The President of the IFA, Eddie Downey has slammed the Irish food chain as ‘broken’, saying that below-cost selling by retailers and input cartels are affecting the viability of otherwise productive farm businesses. His comments came ahead of a protest by EU farmers in Brussels, which took place on September 7, calling for greater protection for farmers and an EU-wide ban on below-cost selling.
Cashel County Council has heard from local businesspeople and conservationists that the town will ‘lose its soul’ if Aldi takes a space on the Cahir Road. The plan has received 22 observations and submissions from the public, with businessman Tommy Grogan commenting that he wasn’t against competition but the store would “decimate the town centre.
Market research conducted by Kantar Worldpanel for Bord Bia has revealed that while most fresh produce sales are of the non-prepared format, the retail value of the Irish prepared fruit and vegetable sector has increased by 10% year on year to €90 million. Mike Neary of Bord Bia’s Horticulture Department cites the trend of consumers seeking products in more prepared and convenient formats as a key factor contributing to the sector’s growth.
Marks & Spencer has launched the Spark Something Good initiative, aimed at inspiring both its employees and customers to donate time to their local community. Spark Something Good Dublin alone is set to see the completion of 24 projects over seven days across the city, including transforming the playground of Scoil Eoin in Killbarrack with a mural, hosting a skills workshop with charity Dress for Success, renovating the performance hall of the Artane Boys' Band and painting and decorating a new centre for Pieta House.
Dublin-based marketing business Brandtone has signed an agreement with FMCG giant Unilever that will see its consumer engagement platform used across Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. The two parties have already worked together in South East Asia, with Brandtone working on the successful promotional campaigns for Sunlight and Magnum in Indonesia.
Yoghurt producer Glenisk is running a competition that will see one lucky winner take home €2,500, while another €2,500 is donated to their charity of choice? Participants are asked to comment on the company’s Facebook page with what charity they would give the donation to. The winner will be announced on the 18th of September.
The owner of meat-free food brand Quorn is set to kick off a £500 million auction of the business, reports Sky News. According to the British news group, advisers to Exponent Private Equity will soon issue detailed information about Quorn to prospective buyers.
North Coast Smokehouse has developed a cold smoked seaweed to be used as a condiment to add flavours to salads and other foods. Based at Ballycastle in Antrim, the seafood producer has created the condiment from Dulse (Palmaria Palmata), a type of seaweed that its dries, shreds and then smokes over beech woods chips. The flakes are available in 20g shakers.
As the Rugby World Cup looms, Guinness has launched a new ad campaign celebrating stories of character and integrity in the game. Gareth Thomas: Never Alone will tell the story of how former the Wales captain feared rejection because of his sexuality, while Ashwin Willemse: The Right Path will tell the story of the South Africa player’s choice in going from being a member of a Cape Town gang to a rugby star.
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