Waitrose has pulled all Warburtons products from its shelves in a row that denies millions of its shoppers access to the nation’s most popular crumpet. (The Telegraph £)

McDonald’s is planning to accelerate the pace of new restaurant openings while embarking on a cost-cutting programme expected to lead to job losses under a strategy announced on Friday (The Financial Times £). The head of McDonald’s has warned staff to expect job cuts in a huge reorganisation that will also see it speed up plans for new restaurants (The BBC).

Marks & Spencer has had a stellar Christmas after customers splashed out on its festive food ranges, according to closely guarded industry data. (The Daily Mail)

Luke Johnson’s Curious Brewery will double in size after acquiring the brands of Wild Beer Co, the Somerset brewer that went bust last month. (The Times £)

Tesco shop staff say they missed out on a cash or voucher bonus this Christmas for the second year in a row – with some receiving just a box of Quality Street. (The Guardian)

Sharon White, chair of John Lewis Partnership, has complained about the shop group’s lagging performance amid fears that staff may lose out on a bonus this year. (The Daily Mail)

Savvy shoppers strap in for another year of rollercoaster prices – there are signs, though, that we could soon be through the worst of it. The prices of prime commodities such as oil, wheat, corn and soybeans have all fallen from their peak, and a mild, windy winter thus far means energy bills are on course to fall below the government’s energy price guarantee in July. (The Times £)

Rising prices for so many things at once have food producers at all stages of the supply chain scrambling to cut other costs and calculate how much of the increases they can pass on without losing market share. Large branded food groups such as Nestlé, Unilever and Mars have much bigger margins than commoditised processors and retailers. Their brand strength makes it easier for them to push through price increases while their superior profitability allows them a little more leeway to absorb rising costs. (The Financial Times £)

Britain’s top 100 restaurant groups finally turned a profit last year, following four years of losses marred by the pandemic. (The Daily Mail)

Beer vouchers and half-price tickets help firms beat the blues. January is the come-down after Christmas for many firms, but The Times looks at how they are persuading consumers to keep splashing out. (The Times £)

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