A privately owned wines and spirits merchant has been sold to Tesco’s wholesale division for an undisclosed sum. Venus, the family business that owns the Gerry’s spirits shop in Soho, central London, has been bought by Booker as Tesco seeks to sell more premium beer, wines and spirits. (The Times £). The Grocer also reported on this yesterday. 

Fever-Tree shares rose on Thursday after the group raised hopes it was back on track ahead of its key summer trading season. (The Daily Mail)

Increased conflict and extreme weather events caused by climate change are intensifying food crises, with more than one in four children facing severe hunger, according to a Unicef report. (The Financial Times £)

Businesses intend to lift both wages and prices by a lesser degree over the coming year, bolstering the case for interest rates to come down over the summer. (The Times £)

The man who warned us about UPFs: Michael Pollan on his 25-year fight with the food industry. His Oscar-nominated 2008 documentary Food, Inc exposed the horrors of industrial agriculture in the US. Now, a sequel shows that the corporate behemoths have no intention of loosening their grip. (The Guardian)

French billionaire Bernard Arnault has appointed his son Frédéric as head of one of the family holding companies controlling LVMH, the latest in a series of promotions for the 29-year-old scion within the world’s largest luxury group. (The Financial Times £)

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