Coronation Holiday drives Co-op to move to 100% British strawberries

Retailer Co-op announced it is making the shift to 100% British strawberries in its stores in advance of the Coronation Bank Holiday and royal celebrations. Sales of more than 500,000 punnets of strawberries are expected during the lead-up to the events, and Co-op is preparing its 2,400 stores across the UK for the rush. The […]

Report: Dole planning to shift Ireland operations to new £44M facility

According to a report from Independent.ie, Dole is planning to develop a £44.3M logistics hub in eastern Ireland. The new facility could see the company’s operations in the country move from Dublin to the new campus in Balbriggan, which is already under development at the M1 Business Park in Courtlough. The publication notes that the […]

‘Growing to Love’ campaign hopes to boost produce consumption among children

The driver of increased produce consumption among school-age children, Veg Power, has launched a campaign called “Growing to Love” that wil aim to get more kids on board with eating fresh vegetables. Using tomatoes as linchpin to encourage more healthy eating habits, children from across the UK will learn how to grow their own tomato […]

Led by Montreal, Canada’s dynamic produce trade is making a comeback

Montreal, the largest city in Canada’s Québec province, is a dynamic place where cultures, ideas and fashions intermingle, and the food culture is strong. Although the city retains many French Canadian roots, the opening of a new supermarket in 2022 demonstrates it also has a diverse culture. Last year, the first Quebec T&T Supermarket opened […]

When it comes to produce departments, knowledge is power

Our world is in a continuous state of change. Demographics are changing across the globe, as immigrants move to new locations and influence their new homes in many ways. One of the major changes is the influx of new and different cuisines being introduced in all areas of the world. To meet these changes in […]

Could Africa’s ‘forgotten crops’ be key to a healthier, sustainable future?

What do wild custard apples, bush plums, Malabar spinach, spider plants and bottle gourd have in common? They are all among a group of African fruits and vegetables highlighted as forgotten food crops by a group of researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the World Vegetable Center, World Agroforestry and other institutions. They say oft-dismissed […]

Loyalty card discounts prove ‘win-win’ for shoppers, supermarket chains

What drives supermarket shoppers to buy certain products over others? In a tight economy, price often wins out over brand and even high quality. But one other factor appears to be driving sentiment and purchasing in 2023: loyalty card discounts. According to new data revealed by NielsenIQ (now NIQ), more than 50% of UK retail […]

UK growers forced to chop down apple trees because of lack of profits

apples trees

After years of struggling with an increasingly challenging market, unpredictable climate, inflation, and lack of labour, some apple growers in England are seeing no profit and cutting down apple orchards.  This is the case for the southeast county of Kent “Garden of England,” where a family-owned apple farm that has been producing since 1882 will […]