All articles by Robyn Lewis
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News
Bell's turns up premium value of blended Scotch
Diageo is relaunching its premium Bell’s whisky, Bell’s Special Reserve, in a bid to encourage drinkers of blended Scotch to trade up. The blended Scotch category is perceived as cheaper and more old-fashioned than the booming malt whisky...
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News
Stella and Baileys: subdued approach to festive price party
Discounting may have been the buzz word this credit-crunch Christmas, but traditional footfall drivers Stella Artois and Baileys held their prices over the 2008 party season. Although on promotion, the cost of these, and the other two key...
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News
Anyone for a packet of Walkers Cajun Squirrel?
Cajun Squirrel, Chilli & Chocolate, Crispy Duck & Hoi Sin and Onion Bhaji are some of the more unusual crisp flavours to be shortlisted in the Walkers Do Us A Flavour competition, which was announced this week.Six flavours in total have been...
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News
Velvet invests £5m in promoting green Three Trees scheme
Swedish toilet roll producer SCA is ploughing £5m into its Velvet brand in the first quarter of this year to try and close the gap on market leader Andrex.The company is pushing its environmental credentials in an attempt to give it a point...
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News
Wrigley's gives mints some Extra youth cool
Wrigley is attempting to get rid of mints’ “old fogey” reputation and inject a bit of youthful pizazz with a launch under its youth-oriented Extra brand. The confectionery company is ditching its current boxed Extra Mint offer and introducing a more...
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NewsTop Products Survey 2008: Roller coaster ride
With food price inflation, recession, and the rise of the discounters, it's been a helter skelter year. As we reveal this year's risers and fallers, Robyn Lewis reports on the battle raging between branded and own label
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News
An extra £104m of sales crowns Warburtons year
In a tumultous year for the bread industry in particular, and brands in general, sales of Warburtons loaves soared to £577m in value - the biggest rise of the 1,000+ products covered in The Grocer's Top Products Survey 2008. The Bolton-based...
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News
Entrepreneur plans to do a LoveFilm on delivered snacking
The entrepreneur behind DVD rental business LoveFilm is launching an online food delivery service next month that could revolutionise office workers' eating habits.
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News
United Biscuits tries to revive fortunes of Phileas Fogg snacks
United Biscuits has launched an audacious bid to restore its neglected Phileas Fogg exotic snack brand to its former glory.Yesterday, the company unveiled a new look and a raft of new variants for the brand, which though never officially...
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News
Oz Buddha beer gets lucky in Asda contest
A beer in a novel Buddha-shaped bottle has emerged victorious in this year's Asda Beer Competition.Lucky Beer, which is brewed in Australia, will now be listed in Asda stores nationwide, the first time it has ever been available in a UK...
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News
Budget squash brand moves into fruit juice
Budget squash brand Jucee is to launch into pure juices in a bid to meet demand from cash-strapped consumers, said brand owner Princes.The new four-strong ambient Jucee Pure Juice range consists of orange, apple, pineapple and grapefruit...
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News
KitKat gets 'costliest campaign' in history of confectionery ads
Nestlé has earmarked £16m in marketing spend for KitKat next year - the most expensive confectionery campaign in history, it claims.
About £6m of the year’s budget will support KitKat’s new Perfect Break competition, which kicks off in… -
Profiles
A new blood line
Scottish & Newcastle boss Jeremy Blood talks to Robyn Lewis about life after the Heineken and Carlsberg takeover
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News
Murphy's comes back in house - ready for battle
The newly merged Scottish & Newcastle/Heineken business has unveiled audacious plans to turn its Murphy's Irish Stout brand into a serious contender to Diageo-owned Guinness's crown.Prior to the merger, the stout was being brewed under...
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News
Debbie & Andrew's ventures beyond bangers into soups
Debbie & Andrew's is hoping to persuade sausage lovers to give soup a try as it looks to stretch the brand into new categories
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News
Dunsmore tasked with the revival of Magners
The UK cider industry has welcomed the appointment of John Dunsmore to the top job at C&C, the Irish-based owner of troubled cider brand Magners.
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News
Outspan and Aimia combine to produce Outspan Pure Juices
South African fruit company Outspan has teamed up with UK-based Aimia Foods for its first foray into the drinks category.The two-strong pure juice range will come in apple and orange variants and contain no artificial colours, preservatives,...
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News
PJ Smoothies ditched as PepsiCo rationalises
PepsiCo is to ditch its PJ Smoothies brand early next year, The Grocer can exclusively reveal. The move followed a strategic review of the UK business - part of a £1.3bn three-year overhaul that's expected to see some 3,300 jobs cut worldwide...
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News
Cooking sauces take the Reggae Reggae rhythm to families
Entrepreneur Levi Roots, who shot to fame following an appearance on BBC2’s Dragons’ Den show, is expanding his Reggae Reggae sauce empire with the launch of a range of cooking sauces. Roots and brand manufacturer AB World Foods are hoping that a...
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News
United Biscuits cuts sat fat but promises 'same great taste'
United Biscuits is planning a £1.5m campaign to highlight the 50% reduction in saturated fat in its McVitie's biscuits, which it announced this week.The TV, press and PR push will launch in the new year, focusing on the message that the...