Asda’s billionaire owners are looking at expanding the chain into continental Europe in what would be the first international foray for the Yorkshire-based supermarket group. The Issa brothers are reported to be exploring whether their “Asda On the Move” convenience store chain could be opened across some of their 3,000-plus petrol forecourts on the Continent. (The Times £)

The private equity buyer of Wm Morrison has been told that the supermarkets chain must continue to be run as an independent business while regulators examine the £7bn takeover (The Times £). The UK’s competition watchdog is to examine the £7bn takeover of Morrisons by a US private equity firm that owns a string of petrol forecourts (The Guardian). The CMA wants to see if there are competition issues between Motor Fuel’s petrol stations and the 335 fuel outlets operated by Morrisons (Sky News)

Baker Greggs has mounted a £100 million legal claim against the Swiss insurance giant Zurich after a disagreement over a Covid-related payout. (The Times £)

Hilton Food Group has bought Fairfax Meadow, the UK’s biggest catering butcher, for nearly £24m. (The Times £)

Britain’s largest retail chain Tesco is poised to capitalise on its dominant position this Christmas after two smaller rivals were taken private, according to City forecasts. (The Daily Mail)

The huge popularity of bananas makes them a weapon in UK supermarket price wars, but the tactic is hurting farmers amid soaring production costs, growers have said. (The Guardian)

The cost of food commodities that make up a typical breakfast has soared to its highest point in a decade under the strain of bad weather and supply-chain crunches, providing another in a long list of upward pressures on global inflation. (The Financial Times £)

Shop early or risk missing out this Christmas, retailers warn. Supply chain problems push firms to put festive goods on the shelves early this year. (The Telegraph)

Fruit and vegetable growers have warned supermarkets that next year’s crops will not be grown unless they drop their opposition to price increases, amid rising tensions over who foots the bill for soaring inflation. (The Times £)

Marks & Spencer is considering a bid to rescue Gieves & Hawkes, the 250-year-old Savile Row brand. (The Times £)

Motorway services giant Roadchef could be about to change hands for up to £1bn after French infrastructure and private equity firm Antin appointed advisers from Australian investment bank Macquarie to find a buyer for the business. (The Daily Mail)

Why activists say Just Eat Takeaway must slim down after takeover spree - as lockdowns fuelled a boom in orders, CEO Jitse Groen sought to expand his empire by swallowing Grubhub, a takeaway delivery business in the US. Across the pond, those deliveries took longer to take off and the Dutchman hoped to get a slice of a potentially huge market. (The Times £)

The Hut Group’s Matthew Moulding should give back his £830m bonus, writes Oliver Shah in The Times. “If THG’s founder is serious about repairing the roof he should surrender the part of his 22 per cent stake that relates to the bonus, because he certainly hasn’t earned it.” (The Times £)

The manufacturer of Angel Delight and Mr Kipling cakes, Premier Foods, has said it wants to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain by 2030. (The Daily Mail)

It is a prospect that surely would have investors reaching for exactly the kind of the fizzy stuff that Naked Wines likes to sell — a prediction from an American shareholder in the online retailer that its stock has the potential to quadruple in value over the next few years. (The Times £)

Italy’s prosecco makers say UK Budget tax break will put fizz into exports. Italian winemaker Giorgio Polegato opened a bottle of his own prosecco this week to celebrate a big boost to his business from a tax break — one announced not in Rome but in London. (The Financial Times £)

Fish farmers grapple with sustainability challenge – aquaculture has a lower carbon footprint than most meats but still has an environmental cost. (The Financial Times £)

The operator of the National Lottery is preparing for a legal battle, lining up one of the country’s leading QCs to fight for its future. (The Times £)

As world leaders gather in Glasgow, and prepare to chow down at numerous COP26 buffets, food technologists urgently want them to grasp the role alternative proteins might play combatting climate change. (The BBC)

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