a strong food sales performance along with the...

Defra to ‘fall short’ of Brexit promises

Sep 13, 2018

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is reported to have made good progress in its preparations for exiting the EU, but still faces an enormous challenge. The newly published National Audit Office (NAO) has assessed how Defra is implementing...

Waitrose profits dip as part of John Lewis Partnership

Sep 13, 2018

The John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, has announced a 98.8% dip in half-year profits to £1.2m for the six months to 28th July. The partnership has said the pressure on gross margin has predominantly been from its commitment to maintain price...

Morrisons sees accelerated performance

Sep 13, 2018

Results for the half year to 5th August show Morrisons sales soaring, with like-for-like sales up by 4.9% and total revenue up by £8.8bn including a contribution of 0.3% from net new space. Debt is down from a peak of £2.8bn to £929m and cumulative free cash flow is...

Last chance to enter the FMT Food Industry Awards

Sep 13, 2018

Now is the final chance to enter products into the FMT Food Industry Awards, with the closing date of this weekend fast approaching. Companies can nominate products free of charge online in the following nine categories: • Most Innovative Packaging Development • Best...

UK’s food import figures ‘staggering’

Sep 12, 2018

The UK’s total import figures of food and drink from around the world during the first half of 2018 have been described as ‘staggering’ by researchers. Import data for the first six months of 2018 was collected from HM Revenue & Customs, with the study conducted...