Matthews Cotswold Flour Launches Cotswold Pizza Flour in Waitrose

Matthews Cotswold Flour is thrilled to announce its special Cotswold Pizza Flour is now launched in Waitrose stores all over the country.

Cotswold Pizza Flour (RRP £2.00 in Waitrose) is an award-winning finely milled white pizza flour specially made for pizza dough. 

It's a light flour with a superior gluten quality that supports ideal water absorption. This creates an elastic dough perfect for stretching and creating the ultimate pizza bases.

To celebrate the arrival of this premium pizza flour on the shelves of Waitrose stores across the country, Matthews Cotswold Flour has got together with Grant Batty, who is the winner of the UK's Best Home Pizza Chef 2024, to create a fantastic Tandoori Peppers and Jalapeno Pizza recipe.

Waitrose will also be running a promotion on the flour from September 11th for four weeks.

For more recipes and information visit www.cotswoldflour.com or follow @CotswoldFlour on Instagram or Facebook.

Waitrose and Saatchi & Saatchi launch "Food to Feel Good About" campaign

Waitrose and the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency have kick start their new relationship with the launch of a marketing campaign for the new Waitrose Japanese Menyū range. 

The campaign which launches today, Wednesday 4th October, has been created by Saatchi & Saatchi and bought by MG OMD, is built on the Waitrose brand promise of ‘Food to Feel Good About’, and puts their high quality and great tasting products at the heart of the creative, showcasing how the new range can be ‘Good’ for so many of their customers and their busy lives. 

One of the ads highlights that the Japan Menyū range is ‘Good for a midweek quickie’, while another’s messaging focuses on the dishes as ‘Good news for tired cooks’. 

The series of ads will feature across print, audio, digital, display, LFDOOH and OOH, delivering a campaign with numerous touchpoints and thus will be delivering impact and cut-through with their audiences. 

Nathan Ansell, Waitrose Customer Director, said: “Our new Japan Menyū range is hugely exciting for all of us here at Waitrose, so what better way to mark the launch than with our first campaign with the brilliant team at Saatchi & Saatchi?"

HE went on to say: "Our new campaign makes a statement that can’t be missed by our audiences, whether that’s on the London tube, a digital screen or through the ads they hear on the radio. 

“Our brand promise of Food to Feel Good About, which we launched a year ago, remains at the heart of this campaign, and our Japan Menyū range is most definitely something our customers can feel really ‘good’ about. From a midweek meal, to a Friday night dinner on the sofa, our customers certainly won’t be disappointed with any of the new dishes in the range.”

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer with Saatchi & Saatchi, said:  “It was so exciting to get our hands on this amazing range and bring the food photography to life. It’s the start of a lot of GOOD we’re going to be doing over the coming months.”

The Waitrose Japan Menyū range launched on 20th September,  and the Chicken Karaage, Tempura Prawns and Chicken Katsu Curry & Rice are already top picks among their customers. 

The new Japanese-inspired own-brand range compliments the Japanese ingredients within their own Cooks’ Ingredients range, which includes Yuzu Juice, Shichimi Togarashi and Japanese Rice Vinegar. 

A spokesperson for Waitrose said: "We pride ourselves on our animal welfare standards and our Japan Menyū range is no exception. All our fresh pork is outdoor-bred and comes from British farmers that we know and trust; our chicken is higher welfare and we have a bespoke set of high standards that our poultry farmers adhere to. All our beef is British with our cattle getting around 30% more space than the standard set by food standards regulator Red Tractor, and all of our fish is responsibly sourced."

https://www.waitrose.com.

Borough Broth Expands Its Reach With Landmark Launch in Waitrose

Borough Broth expands reach with significant new listing in Waitrose, bringing their delicious, nutritious broth to the general populace.

The Borough Broth Company is justifiably for their premium organic bone broths that can be sipped as a nourishing drink or used as a cooking staple, has announced an exciting new listing in Waitrose stores this month, October.  

Founded in 2015, Borough Broth is on a mission to bring the benefits of homemade bone broth to everyone without the need to simmer bones for hours and hours on end. 

Since its conception Borough Broth has gone from strength to strength; with stockists like Ocado, Planet Organic, Wholefoods, Abel and Cole and now Waitrose. This strategic retail expansion marks a significant milestone in award-winning Borough Broth's journey as it introduces two exceptional products, their Free Range Organic Chicken Bone Broth and their Grass-Fed Organic Beef Bone Broth, to Waitrose customers.  

They are updating broth for a modern appeal.

Traditionally used to make the most of ingredients and ensuring every part of the animal was utilised, broths and stocks have long been an integral part of food culture around the world and have been heralded for their healing and nourishing properties. 

Borough Broth's bone broths offer a unique blend of both tradition and modernity. Whether it's sipping a nourishing mug of soup, slurping on a bowl of noodles in broth, or simmering on the stove in a stew, Borough Broth's bone broths offer home cooks a versatile experience. Their broths have wide-ranging appeal with consumers from those seeking the warmth of tradition to those looking for contemporary culinary innovation or anti-aging benefits. 

Nurturing Health Through Innovation 

Expertly simmered for 24 hours using organic ingredients and British Spring Water, Borough Broth's easy-to-use pouches encapsulate depth of flavour and nutritional nourishment. Bone broth has been used for centuries to soothe the body and support the immune system, while nutritionists have long hailed the benefits of bone broth; glycine to support sleep, collagen to slow the aging process, gelatine for gut health and amino acids for joints, immunity and inflammation. The naturally occurring electrolytes also make it a great choice for both pre or post-workout. 

Ros Heathcote founded Borough Broth in 2015 after discovering the benefits of introducing bone broths into her own lifestyle. 

Ros set out to create an equally delicious, nourishing bone broth without needing to have bones simmering in the kitchen all day. After being picked up by Selfridges and then a hugely successful listing with Ocado, Borough Broth have dominated the broth category and a considerable part of the soup category too, going on to secure further listings with Whole Foods Market and Abel & Cole. 

On the Borough Broth launch into Waitrose, Ros Heathcote said: "Entering Waitrose is a milestone for Borough Broth, it perfectly aligns with our mission to bring our passion for taste and well-being along with convenience to a wider audience. 

"Our customers love a slow-cooked traditional broth but appreciate the convenience of a ready-to-use pouch. Afterall, why go to the trouble of cooking with quality, organic, fresh ingredients, and then adding a crumbly salty stock cube with zero nutritional benefits? We're well positioned to capture the booming market for functional, nourishing foods including the keto and paleo diets, plus the rising trends for collagen boosting foods and gut health." 

Commitment to Quality and Sustainability 

From ingredients to packaging and everything else in between, sustainability is at the heart of Borough Broth. Back in 2021, they became a certified B-corporation and continue to look at how they can strive to make a difference, whilst also supporting British farmers. Borough Broth makes the broth in their own specialist and purpose-built London-based kitchen and pledges to use only whole ingredients, organic meat and bones from Soil Association Organic Farms and ensure that any food waste from the process of making the broths is either composted or used as biofuel. 

There's wellness in each and every sip!

As they venture into Waitrose, Borough Broth is sharing their vision: to nurture not only bodies but also for minds and souls, too. 

A sip of Borough Bone Broth invites consumers to pause, savour the moment, and immerse themselves in the comfort of a warming bone broth. The brand's dedication to sourcing only the highest-quality organic ingredients and dedicating a full day to simmering is a testament to their commitment to taste and to quality.  

Waitrose will be stocking Borough Broth's 324g pouches of Free-Range Organic Chicken Bone Broth and 324g Grass-Fed Organic Beef Bone Broth from today, 4th October, in stores up and down the country. 

If you are a wholesalers a retailer, or perhaps you operate restaurant kitchens and want to stock or use Borough Broth broths, please contact: sales@boroughbroth.co.uk 

Why did Ros launch Borough Broths? She had a love for slow, patient cooking with simple organic ingredients. 

Since then, they have been making the finest Organic Bone Broths from their London kitchen using only local British bones, spring water, simple organic vegetables and a few carefully chosen seasonings.  

Never ones to skimp on quality, their bone broths contain a high ratio of bones to water, which are gently simmered for up to 24-hours without using of pesticides, preservatives or cheap flavouring replacements. The result is a mightily delicious punch of meaty goodness that's packed full of protein and natural collagen.

Borough Broths product range includes organic bone broths, low FODMAP broths, ramen noodle broth and organic cooking fats. 

That's Food and Drink can see this being a major addition to the Christmas cooking regimen, producing some delicious Christmas table soups and some utterly wicked meat gravies.   

To learn more please visit them at https://boroughbroth.co.uk.

Warrendale Wagyu Launches Gourmet Wagyu Sausages Into Waitrose

I wasn't aware Wagyu beef was produced in Britain, so I was very intrigued and more than a little impressed to learn the UK's top producer of Wagyu beef, Warrendale Wagyu, has revealed its latest product, Wagyu Sausages. 

The new addition to its range will launch in 200 Waitrose stores this Wednesday (4th October) in what is thought to be the only Wagyu beef sausage to be sold in a major supermarket.

The gourmet sausage launch follows six months of rigorous product development and recipe testing and tweaking to introduce a beef sausage with the best taste and texture possible. 

The new sausages are available in Original and Horseradish and are produced using 90% and 86% premium British Wagyu Beef. What's more, both varieties are gluten and dairy free. 

Yorkshire-based Warrendale Wagyu was founded on an unwavering commitment to supply chain transparency, product quality and total consistency. 

The team their works in close partnership with a 750-strong collective of farmers to rear herds of a Wagyu cross dairy cattle breed known as F1 Wagyu. 

The brand has been running its unique business model to produce high quality marbled Wagyu beef since 2017. They now supply to Waitrose, premium restaurants including Hakkasan and Ivy Asia and online to meat lovers across the UK.

Tom Richardson, MD over at Warrendale Wagyu says:  “At Warrendale, we're clearly very passionate about Wagyu and, of course, we want to find new ways for people to enjoy it. 

"And we're very proud of the new Wagyu Sausage. Every care has been taken at each step of the process to ensure the taste, texture and traceability are the best they can possibly be.” 

The launch comes just in time for the start of comfort food season in the UK, with the new Wagyu Sausages here to upgrade autumn and winter meals. (That's Food and Drink says: "We're actually thinking of using Warrendale Wagyu Sausages with our turkey at Christmas dinner!")

John Topham, Chef at one of Yorkshire's finest restaurants, the Alice Hawthorn said: “I'm a big fan of the new Warrendale Wagyu sausage. It's an elegant sausage with a rich, smooth, beefy taste. I believe it's the perfect choice for a toad-in-the-hole with beer caramelised onion gravy!”

Krystina Houghton, Waitrose's sausage buyer said: "We're really very excited to be adding these British wagyu sausages into our range. Not only are they packed full of incredible umami flavours, but they're  made with British beef so it's fantastic to see more support for our farmers, too.

“The sausages will be perfect for those looking to add something delicious to their Bonfire Night get-togethers at home and will make a great addition to warming meals during the winter months, too"

Wagyu Sausages, Original and Horseradish, will be sold exclusively in Waitrose stores, Waitrose online and at www.warrendale-wagyu.co.uk. The RRP is £5.99 for a 400g pack of six, with an introductory offer of 25% off from Wednesday 4th October.

Nick Grimshaw & Angela Hartnett launch the fourth season of hugely popular podcast Dish

The first episode started yesterday, Wednesday 13th September with Gordon Ramsay

Guests across the new season will include Joe Wicks, Miriam Margolyes, the Whitehalls, Sara Cox, AJ Odudu, Will Best, Joanne McNally, Amol Rajan, Richard Corrigan and more, besides.

S:E Creative Studio and Waitrose & Partners are proud to announce the return of Dish, smash hit and critically-acclaimed foodie podcast, for an incredible fourth season starting Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Broadcast veteran Nick Grimshaw and much-loved Michelin star chef and restaurateur Angela Hartnett OBE are back with more mouth-watering recipes, hilarious banter, and even bigger guests. Listeners are invited to pull up a chair, grab a drink and indulge in their weekly dinner parties for more hilariously unfiltered chat and secrets unveiled. 

Dish brings Waitrose ingredients and recipes to you as you’ve never seen them before. Angela’s expertise and down-to-earth advice accompany every episode seamlessly, while Nick’s probing questions encourage guests to share more than they ever have done before. Season four will see fitness coach Joe Wicks, actress and Vogue cover star Miriam Margolyes, radio legend Sara Cox, presenter duo AJ Odudu and Will Best, comedian Joanne McNally, journalist Amol Rajan, chef friends Richard Corrigan & Valentine Warner, space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock and even more take the hot seat.

Celebrity chef and former colleague of Angela’s, Gordon Ramsay, is the guest kicking off Season 4. Discussion includes the possibility of a sixth Ramsay child, Gordon’s first impression of Angela and Gordon’s involvement in Angela meeting her husband.

Dish has found fans in everyone from Greg James and Zoe Ball to Chris Evans and Claudia Winkleman since its launch in 2022 and spent the most consecutive weeks at #1 on the Apple Food Podcast Charts. Spotify gives Dish a listener rating of 4.9/5 and Apple named it one of their Summer Picks for 2023 with video clips for the podcast amassing over 65 million views. Previous guests include Stanley Tucci, Dame Mary Berry, Alex Jones, Prue Leith, Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond and Dish shows no sign of slowing down.

Nick says: “So excited to be back for a fourth series of Dish! Getting to work alongside the legendary and hilarious Angela Hartnett has been a total joy. I can’t wait to get going on another series. See you in the kitchen.”

Angela says: “Working with Nick on another season of Dish has been hysterical, I spend the whole time laughing. What’s not to love about cooking, eating, drinking, and chatting with our dream dinner-party guests? I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do recording it.”

Waitrose Customer Director Nathan Ansell says: “The response to Dish over the last year has been incredible, with top listener ratings from Spotify and staying at #1 in the Apple Food podcast chart. The amazing guest line-up for Season 4 means listeners are in for a lot more fun and foodie conversation hosted by Nick and Angela.”

You can subscribe here: https://pod.link/1626354833

Waitrose lowers prices of a further 250 products making everyday foods and even roast dinners cheaper

From tomorrow, Wednesday 13 September, Waitrose will be cutting the prices of 250 popular autumnal products including everyday food item staples such as pasta, whole chickens, sausages and potatoes.

Charlotte Di Cello, who is the Commercial Director for Waitrose, said: “Giving our customers good value for money is a priority for Waitrose and we will be continuing to work hard to keep our prices low, whilst at the same time maintaining our quality and supporting our fantastic farmers.

“We'll continue to deliver our market leading quality, using our outdoor-bred pork, responsibly sourced fish, higher-welfare chicken and LEAF marque-certified British fruit and veg. The only thing that's changing is the price, so Waitrose customers will be able to continue enjoying great value but with no compromise."

She went on to say: “Besides lowering the prices of hundreds of our products, we're also passing on additional savings to our customers when the prices we pay fall due to food inflation dropping. We’ve already lowered the prices of dairy products, household goods such as toilet paper, and canned vegetables as a result of inflation falling on those particular items.

"This is the third time we’ve cut the prices of hundreds of products this year due to our record £100m investment in lowering prices.  We’ve also launched new meal deals this year including our  first lunchtime meal deal, and steak and pizza meal deals giving customers more ways to maximise the value they get from shopping with us.  Meal Deal sales have tripled so far this year."

https://www.waitrose.com

Waitrose Food & Drink Festival back for 2023 – with 20% saving on standard tickets now

The absolutely stunning Waitrose Food & Drink Festival 2023 is coming back and will be even bigger and better than before. 

Showcasing the best British of suppliers and producers, the Festival returns to London’s Tobacco Dock and runs across the weekend of Friday, 24th November to Sunday, 26th November 2023.

Tickets are on sale now, with an early bird saving of 20% on standard tickets for those booking between now and 18th September.

Visitors will be transported to absolute foodie heaven, as they experience festive food and drink tastings with delicious products from i n excess of 150 producers and suppliers, inspirational cooking demos, wreath making workshops and expert masterclasses, too.

New for this year is a dedicated sensory Cheese Room for all cheese lovers with Castello, and cocktail connoisseurs will love mini golf and a live DJ with Absolut Vodka. 

Hosts will love the Waitrose Christmas Room, showcasing this year’s must-have products and food trends, table dressing workshops with John Lewis Home Stylists, workshops with Waitrose Cookery School, cocktail making workshops with Waitrose beers, wines & spirits experts, and more.

You can get inspired for Christmas with their ‘Meet the Experts’ stage, where there will be demonstrations from chefs and producers including Tom Warner from Warner’s Distillery; plan your Christmas wine list with their exclusive Waitrose Cellar blends, and finish it all off with a glass of Mirabeau mulled rosé or bubbles at the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Bar. 

Tickets for the Waitrose Food & Drink Festival 2023 are now on sale at waitrosefestivals.com. Book between now and 18th September to save 20% off standard tickets. And what's even better, MyWaitrose customers can save 10% off standard tickets with no time limit! 

Ticket information:

Standard tickets £30 (£25 on Sunday)

Early bird offer - save 20% on standard tickets by using code WRFESTIVAL20 at checkout

VIP tickets £40 (£35 on Sunday) - VIP tickets include complimentary glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, fast track entry and several additional items in the goody bag

All tickets include a goody bag.

Waitrose to launch new own-brand range - Japan Menyū

The 20th September will mark the exciting launch of a new Waitrose own-brand range, Japan Menyū, which is an innovative, delicious and high quality range which brings great Japanese-inspired food to your plates.

Their new own-brand range will include new products which will span across ready meals, centrepieces, sides and snacks, and offers customers familiar flavours and dishes for all eating occasions.

Japanese cuisine is a growing trend, growing +15% compared to last year on social discussions (Tastewise), with Google searches also growing rapidly compared to previous months. 

Waitrose have also seen a significant growth in traffic on waitrose.com to their  dedicated Japanese recipes page and searches on their website for ‘tempura prawns’, ‘tonkatsu’, ‘soba noodles’ and ‘matcha’ are all up 113%, 75%, 69% and 37% respectively, compared to last year, showing the growing demand for Japanese foods and flavours amongst our customers.  

Said Charlotte Di Cello, who is Waitrose's Commercial Director: “I’m particularly excited about our new Japan Menyū range, having enjoyed so much of it growing up, because my mum is Japanese.  

"So much care and consideration has gone into each dish to ensure we’re offering the very best Japanese-inspired selection. We’ve seen significant growth in customer demand for Japanese foods, so to be launching this delicious and high quality curated range that can be enjoyed by anyone in the comfort of their own home is hugely exciting for all of us at Waitrose.”

Their range, which will be available in their shops, online, Uber Eats and on Deliveroo, offers their customers convenience while still allowing them to create the restaurant experience in their own homes. 

With versatility across all of the dishes, customers will be able to pair different centrepieces and meal bases to suit all taste buds. 

While the Japan Menyū range has exclusively been created by their team of chefs and product developers, Waitrose also consulted with Yuki Gomi and the Asian Leadership Collective to ensure they considered cultural traditions in the development of their range and designs and included the most incredible dishes for their customers. 

Yuki Gomi,  who is a Japanese chef, food writer & cookery teacher, said: “It’s been such a great pleasure to collaborate with the Waitrose team on their new Japanese range. 

"From the name of the range to the delicious selection of dishes that have been developed, so much care and consideration has been taken to deliver an amazing range that I know their customers will love.”

Zoe Simons, who is the Waitrose Senior Development Chef, said: “Our team had an absolutely brilliant time building our Japan Menyū range. 

"We’ve taken familiar flavours twe know our customers will love and created them into a range of brilliant products, including 13 vegetarian dishes, 10 of which are suitable for vegans. From the trends our team has seen and the data that’s been gathered, we know our customers are looking to expand their dining options even further and already enjoy delicious Japanese food." 

Zoe wen t on to say: “Whether customers are looking for a convenient Friday night dinner that’s already prepared or some extra additions to complement their own cookery creations, our Japan Menyū range has something for all eating occasions.”

A spokesman said: "Waitrose already sells over 200 Japanese products, including brands like as Itsu, Wagamama, Kikkoman and Taiko Sushi, plus the 124 Sushi Daily kiosks we have available across our shops. 

"We also offer Japanese ingredients within our own Cooks’ Ingredients range, including the Yuzu Juice, Shichimi Togarashi and Japanese Rice Vinegar  - our new Japan Menyū complements our existing offering perfectly. 

"To allow customers to create the full Japanese experience at home, we will also be launching Reusable Bamboo Chopsticks, as well as a selection of John Lewis cookware that make the perfect serving dishes for the Waitrose Japan Menyū range.

"Also, as part of the range we will be launching three new No.1 Bonsai plants within our horticulture range, as well as a first to market Ikebana flower bouquet. Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging, a symbol of refinement - with minimalist and precise arrangement, Ikebana is an ancient Japanese tradition of artisan floristry."

Highlights from the range:-

Centrepieces

Waitrose Japan Menyū Pork Tonkatsu 350g £6.00

Tender pork with a crumb coating, ready to shallow fry and serve with rice. Fruity, tangy, and truly tasty. Their fresh pork is always British and always outdoor bred or free-range.

Waitrose Japan Menyū Slow Cooked Chili Miso Beef 318g £7.50

Their meltingly tender beef has been slow cooked for 10 hours to allow the chilli miso flavours to infuse. Warming, with a hint of spice, it’s best served with stir fried rice. All of our beef is British. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Miso Cod 274g £6.50 (MSC certified)

Delicately umami and slightly sweet, our miso cod goes perfectly with rice and stir fried veg to make a satisfying main. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Slow Cooked Chilli Jackfruit (V) 314g £6.00

A texture and taste sensation. Their slow cooked jackfruit is delicious stirred through rice, or stuffed into steamed buns, and it comes with a Japanese inspired barbecue sauce for a rich flavour. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū 6 Teriyaki Pork Belly Slices 380g £6.00

Six melt-in-the-mouth pork belly slices with a teriyaki glaze. Savoury-sweet, they make a great topping for ramen, or stuffed into our new steamed buns alongside the new slaw.

Their pork comes from British outdoor bred pigs, housed in straw bedded airy barns. Their fresh pork is always British and always outdoor bred or free-range.

Ready Meals 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Chicken Katsu Curry 350g £5.00

The ultimate comfort food: crispy breaded chicken with steamed rice and a mild curry sauce. All their chicken is higher welfare and we have a bespoke set of high standards that our poultry farmers adhere to. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Sweet Potato Katsu Curry (Veg/V) 390g £5.00

A vegan take on the familiar favourite. Breaded sweet potato, served with steamed rice and a mild katsu curry sauce.

Waitrose Japan Menyū Miso Aubergine Rice Bowl (Veg/V) 350g £5.50

Cooked sushi rice, miso roasted aubergine pieces, pickled vegetables and spring greens in a miso, black bean sauce with leek, garlic and ginger.

Sides & Snacks

Waitrose Japan Menyū Chicken Karaage 150g £3.60

Crispy fried chicken thigh, seasoned with garlic, ginger and pepper. This is a very popular dish with our customers and pairs perfectly with our new Japan Menyū Dip selection. All our chicken is higher welfare and we have a bespoke set of high standards that our poultry farmers adhere to. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Cauliflower Tempura & Dip (Veg/V) 180g £3.40

A delicious vegan alternative to our karaage, these Cauliflower florets are coated in crispy batter, with spring onions and a soy yuzu dip. Great for sharing.

Waitrose Japan Menyū 4 ‘No Chicken’ Drumsticks (Veg/V) 170g £3.75

Tender jackfruit drumsticks coated in a crunchy panko crumb, served with a spicy soy glaze. 

Waitrose Japan Menyū Vegetable Steamed Buns (Veg/V) £2.50

These steamed buns are filled with mild katsu curry flavoured veggies. Soft, fluffy bites of deliciousness.

Waitrose Japan Menyū Shredded Cabbage & Edamame Slaw with Ponzu Dressing (V) 140g £2.50

Finely cut pink and white cabbage with coriander, carrot, edamame beans, salad onions and black onion seeds with a creamy ponzu dressing. A zesty side to go with any mains and centrepieces

Waitrose Japan Menyū Edamame Beans with Garlic & Chilli Salt  (V/Ve) 200g £3.50

Who doesn’t want a big pot of Edamame beans to pop out of their shells and devour? These whole edamame beans are served with garlic and chilli salt. 

(EDITOR: Looks interesting! It's worth looking at using Japan Menyū foodstuffs for your Christmas and New Year's feasting?)

Waitrose first supermarket to announce leading animal welfare standards across Italian continental meat

Waitrose is held to be the number one supermarket for animal welfare across the UK and its latest move puts it in the supermarket in the top spot for Italian charcuterie welfare standards.

All it's own brand Italian continental meat suppliers meet Compassion in World Farming prestigious Good Pig Award standards.

Waitrose hopes that its progress will urge other retailers to raise the bar on welfare for continental meats.

In an industry leading move, Waitrose has announced all of its own brand Italian continental meat is now produced to the highest of animal welfare standards, beating all other supermarkets.

So this means that those shopping at Waitrose can now enjoy Waitrose Parma ham, Mortadella or Prosciutto knowing that the Italian animals lived a life free from confinement, with more room to roam and socialise and with deep straw bedding to root around in. 

Traditionally, animal welfare standards for continental meat have, sadly, lagged behind those of British meats. 

But a long-term partnership between Waitrose and its supplier, The Compleat Food Group means Waiotrose was the first Italian meat producer to win a Good Pig Award back in 2016, and now they have rolled out their high standards across all Italian producers.

Jake Pickering, who is the Senior Manager for Agriculture at Waitrose, said: “We’re already the number one supermarket for animal welfare in the world and are delighted this move helps us raise the bar even further. 

“We're confinement free in UK farming, and have a 2025 commitment for all of our continental meat. This represents a huge step forward for the welfare standards within our Italian breeding, growing and finishing supply chains and means well over 50% of our continental meat sales will now come from higher welfare pigs. 

“We have worked with our Italian suppliers to improve standards significantly and they have the backing of Compassion in World Farming’s Good Pig Award.”

Louise Valducci, Head of Food Business (Europe), Compassion in World Farming, said: “We're encouraged by the steps Waitrose is taking to improve the welfare of pigs in its continental meat supply. 

"It highlights the importance of working closely with producers, giving them the confidence and support to invest in cage-free systems, to ensure a successful transition across the business. 

“Consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and any company committing to cage-free production is sending a good, powerful signal to the market that it's not only the compassionate choice, but also achievable at scale.”

In 2017 Waitrose was awarded the ‘Cage Free Award’ by Compassion in World Farming. This was in recognition of their work to remove the use of cages for farm animals. In 2001 they stopped selling eggs from caged hens, and they only retails outdoor-bred or free range British pork. 

They also pledged to improve the welfare standards within their continental meat supply chain by 2025 by removing all confinement. 

In support of Waitrose's Cage Free award from Compassion in World Farming, all their Continental pigs will be free from confinement including prohibiting sow stalls and farrowing crates by 2025. 

They will continue making progress on welfare in our other continental meat supply chains to hit our 2025 target. They have issued a call to encourage other retailers to follow their lead to ensure British shoppers can enjoy delicious and ethically sourced charcuterie.

https://www.waitrose.com

Poor summer brings about increased red wine sales, reports Waitrose

The old saying "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good" seems to be holding true regarding wine sales, according to figures released from Waitrose.

Because the washout summer has made red wines the drink of choice, as sales soar for numerous countries including France and Chile.

A cold, crisp glass of white wine or rosé is normally a summer staple but as we experienced the sixth wettest July on record, red wine and a cosy night in seem farm more appropriate, with the biggest increases seen in classic French fine red wine, especially with Burgundy leading the way (163%) and Chilean fine red wine, too.

Over the last month we saw temperatures of 14.9 degrees and this dip in temperature is reflected in customers drinking habits with red wine from all regions seeing an increase in sales in the past month.

 In comparison, in July 2022, temperatures soared as high as 40 degrees with searches for rosé wine and white wine up 30% and 47% on Waitrose.com compared to the same time this year. 

Jamie Matthewson, who is the Wine Buying Manager at Waitrose, said: “Our customers usually love a chilled glass of rosé in the summer and who can blame them? It’s a shame it's not had its moment in the sun this year but it has been great for red wine, whether you want to enjoy a chilled summer red, or really want to hunker down and enjoy a Malbec or a Merlot. Personally, I love a glass of red whatever the season!”

He went on to say: "Our customers are prepared just in case the sun decides to make an appearance, opting for red wine that can also be chilled with sales of Santa Tresa Frappato up 86% year on year. 

"An elegant Sicilian red, which is full of delicious summer fruit flavours and can be enjoyed slightly chilled, perhaps served with grilled tuna. 

"Cocktails are also on the menu with searches for the red wine based summer cocktail Sangria up 47% compared to the same time last year on Waitrose.com.

For those who prefer a spirit as a tipple the preference has been more for a warming autumnal drink, with sales of spiced rum, single malts and cognac are up. Old fashioned season has also come early with recipe searches for the classic cocktail up 292% on Waitrose.com compared to the same time last year.

Argentina Fine Red Wine +90%

Australia Red Wine +24%

Australia Fine Red Wine +19%

Bag In Box Red +23.4%

Burgundy Red wine +163%

Chile Fine Red Wine +206%

Germany Fine Red Wine +68%

Germany Red Wine +56%

Italian Red Wine +29%

Loire Red Wine +30%

France Fine Red Wine +270%

Rhone +30%

South African Fine Red Wine 68%

Spain Red Wine + 45.4%

USA Fine Red Wine +73%

Until today, Tuesday 29th August, Waitrose is offering 25% off all wine and Champagne priced between £5 and £100, when purchasing any six or more bottles. The offer is available when shopping in branch, on Waitrosecellar.com, or online at Waitrose.com with a grocery delivery.

When taking advantage of the 25% offer on Waitrosecellar.com, customers are able to mix their own case with their favourite wines and Champagnes. With over 1000 wines to choose from on the Waitrose Cellar website, it’s the perfect time to stock up. Cases can include six or more bottles of the same trusty favourite, or a mixed selection of something new - creating your own bespoke case of wine has never been easier.

Feast for a Fiver as Waitrose ‘wraps’ up your lunchtimes with a new meal deal

Waitrose customers will be able to get a sandwich, a wrap, salad or sushi, plus a snack and a drink for a Fiver.

And what's more, the Waitrose Food to Go range is made without compromising quality and also adhering to high animal welfare standards.

The new Waitrose meal deal will launch on 30th August. For £5 customers can opt from over 300 products and can decide on one of their sandwiches, wraps or salads, or sushi (from a special selected range), alongside a choice of snacks from a curated selection of cereal bars, crisps and snack pots, plus a drink. 

Options available within the offer include customer faves like their Essential Waitrose Cheese & Onion sandwich, PlantLiving No Duck Hoisin Wrap, Waitrose Prawn Mayo sandwich, Waitrose Chicken & Bacon Caesar wrap, Waitrose PlantLiving VLT, Waitrose Chicken, Tomato & Basil Pasta, Taiko Crispy Duck Rolls, Waitrose Flapjack, Waitrose LoveLife Nuts, Fruit & Seeds, Deliciously Ella Cashew Cranberry Fruit Nut & Seed Bar, Waitrose Pineapple Fingers (120g), Waitrose Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice and Waitrose Strawberry & Banana Smoothie. 

Jennifer Moscardini, who is Waitrose's Food to Go Buyer, said: “We’re a nation of sandwich lovers. Sales are up almost 40% over the past three years. More people are returning to work from their offices again, and travelling more, so obviously they're looking for a fantastic meal deal option. 

“This lunchtime deal means our customers will be able to get a great quality sandwich, wrap, salad or sushi, plus a snack and a drink for £5, and if they have a myWaitrose loyalty card, and a reusable cup they can get a free cup of coffee at the same time!"

She went on to say: "And we haven't compromised on our standards, either. We use British higher welfare chicken, pork & beef in all our sandwiches, MSC prawns and salmon, and all our eggs come from free range hens. 

“This year we’ve introduced more meal deals than ever before to help our customers with the cost of living crisis, plus investing £100m in new lower prices across our aisles, too.

"Our best-selling sandwich over the last ten years has been prawn mayonnaise, followed by Egg Mayonnaise and the Classic BLT - but now wraps have become increasingly popular with one in four people buying a wrap instead."

List of top ten best-selling sandwiches 10 years ago:

Waitrose Prawn mayonnaise

Waitrose Egg mayonnaise and cress

Waitrose Classic BLT

Essential Waitrose Tuna Mayo 

Waitrose Smoked Ham & Cheese

Essential Waitrose Egg Mayonnaise

Essential Waitrose cheese & onion

Waitrose Salmon & Cucumber

Waitrose Salmon & Cream Cheese

Waitrose Chicken & Bacon 

List of top ten best-selling sandwiches/wraps today:

Waitrose Prawn mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Essential Cheese and Onion

Waitrose Essential Egg mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Steak & caramelised onion chutney sandwich

Waitrose Hoisin duck wrap 

Waitrose Chicken & Bacon Caesar wrap 

Waitrose Essential Tuna mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Salt Beef & Mustard Mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Salmon & Cream Cheese sandwich 

Waitrose Classic BLT 

waitrose.co.uk

Traditional English Breakfast set to be dish of the day

Sunday morning promises to be the biggest breakfast of the year as football fans gather around their TV sets in the hope England can finally bring it home. 

Waitrose shops have stocked up on bacon, eggs, sausage and English fizz ready for the kick off on Sunday morning. Searches on Waitrose.com for ‘brunch’ are already up +54% on the previous week, and that's a sure sign families and friends will be gathering together to cheer on England. 

Searches for their Lion Birthday cake are up +45% this month, compared to last - indicating it’s become a go to treat for all football celebrations. 

Nathan Ansell, Waitrose's Customer Director, said: “All the ingredients for a great brunch will be flying off the shelves quicker than a Lauren Hemp strike. Customers are already looking to celebrate with cooked breakfasts, -and some chilled fizz in readiness for a potential win, too. “We expect Deliveroo and Uber Eats to be busy with enthralled fans unable to tear themselves away from the action to secure their last minute snacks.”

Customers at John Lewis department stores are also getting themselves match ready. Sales of children’s football boots have more than doubled since last week, while sales of TVs have climbed by 25% on last year.

In contrast to 1966 - when an England team last reached a World Cup Final - we expect more people to be watching the final at home with family and friends this Sunday. Fifty seven years ago fewer people owned TVs and customers crowded into their TV departments to watch the big match. An extract from their archives written by one of their Shop Floor Partners in 1966 describes the day in one of their London shops.

"Partners and customers from the elderly and sedate to the Mods (or Rockers)' sat on the floor to watch the World Cup Final in the TV department.... I even chatted to them and collected their lighted cigarette stubs when they asked for Ashtrays.... I suppose it was about a thousand to one that a television set would be sold whilst the match was on...but after about five minutes a SOLD ticket was placed on the top of the set..."’ 

Waitrose launches first British cheese washed in English sparkling wine

Their Leckford Wash cheese is lovingly made by Nettlebed Creamery, a family run, organic farm in Henley-on-Thames, owned by Rose Grimond - which is on the family-run farm her great-grandfather bought in 1901. Their herd of cows produce organic milk which is used to create this delicious, creamy cheese.

Waitrose Leckford Sparkling Brut is added to a brine solution and each cheese is individually and carefully washed by hand. This process is repeated twice weekly to build the depth of flavour, texture and colour, creating a delicious rind which encases the creamy, semi-soft cheese. 

Sarah Miness, Cheese Buyer at Waitrose, said: “We’ve been selling our own label French cheese rind-washed in alcohol since 2013 when we launched Saint Vernier, washed in white wine followed by Berthaut's Epoisses AOP, washed in Marc de Bourgogne. 

"Being big supporters of British produce, we wanted to create a British rind-washed cheese, to offer our customers variety for their cheese boards and what better to wash the cheese in than our very own Leckford Sparkling Brut?”

Will Torrent, who is the Senior Development Chef at Waitrose, said: “We had fun with the team at Nettlebed experimenting with cheese and different flavour combinations. Wine and cheese is obviously always a winning combination and once we had tried with our fizz we were so excited with the finished product, obviously we wanted our customers to try it, too!

“This cheese takes a total of three weeks to make and everything is all done by hand, so you can be sure your cheese has been made with time, care and a little bit of love.  For the best results, customers should let the cheese soften up at room temperature, so the flavours and texture can develop and enjoy by itself, or for a real treat, eat it with a glass of Leckford to enhance the flavours even further.”

The tradition of washing cheeses originated back in the 16th century when French monks used the method to preserve their cheese, preventing bad rinds from developing.

Wine-washing is also common in Northern Italy, the lack of olive oil inspired cheesemakers to preserve wheels in wine instead, with Ubriaco al Prosecco being a traditional ‘drunken’ cheese in Italy. Rind-washing encourages the growth of desired, good bacteria and leads to a strong aroma and flavoursome cheese. 

English wine is still a relatively youthful industry compared to the rest of the world but others are also starting to experiment with the ingredient in their food with Waddesdon Wines putting English sparkling wine into their jam. Top chefs including James Martin have also made a classic dessert a bit more grown-up by adding it to jelly.

Waitrose has their own vineyard, at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire, which produces a Brut and a Blanc de Blanc from vines planted in 2009.  

They increased the vineyard at Leckford by 50% in 2017 to cope with increased demand, and it’s one of the ways they are firmly committed to investing in the future of English wines. 

They grow three grape varieties on their 4.7-hectare vineyard; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. The grapes are turned into Leckford Estate Brut by the award-winning winemakers at the Ridgeview Wine Estate which is based in Sussex. The stunning Leckford Estate Brut has aromas of toasted brioche and hazelnuts, which give way to a creamy palate with apple and peach flavours.

Waitrose No.1 Leckford Wash Cheese (£6.50/150g) - available to buy in 281 shops and online from 26th July

Theyhold over a 40% market share in English wine and have the largest supermarket range of English and Welsh wines available to buy on Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar.

Nettlebed Creamery also produce Bix and Highmoor cheese which are available to buy at Waitrose as part of their No.1 range.

That's Food and Drink believe this cheese and wine will make excellent combinations for your Christmas cheeseboards.

www.waitrose.com

Finding alcohol free options is even easier at Waitrose

Demand for low alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is growing at such a rapid rate that  the Waitrose company is working with Diageo to introduce bold, dedicated areas in 253 of its shops across the UK to make it even easier for Waitrose shoppers to find Waitrose’s full range of over 70 low and alcohol-free drinks from beer and cider, to wines and also spirits.

Over the past year sales of low alcohol and alcohol-free drinks have grown by 20% at Waitrose, with sales of beer continuing to grow the fastest. The introduction of specialist, dedicated areas means 60% more space will be given to low and alcohol-free drinks across their shops.

Research commissioned for Diageo learned that seven in ten UK adults want to be able to find low alcohol and alcohol-free drinks more easily.

Kantar data found 99% of UK shoppers have bought both low and alcohol-free drinks and alcohol over the past year. 

Separate Kantar research found almost half of UK adults (47%) are switching between alcohol and low and alcohol-free drinks at the same occasion, and two-fifths (40%) of adults say they feel a desire and need to moderate their alcohol consumption. 

Pierpaolo Petrassi, who is the Master of Wine, and Head of Beers, Wines and Spirits at Waitrose said: “Demand for low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is growing at a phenomenal rate. It’s now the norm for customers to be buying both.  We expect this year to be the biggest year to date for sales and we are preparing for a strong demand at Christmastime.

“We belief this growth is due to our customers feeling a need to moderate their alcohol consumption, but is also heavily driven by the creation of new, great quality drinks like Guinness 0.0, Tanqueray 0.0 and Gordon's Pink 0.0. We’ve also added 10 new low and alcohol-free products this year and will launch more before the Christmas period.”

Nuno Teles, MD at Diageo GB, said: “We know UK drinkers are becoming more sophisticated and thinking more about how much they drink, the alcohol-free and low-alcohol categories play a critical , vital role in providing quality choices for those looking to moderate, without compromising on experience.

“However, barriers still exist when it comes to finding and understanding the options that are available. We are proud to partner with Waitrose to make it easier for consumers to know where to find alcohol-free and low alcohol options in store. 

"Diageo has a long-standing commitment to promote responsible drinking and this partnership demonstrates what is possible when brands and retailers work together to enable greater consumer choice and experience.”

Neil O'Brien MP, who is the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health welcomed the initiative saying: “The government wants to create a supportive environment to help individuals who want to reduce their alcohol consumption, including through encouraging substitution of alcoholic drinks with no and low alcohol alternatives.

“We welcome this initiative to increase the availability and to improve signposting of no and low alcohol alternatives in stores.”

 You can check out Waitrose here https://www.waitrose.com

Waitrose in Uber Eats deal

Waitrose has launched on the Uber Eats system in five locations in our capital city, London and aims to roll out to in excess of 200 UK locations over the summer months. 

Key points are: Uber Eats customers will be able to order Waitrose products to be delivered in as little as 20 minutes.

Using Uber Eats’ technology, the partnership will enable customers to order from thousands upon thousands of items.

Waitrose aim is to grow its position in on-demand grocery shopping and the convenience sector after announcing a new multi-year partnership with Uber Eats that will deliver to customers' doors in as little as 20 minutes. 

The Five initial stores are: John Barnes in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, Clerkenwell, St Katharine Docks and Greenwich. It will then roll out to over than 200 stores, including shops in Wales and Scotland, by the end of next month, August.

Uber Eats has seen gross bookings from supermarkets on its platform increase by nearly 60% in the first quarter of this year compared to last year, whilst Waitrose has seen young customers help grow on-demand grocery orders by 40% compared to the previous year. 

Employing Using Uber Eats’ advanced technology, customers who use the Uber Eats platform can now exclusively order from thousands of items. These will include the essential Waitrose range, reportedly the biggest value tier of any UK supermarket, which refuses to compromise on quality, taste and animal welfare.

Also, the premium range, Waitrose No. 1, Waitrose Duchy Organic, the latest summer ranges, British brands like Gail’s Bakery and Deliciously Ella plus a wide range of delicious fresh ready meals, free-from and vegan ranges and award-winning wines, beers and spirits, will all be available too. 

James Bailey, the Executive Director for Waitrose, said: “We want more people to enjoy the quality and taste of Waitrose products as and when they want it. On-demand grocery shopping continues to grow in popularity with our customers and partnering with Uber Eats means we have even more flexibility to be there for them whenever they need us." 

Alex Troughton, Head of Commerce at Uber Eats UK added: “We're obviously delighted Waitrose is joining the Uber Eats platform across the UK. Our partnership is the ultimate in modern day food shopping, combining the benefits of technology, convenience and speed with premium quality and huge product choice. It's the latest step inv our mission to help customers get anything they want, in a matter of minutes, at the touch of a button.”  

The partnership builds on Waitrose’s current partnership with Deliveroo. UberEats partners with a number of supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Asda, Co-op, Iceland and Morrisons Daily. 

This announcement also expands Waitrose’s presence in the convenience sector through relationships with third parties as they continue to reach more customers and make their products even more accessible.  

Waitrose has franchises in 27 Welcome Break locations and supplies more than 80 Shell forecourts, 47 Dobbies garden centre food halls, Edinburgh-based convenience chain, Margiotta and Alliance convenience stores in Jersey.  

Waitrose Cooking Report Released

The Waitrose new ‘Cooking Report’ on the nation’s cooking habits published has found we’re a nation of quietly confident cooks with more than one third (35%) rating themselves as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent cooks’, and a more modest 45% rate themselves as ‘fairly good cooks’.  

One third of UK adults polled would go so far as to say they’re better cooks than their parents but despite this high level of confidence more than one in four UK adults have never boiled an egg and don’t know how to, fewer than a fifth (18%) have made a salad dressing and only 45% of those surveyed have baked a Victoria sponge cake.

Cost of living impact

Nearly two-fifths of UK adults wish they could spend more time in the kitchen than they do at the moment. 

The greatest motivation for cooking is to be healthy followed by the enjoyment of tasting new flavours and recipes. The cost of living crisis has added an additional incentive to cook with one third of UK adults cooking because it ‘helps them stick to a budget and save money’.

Due to financial pressures one in five say they’re entertaining more at home at present. Four in 10 are happy to choose cheaper cuts of meat and more affordable ingredients to economise when they are entertaining. 

One in eight say they’re prepared to economise during the week so they can spend more on their guests, and 7% are happy to ask friends to bring a dish or course. 

Kitchen gadgets we can't live without

Airfryers have become firm favourites in many kitchens this year. However, it’s the humble microwave that has emerged top of a list of 24 kitchen gadgets that most adults said they couldn’t live without.

Nearly three times as many people said they couldn’t live without their microwave as feel the same about air fryers (32% and 12% respectively); though they’re both energy saving appliances compared to more traditional ovens.  

Searches for ‘microwave meals’ on waitrose.com are up 71% and sales of microwaves are up 13% at John Lewis (compared to the same time last year).

Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets we couldn’t live without (people were asked which single gadget they couldn’t live without):

Microwave

Air fryer

Slow cooker

Coffee Machine

Food mixer

Food processor

Blender

Electric whisk

Hand blender

Rice cooker

Martyn Lee, who is the Waitrose Executive Chef said: “Food is a daily joy and the cost of living crisis has hastened a change in how we cook. 

“For too long we’ve been looking down on microwaves. You can do so much more in them than just heat a cup of coffee. I make a great sponge in mine. I think it’s time to remember the enjoyment we get from the anticipation of their pinging.

“When you reheat a stew, or a slice of lasagne in your microwave after the flavours have had time to develop, you enjoy what’s known as the 6th taste sensation  ‘kokumi’, which is lesser know than the other five tastes - sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.”

Kitchen confessions

Martyn Lee continued; “Whether you’re a whizz in the kitchen or not, our research found that sometimes we all make mistakes.”

Nearly half (46%) divulged that they often get distracted and let pans boil over and nearly two-fifths (38%) revealed they have burnt something so badly the smoke alarm went off. More than a quarter (27%) have put too much salt in something and 23% have undercooked or overcooked a dish so it’s inedible. 

Even the most confident cooks aren’t immune to the odd kitchen slip up – a quarter of those who rated their skills as ‘excellent’ admit to having left a bottle of wine or Champagne in their freezer and ‘forgotten about it until it exploded’, while around a fifth (18%) have failed to remember they've cooked something in the microwave and found it the next day. 

Mishaps aside, we also like to bend the rules: 46% ignore the sell-by dates on the packet, 38% use the ‘five-second rule’ for picking up food that has dropped on the floor, choosing to believe that food is less likely to get contaminated and therefore ‘safe’ to eat, while 16% are happy to scrape the mould off food to ‘eat or cook with it’.

Entertaining

Entertaining has become a more relaxed affair with over a third (34%) thinking that the term ‘dinner party is old fashioned, and 29% always want their gathering to feel ‘effortlessly casual’. A priority for half (49%) of cooks surveyed is for the food to be quick and easy to cook.  It’s no longer the norm to serve a formal plated starter as only a third (35%) of respondents say they ‘sometimes’ serve them. Instead of individual plated-up food, one in 10  like to serve charcuterie boards or buffet-style or Middle Eastern mezze-style dishes for guests to serve themselves.

Martyn Lee said; “We’re wanting to spend more time with our guests rather than with our backs turned at the stove, so food that keeps conversations flowing is key.”

Guests giving a compliment on the food is seen as the greatest sign of a successful get together, and one in ten hosts would be delighted if their guests thanked them on social media posting a photograph of the food. 

While we’re mostly fairly confident cooks the most popular way to share photos of food we’ve cooked, or eaten is privately via Whatsapp.  

Cooking Inspiration

For inspiration we’re most likely to turn to the internet and the explosion of recipes and technique tutorials available. One third get their ideas on what to cook from TV programmes and 5% have turned to Chat GPT for recipe inspiration. The average person owns just eight cookery books, though 7% own 20, or more. 

https://www.johnlewispartnership.media/lookbook/waitrose?type=Report

Goodrays Reports Growth of 1,491% as Waitrose Expands CBD Range

Waitrose supermarkets are taking four new products this month (June) which Goodrays predicts will contribute to the brand tripling its revenue over this next financial year.

A four flavour mixed pack will be sold exclusively through Waitrose as a permanent SKU, RRP £7.50. It contains 250ml cans of Elderflower & Yuzu, Blood Orange & Grapefruit, Raspberry & Guava and Passionfruit & Pomelo. It is completely plastic-free, vegan and low calorie, and each can contains a market-leading 30mg of CBD.

Waitrose has also taken CBD Zen Drops and CBD Night Drops Oil and 'anytime' CBD Gummies. CBD Oils, as recent research by Goodrays shows, are currently the most popular way for the UK to consume CBD. 

Goodways Head of Marketing Henry Colyer said: “For Waitrose to have taken on our whole range is game-changing for us - it supports our brand mission to educate on the benefits of CBD and provide daily calm and clarity to people all over the UK. We are excited to have launched the mixed four pack of our delicious flavours - just in time for the festival and summer party season in the UK. Our fully recyclable pack allows you to enjoy relaxation without the toxification. 

"Goodrays is the perfect alternative to a four pack of beer or cider when you want to take a break and achieve a bit of balance. Waitrose now offers an option for multiple moments of the customer's daily routine, thanks to our oils designed for day and night, and tasty gummies that can be enjoyed when needed.”

Goodrays recent research of 2000 CBD users showed that the most popular way to consume CBD is:

Oils and Tinctures (54% reported this was their preferred way to consume CBD)

Drinks (40%)

Gummies (32%)

Coffee (26%)

Balm (24%)

Other (6%)

Goodrays now has a team of ten and is based in Shoreditch, London.

Awareness around mental wellbeing has been a huge driving force for Goodrays' founder Eoin Keenan. Keenan has been a vocal advocate of the power of the hemp plant for over a decade.  He launched Goodrays in 2021 to focus on high quality CBD products at an accessible price point, such as oils and RTD canned drinks. Goodrays is now available at Waitrose and Tesco and other major retailers such as WH Smith.

Spanish dining proving a hit with Waitrose shoppers

With the warmer, summer weather hitting the UK it seems that living the Mediterranean lifestyle is proving popular, with Waitrose reporting an increase in demand for Spanish dining. 

Spanish tapas is also a top pick during the heatwave, with #SpanishTapas gaining 10.4 million views on TikTok and 57k views in only the last 30 days. On Waitrose.com searches for ‘Spanish tortilla’, ‘patatas bravas’, and ‘manchego’ are up 82%, 20% and 50% respectively. 

Said Jane Whitehead, who is the Waitrose deli buyer: “As soon as the temperatures begin to rise we see many of our customers heading straight to our deli section to create the perfect tapas style dinner, or ‘picky tea’ as some people like to call it. 

"95% of the range on our deli counters are exclusive to us, with flavoured hams and olives proving especially popular at the moment as our customers create tapas boards for their alfresco dining experience.”

Sales of gazpacho have also risen by a staggering 146% in the last week alone as more and more of opt for lighter and more refreshing lunches. Paella is also on many menus with searches on Waitrose.com for their Chicken & Chorizo Paella recipe up by an impressive 89% over the last month, and sales of their paella rice are also up by 16% compared against last year.  

Jamie Matthewson, their head of wine buying, recommends the Loved & Found Treixadura as the perfect paella pairing, with its floral aromas and citrus notes matching perfectly with the rich chorizo flavours.

Why might this be happening? That's Food and Drink can think of two explanations. People wish to recreate their Spanish holiday meals at home. And others are aware that due to the fact that Spain is much warmer than Britain all year round, Spanish cuisine is more suited to being eaten during warmer weather.

Shopping at Waitrose just got a bit cheaper

Waitrose has reduced the prices on over 200 everyday, summer favourites as part of a £100m investment to lower customers’ bills. 

The new lower prices are to be found in every aisle and include cupboard staples like British butter and tomato ketchup to Fairtrade golden caster sugar, plus as British cocktail sausages, salads and ice cream for your summer barbecues and picnics.

Half of these products are now at least 10% cheaper than previously. The price cuts have been made without compromising on the usual exceptional quality or Waitrose values, which include sourcing higher welfare meat and commitments to our British farmers.

A spokesperson said: "This is the second time we’ve lowered hundreds of prices this year. In February, we cut prices on over 300 products at the start of a record £100m investment. This move has already attracted new customers to shop with us."

Charlotte Di Cello, Commercial Director for Waitrose, commented: “We’re investing millions in lowering the prices of everyday food across our aisles so our customers will benefit every time they shop with us. 

“But it’s summer, so our customers are telling us they also want delicious treats for picnics and barbecues to be more affordable, so we’ve lowered the prices of British double cream, ice cream, ice lollies, and meringues made with free range eggs.

“We’ve made these cuts with absolutely no compromise on the high quality, high welfare, and delicious recipes our customers expect from us. 

“We’ll still react to any drops in food inflation and pass on savings to our customers as soon as the prices we pay begin to fall, and we’ll continue to pay farmers a fair price for their products too.

"Besides our investment in prices, our Essential Waitrose range of over 900 products is the largest value range of any UK supermarket."

www.waitrose.com

Tomahawk steak returns to Waitrose

Waitrose customers can once again get their hands on their British Beef Tomahawk Steak (£19/kg, average weight 1kg). 

Available for a special limited time, this juicy and very tender British Tomahawk Steak is grass and forage fed and is sure to bring the wow-factor to your summer meal times.

A spokesperson said: "With searches on waitrose.com up 54% compared to last year,  we know our customers are ready to bring this exciting steak to their hosting events this summer season, and this particular steak is perfect for those celebrating Father’s Day." 

Senior Development Chef at Waitrose, Paul Gamble, says: “Our Tomahawk steak is ideal for hosting this Father’s Day. The easiest way to ensure the steak is cooked exactly the way you like it to be is to use a temperature probe, medium rare should be 52°C, medium 58°C, and medium well 62°C.  

"During cooking, I recommend you baste the meat with melted butter or with beef dripping, which adds extra flavour, and when finished cooking always slice the meat against the grain. Serve up with a sprinkle of sea salt, our delicious triple-cooked chips and the rich and buttery bearnaise sauce.”

For a step-by-step guide on cooking our Tomahawk Steak please click here https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/inspiration/at-home-with-us/more-stories/how-to-cook-the-perfect-tomahawk-steak

All Waitrose beef is from British farmers

Their cattle get more space, some 30% more than the standard set by food standards regulator Red Tractor.

No growth hormones are used at any stage. And Waitrose promises that will never change. It's all part of their commitment to high standards of animal welfare.

The spokesperson went on to say: "We’ve worked exclusively with many of our farmers for more than 10 years – and in some cases, more than 25 years. This long-term partnership offers our farmers the security they need to invest in sustainable farming practices that help to benefit the environment and encourage local wildlife."

www.waitrose.com