| Title |
Type |
Date |
Words |
| The school of ice-cool ideas: last month, Unilever opened its new Ice Foods Centre of Excellence, heralding a new era in ice cream. Stefan Chomka had a look around. |
|
Aug 9, 2008 |
1241 |
| Crunch time for the scruffs: the male grooming category is worth only a fraction of the women's, but the time may be ripe for growth if retailers smarten up their acts. |
|
Aug 9, 2008 |
1871 |
| Offering motorists more than just a cold Cornish pasty: not willing to risk losing the motorists of Nailsea to a nearby Tesco forecourt, Tout ploughed 2m [pounds sterling] into an ultra-modern rebuild and stocked up on what shoppers really want. |
|
Aug 2, 2008 |
745 |
| Brooke Bond returns to the British market. |
Brief article |
Aug 2, 2008 |
218 |
| Jordans overhauls its 'cluttered' brand range. |
Brief article |
Jul 26, 2008 |
323 |
| Lee Kum Kee's retail range targets mainstream grocery. |
Brief article |
Jul 26, 2008 |
232 |
| Mars aims ethnic meal kit at the gastrosexual. |
Brief article |
Jul 19, 2008 |
334 |
| Nestle prepares raft of Christmas products. |
Brief article |
Jul 19, 2008 |
319 |
| Health drive takes the 'baked' out of beans. |
Brief article |
Jul 12, 2008 |
319 |
| Unilever develops cool new ice cream formats. |
|
Jul 12, 2008 |
347 |
| Cottage cheese gets smooth brand clout. |
Brief article |
Jul 12, 2008 |
298 |
| Omega-3 removed as Vitality is relaunched. |
Brief article |
Jul 5, 2008 |
307 |
| Innocent set for green and brown smoothies. |
Brief article |
Jul 5, 2008 |
269 |
| Organic sarnie supplier aims to appeal to kids. |
Brief article |
Jul 5, 2008 |
315 |
| Wholesaler profile Suma: the company that works like ripples in a pond: a business in which everyone has an equal stake, has multiple roles and is paid the some? Co-operative wholesaler Suma shouldn't work--but it does. Stefan Chomka finds out why. |
|
Jun 14, 2008 |
721 |
| EU is set to bend the rules. |
|
Jun 7, 2008 |
542 |
| Waitrose St Neots. |
Company overview |
Jun 7, 2008 |
654 |
| Red Bull: the energy to challenge Coke? Red Bull is going up against Coke and Pepsi. Why, when others have failed in the past? |
|
May 17, 2008 |
631 |
| Villagers take matters into their own hands: store visit Sulgrave Village Shop: shopping can be difficult if you live a rural community, especially when your local store closes down. Stefan Chomka pays a visit to Sulgrave, where the villagers are doing it for themselves. |
|
May 17, 2008 |
762 |
| This lapsing into nostalgic revival is a sad indictment of the state of innovation in confectionery. |
Brief article |
May 10, 2008 |
168 |
| We look at 10 brands that were launched by big companies and backed with strong marketing campaigns. Nevertheless, they failed and were fairly swiftly delisted. Stefan Chomka asks ... what went wrong? |
|
May 10, 2008 |
2152 |
| Drinks business taking the fast track to growth: wholesaler profile HT & Co: HT & Co operates from a single depot on a north London industrial estate. Yet it sits alongside Aston Martin and Caffe Nero as one of Britain's 100 fastest-growing companies. |
Company overview |
May 10, 2008 |
680 |
| Green is the new lean: much has been made of hi-tech green technology such as wind turbines and solar panels, but optimising existing technology can often reap greater energy and cash savings. |
|
May 10, 2008 |
1944 |
| PG Tips its hat to ethical tea: PG Tips was the UK's first major food and drink brand to take an ethical stance. Stefan Chomka reports from its vast Kenya plantation. |
Company overview |
May 3, 2008 |
1387 |
| Company profile: The Cake Bake Company: building a car from cake is no laughing matter: when Sharon Goodyer, founder of The Cake Bake Company, was asked to build a car from cake for a TV ad, she thought it was a joke. One Skoda Fabia and some priceless PR later, she's glad she took the challenge seriously. |
Company overview |
May 3, 2008 |
914 |
| Why Delia is still the darling of grocery: she's been panned for her new cookbook, but Delia still shifts products from shelves. |
|
Apr 26, 2008 |
635 |
| Store visit: Holborn's: it's official: Holborn's is the best in Britain: Holborn's took home the crown of the UK's best independent store at last month's convenience retail awards. Stefan Chomka finds out what makes it so special. |
Occupation overview |
Apr 19, 2008 |
683 |
| Burton's goes for growth: Burton Foods' CEO Paul Kitchener tells Stefan Chomka how its purchase by Duke Street Capital has injected fresh life into the biscuit company's acquisition strategy. |
Interview |
Apr 12, 2008 |
1537 |
| Wholesaler profile: Hancocks: finding the sweet spot: confectionary specialist Hancock re-entered The Grocer's Big 30 list this year and is thriving by offering a more tailored offered to the independents. Stefan Chomka reports on how the 'one-trick pony' approach is working. |
Company overview |
Apr 12, 2008 |
788 |
| Carman's: on a muesli mission at UK retailers. |
Company overview |
Apr 5, 2008 |
874 |
| When the oil runs dry: in September RH Amar ends its partnership with Filippo Berio, almost halving the food distributor's turnover. CEO David Mellor tells Stefan Chomka why he's still upbeat. |
Interview |
Mar 29, 2008 |
1559 |
| Store visit: Philglas & Swiggot: the gamble in premium wine that paid off. |
|
Mar 15, 2008 |
747 |
| Shocking the nation into cutting sat fats: the FSA is considering an anti-smoking-style campaign to scare us all about fat. Will it work. |
|
Mar 8, 2008 |
579 |
| This week's hot topic: buyers are circling over the small, smart players. Get set for takeover action. |
Brief article |
Mar 1, 2008 |
179 |
| The brand's a bit special: which rising stars on the fmcg pitch are likely to be snapped up by premier league teams this season? Stefan Chomka draws up his dream team of the hottest players. |
|
Mar 1, 2008 |
1485 |
| Company profile Fever-Tree: Fever-Tree MD takes his drinks very seriously. |
Company overview |
Mar 1, 2008 |
920 |
| Sip launches lollies to make the skin lovely. |
Brief article |
Mar 1, 2008 |
306 |
| Can the new ombudsman bring discipline to supermarkets? The Competition Commissions wants an ombudsman to police supermarket relations with suppliers. Will it work and if so, how? Plus: opposite we look at the potential winners and losers of the inquiry. |
|
Feb 23, 2008 |
1190 |
| Fairtrade faces testing time: the Fairtrade market continues to grow, but falling prices and emerging 'rival' ethical marks mean it will have to work harder to maintain momentum. |
|
Feb 23, 2008 |
1010 |
| PepsiCo tries smooth move with Tropicana: PepsiCo plans to go head to head with Innocent with its new Tropicana Smoothies range. |
|
Feb 16, 2008 |
593 |
| Store visit: The English Grocer: how to make a difference in top-end grocery. |
|
Feb 16, 2008 |
741 |
| EU proposal stirs up food labelling fight: does the EC's draft food labelling legislation, which backs GDAs, spell trouble for the industry. |
|
Feb 9, 2008 |
540 |
| Frankenfood or brave new world? Food and drink companies experimenting with nanotechnology are creating the products of the future. But concerns remain over the safety of the science. Stefan Chomka finds out why. |
|
Feb 9, 2008 |
1921 |
| Company profile: Bulldog: pup is nipping at the heels of grooming giants. |
Company overview |
Feb 9, 2008 |
962 |
| Cheese is 'the next big Fairtrade opportunity'. |
|
Jan 26, 2008 |
339 |
| Sales salary survey 2008: are you earning as much as you should? And what perks can you now expect? |
Survey |
Jan 19, 2008 |
2633 |
| Innovation is the key to success, says founder: Strawtech is the only start-up company with rights to the innovative Sipahh global brand of drinking straws, but it knows it has to keep on top of product innovation to beat its bigger rivals. |
|
Jan 12, 2008 |
960 |
| Welfare survey is flawed says Asda. |
|
Dec 8, 2007 |
469 |
| Asdu: CIWF's mode a pig's eur of this study: Asda says it's been unfairly treated by an animal welfare survey to which it did not respond. |
Survey |
Dec 8, 2007 |
568 |
| PG Tips claims title of biggest ethical brand. |
|
Dec 8, 2007 |
339 |
| THE ORGANIC DILEMMA: consumers are clamouring for more organic foods now it is healthier but if short-term demand spikes too sharply, will supply buckle under the pressure, asks Stefan Chomka. |
|
Nov 10, 2007 |
540 |
| Blinded by ambition: retailers are working overtime to come up with the right answer to reducing, reusing or recycling food packaging waste. But suppliers are struggling to comply with the plethora of demands, says Stefan Chomka. |
|
Nov 10, 2007 |
1273 |
| Less reliance on meat sends exports towards record high. |
|
Nov 3, 2007 |
363 |
| Why green tea could be really cool in the UK: Mangajo believes it can make big inroads into the cold health drinks sector in the UK with its blend of green tea with exotic fruits, but it also has sizeable export ambitions. |
Company overview |
Nov 3, 2007 |
925 |
| Thinking outside the box: in his first interview as the new MD of Green & Black's, Dominic Lowe tells Stefan Chomka how he's turning a niche player into a multinational brand. |
Interview |
Oct 27, 2007 |
1461 |
| How what might have been one of yesterday's brands has reinvented itself. |
Brief article |
Oct 20, 2007 |
186 |
| Young, fit and boxing clever: it's the smaller companies that are punching above their weight in the latest UK top 100 brands chart. Stefan Chomka finds out why. |
Company rankings |
Oct 20, 2007 |
5298 |
| The best food simply isn't available locally: Flaneur on London's Farringdon Road is a stylish top-end food hall that only stocks the best--but as Stefan Chomka discovers that doesn't always mean the most local. We also find out how individual retailers are defending themselves against theft, violence and verbal abuse in the light of the latest BRC crime figures. |
Survey |
Oct 20, 2007 |
642 |
| Are heritage brands a thing of the past? With Campbell's soup canned in the UK, are other heritage brands fated to fall by the wayside? |
|
Oct 6, 2007 |
570 |
| Trident revives gum sales: what a difference a year makes. Cadbury's entry into chewing gum with Trident has resurrected the market--and even restored Wrigley's fortunes. |
|
Oct 6, 2007 |
800 |
| Suppliers come under pressure: as retailers' green strategies come under increasing scrutiny, they are putting on suppliers to go greener. |
|
Sep 29, 2007 |
967 |
| The NPM is 'little better than a crude calorie count': a leading expert in nutrition has pilloried the FSA's Nutrient Profiling Model in a new report. And that's just the start, he tells Stefan Chomka. |
|
Sep 22, 2007 |
878 |
| Momentum building to get card game into every school. |
|
Sep 15, 2007 |
325 |
| Will farm visits help the concrete kids? Stefan Chomka examines the plans for the Year of Food and Farming--launched this week. Will they work? |
|
Sep 15, 2007 |
918 |
| The store that delivers the best of both worlds. |
|
Sep 15, 2007 |
732 |
| Handover heartache: finding a suitable successor for a family-run business can cause an enormous headache. Stefan Chomka explores why it's such a concern for the industry--and for the families involved. |
|
Sep 8, 2007 |
1162 |
| Escaping the trops of trade investment: in part two of our investigation into trade investment practice, Stefan Chomka looks at how suppliers can unlock the benefits. |
|
Sep 1, 2007 |
894 |
| The rainmaker: Duncan Goose, founder of the ethical bottled water brand One, talks to Stefan Chomka about his unique business model. |
Interview |
Aug 25, 2007 |
1525 |
| This week's hot topic. |
Brief article |
Aug 18, 2007 |
199 |
| A spirited recovery: G&J Greenall MD Tony Sharpe tells Stefan Chomka how the business is pressing ahead with ambitious plans after a devastating fire. |
Interview |
Aug 11, 2007 |
1005 |
| The end of the metrosexual: after a few years of the gentle touch, male consumers are distancing themselves from their feminine sides and buying traditional toiletries. |
|
Aug 11, 2007 |
1002 |
| So, can you spot the difference ...? Why brand owners say a new EU directive will do nothing to stop copycat branding. |
|
Aug 4, 2007 |
575 |
| Company profile: Dorset Cereals: a brand that is reinventing the cereal aisle. |
Company overview |
Jul 28, 2007 |
962 |
| Danone Waters backs ethical role for UK Volvic. |
|
Jul 28, 2007 |
346 |
| Mushy peas anyone? Flooding has led to a terrible start to the UK pea harvest. Stefan Chomka joined Birds Eye's agricultural manager, Colin Wright, at its plant in Hull and finds the industry is back on track. |
|
Jul 21, 2007 |
782 |
| Price is right despite the upmarket makeover: Waitrose's super-premium format will not hamper price competitiveness on grocery lines, says new MD Mark Price. |
Interview |
Jul 7, 2007 |
947 |
| PepsiCo signs Panesar for Asian-inspired line. |
|
Jul 7, 2007 |
318 |
| Another food label--should we just grin and bear it? The government is pushing for a new label to certify animal welfare standards. But do we need it? |
|
Jun 30, 2007 |
932 |
| Did yours dazzle? A year ago, The Grocer predicted Star Product success for 26 new launches. Stefan Chomka finds out how the newcomers have fared. |
|
Jun 30, 2007 |
2689 |
| Company profile: Plum Baby: hassle-free super-healthy baby meals. |
Company overview |
Jun 30, 2007 |
954 |
| Profile revisited: premium appeal shouts from freezers. |
Brief article |
Jun 30, 2007 |
321 |
| How important is a website to running a modern food business? |
Brief article |
Jun 30, 2007 |
343 |
| Walkers goes back to basics with retro image. |
|
Jun 30, 2007 |
355 |
| A new roll for SCA: after acquiring P&G's European tissue business, SCA is challenging Kimberly-Clark's UK dominance. Mats Berencreutz, head of its European arm, tells Stefan Chomka how. |
Interview |
Jun 16, 2007 |
798 |
| Trump that! A fund new way to teach kids about health food. |
Cover story |
Jun 2, 2007 |
2519 |
| Meet America's green man; Gary Hirshberg plans to inject a sense of humour to the UK organic market with a new brand. |
Interview |
May 26, 2007 |
1418 |
| Getting a foot in the mainstream cereal aisles: Rude Health promises consumers the ultimate in healthy breakfasts. Its six cereals are produced using a painstaking process to ensure they are not stripped of their nutrients or natural flavours. Now, after two years building a presence in more specialist areas of the cereal category, MD Nick Barnard wants to go mainstream and take on the big boys with six new lines. |
Company overview |
May 26, 2007 |
1009 |
| Stony targets UK with eco-friendly yoghurts. |
Brief article |
May 19, 2007 |
323 |
| Carbon label 'is not understood'. |
|
May 5, 2007 |
345 |
| The paper heavyweight: six months into his role as Kimberly-Clark's general manager UK and Ireland, Troy Warfield tells Stefan Chomka about his battle plan. |
Interview |
May 5, 2007 |
1427 |
| Burton's set to boost brands with organic. |
Brief article |
Apr 21, 2007 |
286 |
| Change to recipes will bring a fat lot of good: are the FSA's voluntary targets for fat and sugar reduction really necessary given all the reformulation that has taken place. |
|
Apr 14, 2007 |
992 |
| Crunch time for PepsiCo: the healthy relaunch of Walkers crisps reversed a worrying sales decline, and may restore other key brands, says vice president of marketing Jon Goldstone. |
|
Apr 14, 2007 |
751 |
| Tories back the grocer. |
|
Apr 7, 2007 |
501 |
| Mary had a little plan: PepsiCo's Mary Barnard tells Stefan Chomka how Quaker and PJs are going to take a healthier stand against their rivals. |
Interview |
Apr 7, 2007 |
1077 |
| Walk the world of flavours: with companies from 43 different countries turning out for this international event, IFE has created a village for suppliers who embrace global cuisine trends and cater for exotic tastes. |
|
Mar 3, 2007 |
2026 |
| Ones to watch: meet the forward thinkers. Making local sourcing and organic sexy and civilised with modern surroundings and specialist fare, Stefan Chomka talks to the greenest of greengrocers. |
Company overview |
Feb 24, 2007 |
944 |
| From bootiful game to complete turkey? The Bernard Matthews brand may take a hit in the short term but it should bounce back. |
|
Feb 10, 2007 |
598 |
| Good pack, bad pack: the food waste mountain can be reduced--but only if shoppers accept that more packaging can mean less waste. |
|
Jan 20, 2007 |
655 |
| First crisps, now snacks slash the saturated fat. |
Brief article |
Jan 20, 2007 |
341 |
