The UK poultry industry expects to take up only about half of the 5,500 emergency visas announced by the government ahead of Christmas, after turkey farms cut production and recruited some workers locally (The Financial Times £).
Meat processors in Great Britain are having to export carcasses destined for domestic consumption to the EU for butchering because of the shortage of skilled workers in the industry (The Guardian).
The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) say producers are sending beef to the Republic of Ireland amid local shortages of butchers (BBC News).
Britain faces a shortage of vets that could threaten food safety ahead of new Brexit border controls, MPs have been told (The Telegraph).
Peter Pritchard, the chief executive of Pets at Home, is quitting the company next summer after 11 years with the firm (The Mail).
The impending departure of Peter Pritchard was announced alongside an upgraded estimate of profits, but the news overshadowed a forecast of £131m in pre-tax profit, compared with £87.5m last year, with investors fearing that his exit could mean weaker growth (The Times £).
The John Lewis Christmas ad stars a young alien – and a light-up jumper you cannot buy (The Telegraph). Retailer’s 2021 festive ad called ’Unexpected Guest’ is an homage to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and stars an alien called Skye.
For more than a decade John Lewis’s festive ad has become a big annual TV moment that kicks off the Christmas shopping season (The Guardian). This year it has launched a week earlier than usual after a rise in searches for Christmas products on the department store’s websites, as shoppers try to dodge supply problems in the run-up to the big day.
The petrol station business controlled by the Issa brothers, the new owners of Asda, has struck a deal to expand further into America (The Times £).
Aldi has revealed the location of 15 new stores it will open across the country by the end of the year (The Mail).
Anchor bottler Coca Cola HBC has seen trade recover strongly as the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions led hospitality venues to reopen across the world (The Mail).
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