Sainsbury’s is considering launching a chain of restaurants as the war for the takeaway food market heats up. The restaurants would sit inside its supermarkets and customers would be able to order via delivery apps on their mobile phones. (The Telegraph)

The American activist investor that urged Just Eat to merge with a rival will be a big winner from the group’s mooted £9bn tie-up with Takeaway.com after it quietly raised its stake in the London-listed company (The Times £). Combining London-based Just Eat and Amsterdam-headquartered Takeaway.com marks a victory for hedge fund Cat Rock Capital, which is an investor in both companies and has been agitating for a deal (The Financial Times £). US hedge fund Cat Rock Capital looks set to land on its feet if a proposed £9bn merger between Just Eat and Dutch rival Takeaway.com can be ­delivered, thanks to its sizeable stakes in both food delivery app operators (The Telegraph).

Sky News reported that Just Eat and Takeaway.com have been in discussions about a deal for several weeks over a ‎a merger that would represent another important step towards the consolidation of the global food delivery market, which has shown spectacular growth in recent years (Sky News). In recent months Just Eat has come under pressure from rivals. These include Deliveroo, which in May secured Amazon as a backer in a $575m (£460m) funding round, and Uber Eats (The Times £).

Primark is seeking steep rent cuts from landlords to compete with the growing number of high street retailers using insolvency proceedings to renegotiate leases and cut costs (The Financial Times £). Primark is demanding that landlords cut its shop rents by 30 per cent after struggling high street chains used insolvency tools to slash theirs (The Times £). Primark is pushing for rent cuts in a bid to bring its costs in line with high street rivals that have used insolvency proceedings to slash payments to landlords (The Guardian).

Despite Fever-Tree’s recent share price rollercoaster ride, the overwhelming majority of the City remains bullish about Rolls and Warrillow’s plans for global supremacy. Many even think it is now undervalued and remains ripe for a takeover approach. (The Telegraph)

Agronomics, an AIM-listed firm targeting investments in so-called clean food companies, is poised to unveil a deal to buy a 7% stake in a San Francisco-based start-up called Simply Foods Inc, which trades as New Age Meats. (The Daily Mail)

British investors, including the founder of smoothie company Innocent Drinks, are ploughing money into start-ups which hope to serve up laboratory-grown sausages and burgers. (The Daily Mail)

The Confederation of British Industry has warned the government that neither the UK nor the EU is ready for a no-deal Brexit on 31 October (The BBC). The CBI has now tabled 200 recommendations for the UK, the EU, and business owners to help accelerate preparations for no-deal in its report What Comes Next? The Business Analysis Of No Deal Preparations (Sky News).

The struggling pram and baby clothing retailer Mothercare has confirmed it is exploring a sale of its UK business after failing to revive sales a year on from a brutal rescue plan (The Times £). Mothercare has revealed its battle to turn around its fortunes is proving tougher than expected as it confirmed plans for “evolving and optimising” the ownership of its UK business (Sky News).

Upmarket gelato and indulgent new vegan flavours are among this summer’s hottest ice-cream trends as consumers seek out more artisanal and healthier versions – but don’t worry; there’s still plenty of room in the freezer for childhood favourites like Fab lollies. (The Guardian)

Santander is poised to pip rivals Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group to a £3.7bn bundle of mortgages being sold by Tesco Bank. (The Times £)

Slowing growth had little impact on employers’ hiring plans in the second quarter of the year as the appetite for workers remained as strong ever, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. (The Times £)

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