Mr Kipling

Premier Foods, which also makes Bisto gravy, Oxo cubes and Angel Delight, has been trialling its Mr Kipling brand, known for its “exceedingly good” strapline, in Canada and now plans to expand into the United States in the fourth quarter as it develops an international push overseas (The Times £).

Premier Foods announced the move as it recorded a slide in sales and profits in its main markets over the last six months, with shoppers returning to dining out and overseas deliveries hit by shipping problems (The Guardian).

Bisto and Oxo maker Premier Foods has seen sales start falling back following the loosening of lockdown curbs, though they remain above pre-pandemic levels (The Mail).

Shares in alcoholic drinks giant Diageo rose to a fresh record high this morning after the group said it expected double-digit sales growth and eyed a larger share of the market (The Mail).

Ahead of an investor day, the Johnnie Walker Scotch and Tanqueray gin maker unveiled a target of lifting its share of the total alcoholic drinks market by 50 per cent over the next decade (The Times £).

Sainsbury’s has teamed up with Amazon to test a “just walk out” store, where it is possible to buy groceries without having to scan items or visit a till (The Guardian).

The company behind the Yo! Sushi chain could be sold rather than floated after interest from potential buyers (The Times £).

Brussels is seeking to ban imports of foods including beef and coffee from areas at risk of deforestation, in a landmark regulation designed to protect the world’s most vulnerable forests (The Financial Times £).

Imperial Brands has recorded a surge in earnings following the sale of its premium cigar businesses for £1.1bn last year (The Mail).

Changes to breathe new life into Imperial Brands are beginning to work, the tobacco manufacturer’s chief executive said as it prepares for another year of investment and cost savings (The Times £).

The author of a self-published children’s book about a dragon that causes havoc with its fiery sneezes is suing John Lewis over its 2019 Christmas ad about a trouble-making dragon, Excitable Edgar (The Guardian).

Israeli start-up Redefine Meat has launched a 3D printed plant-based meat, making whole “cuts” of the vegan product available for the first time in restaurants in Europe and Israel (The Financial Times £).

Marks & Spencer is launching a service to allow customers to rent its womenswear collections for a fifth of their price as the retailer tries to tap into the fast-growing market (The Times £).

The number of people employed in the UK rose in the month after the closure of the government’s furlough scheme, according to official data that will reinforce the case for the Bank of England to raise interest rates as early as next month to rein in inflation (The Financial Times £).

Major US retailers Walmart and Home Depot said sales growth accelerated heading into the Christmas holiday season, in a sign that consumers are willing to open their wallets in the face of mounting inflationary pressure (The Financial Times £).

The Lex column in The Financial Times (£) examines the effects of inflation on Walmart. “Drastic measures taken to ensure its shelves are stocked for the holiday season have come at a cost.”