The cost of some family favourite dinners has soared by as much as a quarter over the past year (The Times £). Classic staples such as pasta bake, spaghetti bolognese and fish fingers with chips and beans all increased in price, according to the consumer rights group Which?.
Unilever has scooped up frozen yoghurt brand Yasso, founded by two childhood friends who were inspired by the success of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (The Times £).
The Irish arm of supermarket Iceland has been ordered to remove imported frozen animal products from its stores (Sky News). The Food Safety Authority of Ireland served a notice to withdraw items brought into the country since 3 March this year.
Farmers and scientists say they are optimistic that a commercial crop of beans sown in Lincolnshire will mark the start of home-grown beans on toast (BBC News). Until now, it has been impossible for farmers to grow the haricot variety used for baked beans in the UK because they are incompatible with the climate.
Cosmetics brand Warpaint London shares soared on Thursday after the group said its annual results would be ‘significantly ahead’ of forecasts amid continued bumper sales growth (The Mail).
The market report in The Times (£) turns its attention to Big Tobacco. “The question of whether to continue investing in tobacco stocks remains a thorny issue for London’s investment community, but few quit yesterday amid talk that Big Tobacco could fire up huge buybacks in aid of floundering share prices.”
Whitbread is restricting the auction of 250 of its pub-restaurants to established pub operators, with Mitchells & Butlers being tipped as the frontrunner in the estimated £600m process (The Times £).
One of Britain’s leading pub companies has filled 500 vacancies over the past 12 months using a scheme that brings the over-50s back into the workplace (The Times £).
Pub and hotel chain Fuller, Smith & Turner has estimated it lost over £5m in sales from rail strikes during the last financial year (The Mail).
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