Limited supermarket shelf space and own label competition are reasons why food firms are growing online sales, both directly and through third-party sites, says food and grocery analyst IGD.
The Findus Group says it may well pursue “selective bolt-on acquisitions”, after it emerged that chilled and frozen foods giant’s owner is trying to renegotiate its banking covenants.
Amazon.co.uk’s grocery launch last July ruffled feathers amongst some suppliers, who complained at the time about low volume sales, the fulfillment model, consumer confusion and limited marketing. So what’s the consensus nine months on?
Food sector M&A experts believe it is more likely that a trade buyer – rather than a private equity player – could bid for convenience food firm Uniq, after its board announced a "number of indications of interest from third parties" in...
Nilojan Food has been fined £55,000 after health inspectors found putrefying fillings at its Luton premises. But the former md has told FoodManufacture.co.uk that he wished the local council had been "a little bit more understanding".
A supply chain expert says he fears that poor attendance by UK food producers at a major Paris trade show for own-label foods shows that firms are sitting back and letting European suppliers grow their market share.
Despite Food Standards Agency (FSA) screening of food imports from Japan, UK sushi producers speaking to FoodManufacture.co.uk off the record say there has been no consumer backlash against ‘nuclear' sushi.
City analysts have hailed Cranswick as a “class act”, but say tough economic times have led them to shave the firm's 2011/12 pre-tax profit estimates by six per-cent to £47m.
Safety expert Arco is now extending into safety management services with the acquisition of ARC Associates UK – one of the UK’s most experienced safety, health and environmental consultancy and training organisations.
Environment minister for Wales, Jane Davidson opened consultation on the ‘Food Manufacture, Service and Retail Sector plan’ for waste last month. She did so during a visit to Wales’s first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plant at Premier Foods’s...
Geneva has a rich history. The earliest stages of St Peter's Cathedral there date back to 1160. A famous hotbed for Protestant revolutionary zeal in the 16th18th Century and home to church reformer Calvin, the European headquarters of the UN is also...
January marked the end of the two-year transition period for flavouring regulation EC 1334/2008, which means firms are expected to have completed any changes necessary to comply with the new law.
Solbar plans to launch naturally fortified soy powders this summer, made using soy protein isolates combined with other ingredients for inclusion in meat analogue products.
As an industry we spend a great deal of time and money developing ‘healthy’ food solutions and menus for schools and support the ‘food’ education of children in school. However, once a child leaves the school gate there is very little support and, in...
Marks & Spencer (M&S) expects its suppliers to meet the high corporate social responsibility standards it is setting for itself as it continues on its journey to become a more sustainable business, according to its Plan A director, Richard Gillies.
Uniq’s pension fund has appointed financial advisor Spayne Lindsay to sell its 90.2% holding in the chilled foods firm, which it only acquired from on March 24, while ceo Geoff Eaton told FoodManufacture.co.uk he feels "unconstrained" after...
Somerset food manufacturer Framptons says that a planned new building will allow it to harness continued business growth, as it predicts a 2011 turnover of £30m up from £25m last year.
Union leaders have expressed concerns about Ranjit Boparan’s intentions after he completes his £342m takeover of Northern Foods and begins to identify cost savings that could mean office closures or job losses.
Premium desserts supplier Rhokett says it plans to double turnover in the next three to five years, following the opening of an 8,000 sq ft factory in November.
Uniq Desserts has confirmed that up to 85 management and production roles at its desserts site in Minsterley could go after the firm lost a £10m desserts contract in January.
Ranjit Boparan is one step closer to taking over Northern Foods after announcing yesterday that he now controls over 70% of the convenience food group’s shares, although one analyst said the industrial logic of a tie-up with Greencore would have been...
Under-investment was the reason why Quorn failed to realise its full potential under Premier Foods, the meat-free firm's ceo Kevin Brennan has told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Staff at Headland Foods’ factory in Flint – scheduled for closure in April – could be thrown a lifeline following reports that a food manufacturing company is interested in buying the plant.
Greencore said this morning that it does not intend to make a revised offer for Northern Foods to rival Ranjit Boparan’s 73p/share offer, which means the Midlands businessman is one step closer to tying the knot with Northern shareholders by March 16th.
Premier Foods plans to close its distribution centre in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire as it rationalises its south coast operations, while the firm has also rebuffed rumours of a management change.
The battle between food titans Greencore and Ranjit Boparan to take over Northern Foods could still go right to the wire, despite the expiry today of a deadline set by the latter for Northern's shareholders to formally accept his bid.
Solid branded and own-label growth in 2010 consumer food sales saw Kerry Foods see off rising ingredient costs, cautious shoppers and a tough promotional climate.
Greencore is under pressure to table a viable counter-bid by March 2 to beat Ranjit Boparan in the struggle to takeover Northern Foods, but still has advantages on its side if it does do so, says one City analyst.
Industry concerns are growing about a possible amendment to the EU Food Information Regulation (FIR) that will require all foods frozen, then defrosted before sale, to be labelled ‘defrosted’.
Chicken tycoon Ranjit Boparan is pumping £30m into new coated products factory for 2 Sisters in Thetford in a bid to increase its presence in the prepared food sector.
With Greencore’s proposed engagement to Northern Foods now looking decidedly rocky, it might make sense for bosses to turn their attention to Premier Foods’ own-label bakery and prepared foods businesses, Avana Bakeries and RF Brookes, according to City...
A deal that will see Uniq tackle its gaping pension fund deficit by handing over more than 90% of its shares to its pension scheme has finally been cleared after months of negotiations.
While Greencore could find it hard to trump Ranjit Boparan’s 73p-a-share offer for Northern Foods on its own, it could always team up with another buyer to seal the deal, according to City analysts.
Implementing lean practices established at Greencore across Northern Foods sites could generate additional cost savings that have “not yet been fully quantified” were the two to merge, Greencore has argued.
All eyes are now on Greencore as investors and City analysts alike wait to see if the Irish firm can offer anything more compelling than Ranjit Boparan’s 73p a share cash offer for Northern Foods.
The fact that Uniq has finally pencilled in a firm date by which it aims to resolve its pension problems has tempered disappointment over contract losses at its Minsterley desserts factory.
If he does succeed in breaking up Northern Foods’ arranged marriage with Greencore, Ranjit Boparan will need to prove he can build better relationships with supermarkets than the current management to re-build the firm's reputation, according to...
Novel high pressure processing (HPP) technology has enabled Milton Keynes-based start-up Deli 24 to increase the shelf-life of its chilled dairy and meat snacks from two weeks to 50 days, bosses have revealed.
Chilled convenience firm Uniq said Christmas trading was “close to expectations” in the fourth quarter with a weaker performance in desserts (down 1.7%) offset by a strong performance in food-to-go (up 8.3%).
General Mills is seeking a partner to help it develop "transformational fruit for yogurt products" that is visibly and texturally superior to the fruit on offer in existing products, without compromising its clean-label credentials.
Contracts are being finalised on an exciting new project exploring how super-chilling foods could help manufacturers reduce costs and increase product shelf-life.
The entrepreneur contemplating breaking up the arranged marriage between Northern Foods and Greencore has been told to put up or shut up by January 21.