All articles by Catherine Dawes
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NewsFocus On Sial: Sial of approval
More than 120 UK exhibitors are preparing to make the trip to the Sial trade show in Paris to find out how to boost their exporting firepower. Catherine Dawes reports
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NewsVodka sales down amid interest in rum and gin
The British love of vodka looks more shaken than stirred in new data that shows the tipple has dramatically fallen out of favour with drinkers. Volume sales have slumped 5% [Kantar Worldpanel 52w/e 13 June], pulled down by a struggling...
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NewsStrange fruit
Bompas & Parr have brought the world pulsating puddings, vaporised vitamins and more foodie weirdness. Catherine Dawes finds out what’s next on the menu for the creative duo
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Dried fruits prices are hit by harvest struggle
Global events, including poor harvests and the weak pound, have pushed the commodity price of a number of dried fruits up by as much as 64% and prices could rise further. The hikes come as suppliers and retailers are firming up their...
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Ready meals back as scratch cooks get lazy
Sales of chilled ready meals have bounced back to pre-recession levels hitting £1.04bn over the past year [KantarWorldpanel 52w/e 18 April 2010].Sales passed the £1bn mark in early 2008 but fell in the recession to a nadir of £967.8m in...
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Aggie gets behind cleaning range using power of probiotics
They are better known for their associations with yoghurt, but probiotic bacteria are now being used in a new range of household cleaning products.The Aggie's Probiotic range fronted by How Clean Is Your House? presenter Aggie MacKenzie...
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AB InBev merger fuels good times for brands
The merger of Anheuser-Busch and InBev has helped deliver two of the biggest successes in the alcohol category, with Budweiser and Stella Artois 4% reporting massive sales growth over the past year, according to The Grocer's Britain's 100 Biggest...
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McCutcheon TV ads send Activia sales soaring 22%
It's a debate that divides men the length of the nation, but in yoghurt at least, brunette has triumphed over blonde.Martine McCutcheon's ads for Activia have been credited with driving 22.3% sales growth for the brand to £219.8m [IRI...
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The king of masstige
Herbie Dayal tells Catherine Dawes about the values and products that have enabled KMI Brands to flourish since the company was hived off from King of Shaves
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Putting the sparkle into Isklar
Despite the recession, the fastest-growing bottled water brand in the UK last year was a premium water from a glacial source. Catherine Dawes reports
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NewsTop of the pops: Coke smashes £1bn barrier
Coca-Cola has become the first brand to top £1bn in annual UK grocery sales. Sales of the total Coca-Cola brand jumped £47.6m in the past year taking its total to £1,011.1m.
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New green targets? Been there, done that say multiples
Retailers have cast doubt on the value of the second phase of the Courtauld commitment, which came into effect this week. The Wrap-backed Courtauld Commitment 2 (CC2) has set an industry target of reducing the carbon impact of food...
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Ben & Jerry’s, Tate & Lyle and Bulldog in Fairtrade switch
Suppliers of products as diverse as ice cream, sugar and shave gel are gearing up for next week's Fairtrade Fortnight with a slew of newly accredited products. Ben & Jerry's said this week that its entire 18-strong ice-cream range in...
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Quality Test: Fresh cream eclairs
There was a clear winner in this test, but there was little to differentiate the others.
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NewsFocus On Packaging: A sexy new look
A good packaging revamp can distinguish a brand from the me-toos, boost its environmental credentials and drive sales growth. But overcook it and the opposite is more likely to happen, warns Catherine Dawes
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Top winemaker accused of 'faking it'
A Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine producer has been accused of faking top vintages. The allegations, that Guy Arnaud was violating appellation rules by buying wine from outside the area and putting the Chateauneuf-du-Pape label on the bottles, was made by his daughter, who is currently involved in a dispute over the inheritance of his estate.
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NewsColony Collapse Disorder and thrifty shoppers hit honey sales
Honey sales are down 5.4%, by volume after six consecutive years of growth [TNS 52w/e 4 October 2009]. Own-label honey led the decline, with sales down 7.4% in volume [IRI 52w/e 31 October 2009].
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NewsThe lad delivers: Hovis is the Top Product of 2009
Hovis stormed into pole position in The Grocer's 2009 Top Products Survey chart, with the biggest growth in value of all the products across 76 key categories. Sales of Hovis loaves soared £56.9m, up 14.6% on last year to £445.8m ...
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NewsTop Products 2009: Survival of the fittest
With the recession weighing down on the industry, only the fittest can bear the strain. But deep discounts and trusted brands mean grocery is muscling on. By Catherine Dawes
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Demand for Polish food back on the up
Demand for Polish food in UK branches of Tesco has risen for the first time in nearly a year.