Sales of plastic bags by the seven biggest retailers in England have fallen by 90% since the 5p charge was introduced in 2015, new figures from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have shown. Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative Group, Tesco and Waitrose sold 490 million fewer single-use plastic bags in 2018/19 (549 million) – a drop of almost half on the previous year.
According to a survey of over 200 Musgrave MarketPlace customers, Ireland’s favourite chicken wing flavour is hot and spicy (44%) followed by barbecue (25%) and buffalo (19%). When it comes to accompaniments, 60% of Musgrave MarketPlace customers serve their wings with garlic mayo. Other popular flavours which feature on menus across Ireland include blue cheese (44.04%) and ranch (11.93%). There is no sign of the demand for the delicious dish waning as 40% of respondents say that chicken wings are among the top five most popular dishes served in their establishment, with a further 15% stating it is the most popular item on their menu.
Oisin Kelly, the Head Bartender at The Westbury Hotel in Dublin, was crowned All Ireland Champion at The Shed Distillery Drunshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Curious Cocktail final this week. The competition, which was hosted by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits, saw 45 barmen and women battle it out to create a one-of-a-kind cocktail. Kelly claimed victory at the final at House Dublin with his Irish Negroni, a contemporary take on the classic Florentine cocktail to mark its 100th anniversary.
Smurfit Kappa has created an innovative eCommerce packaging solution which has led to impressive growth in sales for a fresh flower provider. Jardines de Los Andes, a leading Colombian flower grower that developed a brand called ‘Enjoy Flowers’ to target customers through the eCommerce channel, approached SKG to create a sustainable pack for online customers that would withstand a complex eCommerce supply channel from Colombia to the US, while preserving the quality and freshness of the flowers. The new packaging made an immediate impact with sales growth of a wedding bouquet line that was introduced a year ago surging by 300%.
BP has posted a drop in half-year profits, but delivered better-than-expected second-quarter earnings after higher production offset lower oil prices. Shares in the FTSE 100 oil giant rose 3% after it revealed replacement cost profits – the market’s preferred measure – held largely firm at $1.78bn in the three months to June 30 against $1.79bn a year earlier. On an underlying basis, second-quarter profits remained at $2.8bn. This was better than the $2.46bn expected in financial markets.
The Irish Farmers' Association’s National Council and Livestock Committee members held a protest at the EU Food & Veterinary Offices, in Grange, Co. Meath on Wednesday 31st July. Speaking at the protest, IFA President Joe Healy said, “The crisis in the beef sector is an EU-wide problem driven by Brexit uncertainty and falling consumption. This is compounded by substandard imports coming into the EU. The situation is now intolerable for farmers and solutions must come from Brussels and the Irish Government.” Joe Healy said the first move by the EU must be to stop substandard imports, which are undermining the EU beef market.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
