Almost 9 million people are planning to take a month off drinking this January

• One in seven (17%) UK adults – estimated as 8.8 million people - plan to go alco-hol-free for 31 days in January, with three in 10 looking to cut down generally in 2023

• One in four say they have drunk more in 2022 than 2021, while for one in six the cost of living crisis was a reason for the increase in their drinking

• Of those planning to go alcohol-free, one in three said they'd prefer to take part in Dry January with Alcohol Change UK

• Those who take on Dry January using the charity Alcohol Change UK’s free Try Dry app and/or daily motivational emails are twice as likely to have a month to-tally alcohol-free and experience many more benefits

• Low and no-alcohol brands Lyre’s, Mocktails and Lucky Saint are partnering with Alcohol Change UK to offer drinkers alternatives this January

New research published by Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January®, shows that almost 9 million people in the UK are planning to have a month off drinking in January 2023 - up from an estimated 8 million UK adults last year. Of those, one in three (33%) said they would prefer to take part in Dry January® with Alcohol Change UK, rather than trying to go alcohol-free in January on their own.

The survey, commissioned by Alcohol Change UK, shows the cost of living crisis has impacted on drinking habits over the last six months. One in six (16%) people who drink alcohol said this had led to them drinking more to cope with worries around the crisis, and one in seven (14%) have prioritised purchasing alcohol over essential items, such as groceries.

For one in three young adults who drink (36%), anxiety after drinking has also been a factor in them deciding to reduce their alcohol consumption. Hangxiety - a term used to describe the experience of feeling anxious the day after drinking - appears more prevalent amongst drink-ers aged 34 and under, with two in five (40%) experiencing it regularly, compared to a tenth (12%) of those aged 35 and over. For those aged 18-34, over a third (36%) said it was a con-tributing factor in their decision to reduce their drinking.

Over the course of a typical week, British drinkers, on average, drink 13.7 units of alcohol. However, one in three (30%) drinkers typically drink more than the 14 units a week maximum recommended by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, with twice as many men doing so com-pared to women (39% versus 22%).

Three in 10 (30%) drinkers said they would like to reduce how much they drink in 2023 (com-pared to 25% a year ago). Across all drinkers, half claim to already have taken measures to manage their drinking. The most common being having alcohol-free days (25%), drinking less on occasions where they are drinking alcohol (16%), having alcohol-free weeks or months (15%), or an alcohol-free night out (10%).

This Dry January, Alcohol Change UK is partnering with low and no-alcohol brands Lyre’s, Mocktails and Lucky Saint to encourage those taking part to look at non-alcoholic options as part of their Dry January challenge.

January 2023 marks the 10th anniversary since the launch of Dry January. Dry January® offers the perfect opportunity to manage your drinking for the longer term and a chance to get some amazing benefits along the way. Research shows that those who do Dry January® with Alcohol Change UK double their chances of success, and have more energy, improved con-centration, boosted mood, save money and so much more. A month off alcohol also leads to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes risk, as well as lower cancer-related proteins in the blood.

Over the past 10 years, Dry January® has continued to grow in popularity with record numbers of drinkers signing up to take part both in the UK and elsewhere.

First launched in 2013, Dry January® was the brainchild of Emily Robinson from Alcohol Change UK (formerly known as Alcohol Concern).

Speaking about its launch, Emily Robinson, now CEO of London Sport, said: “The idea of the Dry January® campaign first came to me after I decided to sign up for my first half-marathon. I wanted to be fitter and healthier, and I knew alcohol makes it harder to get up every day and train. So I decided, just for one month, to give up alcohol in January.

“The mental and physical results were amazing. I slept better, had more energy, lost weight, and saved money.

“I also found that friends and colleagues were completely fascinated by my experiment, and more and more people wanted to speak to me about it. So, when I joined Alcohol Change UK (formerly Alcohol Concern) in 2012, I shared the idea with colleagues asking everyone to join in with taking a month off booze in January.

“Ten years on, it’s wonderful to see how Dry January® has become the huge phenomenon it is today. I’m incredibly proud of the campaign and would encourage any-one who’s interested in feeling happier and healthier to give it a try.”

Dry January® officially launched in January 2013. For that first year, 4,000 people signed up to take part. Since then, Dry January® has grown in popularity with over 130,000 people sign-ing up to take part with Alcohol Change UK in 2022. 

Evidence shows Dry January® is an effective and lasting way to cut down. Research by the University of Sussex2 published in 2020 found that those signing up to take part in Dry January® using Alcohol Change UK’s free Try Dry app and/or coaching emails are twice as likely to have a completely alcohol-free month, compared to those who try to avoid alcohol on their own in January, and have significantly improved wellbeing and healthier drinking six months later. 

Ailar Hashemzadeh, Director of Research and Public Affairs at Alcohol Change UK, said: “Over the past few years, things have been incredibly tough for so many people and the cost of living crisis is making things even tougher. This has led to a growing number of us finding our drinking creeping up, particularly for those of us who were drinking more heavily to start with.

“Since its launch 10 years ago, Dry January® has provided a brilliant opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people to take a break from drinking and have a total reset.

“It helps you break habits you’ve fallen into and make long-term changes for the better. It can help to relieve anxiety and helps you remember that you don’t need alcohol to have fun, relax, celebrate, unwind or anything else. It puts you back in control of your drinking.

“If you’d like to reset your relationship with alcohol, give Dry January® a try by down-loading the free Try Dry® app or sign up at dryjanuary.org.uk. It could be the spark you need for a happier and healthier 2023.”

Those taking part in Dry January® get access to all of the free tools and resources from Alco-hol Change UK, from its Try Dry app to its daily motivational emails.  

We'd encourage anyone who's interested in resetting their relationship with alcohol to down-load the free Try Dry® app. You can use it year-round to check your units, calories and money saved, and earn badges as you go.

How to take part in Dry January®

Download the free Try Dry® app via the App Store or Google Play. Via Try Dry® you will be able to receive optional daily coaching emails. Alternatively, you can sign up for just the email coaching programme at dryjanuary.org.uk.

Try Dry® allows people to track their units, calories and money saved not drinking, plus set personalised goals and earn badges year-round. People who take part in Dry January®, whether online or via Try Dry®, are twice as likely to spend the whole the month alcohol-free, despite being heavier drinkers to start with (de Visser and Nicholls, 2020).

(EDITOR: However, That's Food and Drink would like to point out that if you are alcohol dependent (or know someone who is alcohol dependent) and wish to participate in Dry January please check with your own Doctor beforehand to make sure that you can safely participate as suddenly stopping all alcohol intake for someone who is dependent on alcohol can cause severe health problems.)
   

That's Christmas: Aldi delivered its best ever Christmas with sales ...

That's Christmas: Aldi delivered its best ever Christmas with sales ...: Aldi reported its best Christmas ever with sales up over 26% during December, as the UK’s cheapest supermarket helped millions of families c...

Aldi to give excess stock to community shop stores UK-wide

Excess stock from Aldi’s network of Regional Distribution Centres will be made available to Community Shop stores all over the UK after Aldi extended its partnership with Company Shop Group.

The supermarket has confirmed all its Regional Distribution Centres will now help redistribute surplus food that can't be sold in its stores.

Company Shop Group is the UK’s top redistributor of surplus food and household products and is working with Aldi to manage surplus stock from its Regional Distribution Centres. This will then be redistributed to the Group’s Community Shops across the country, where items will be sold at discounted prices as a way to help those who are in need.

Since first collaborating back in 2015, Company Shop Group has helped Aldi stop in excess of over 14,700 tonnes of food going to waste, with this new national roll out estimated to prevent a further 2,860 tonnes of food from going to waste every year.

Liz Fox, who is the Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said: “Reducing food waste is really incredibly important to us, and we know by rolling this scheme out nationwide, it'll make a massive difference to communities all over the UK.

“The work Community Shop does is vital to so many people and, sadly, the demand it's seeing for surplus food is currently higher than ever. By extending our partnership with them, we can make a positive difference together.”

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman, Community Shop, added: “We’ve worked with Aldi for a long time now and are incredibly excited to be able to extend our partnership with them.

“The surplus stock that we redistribute through Community Shop is a lifeline for so many people, and by rolling out the partnership nationally, we can deliver positive impacts for people and communities on a much greater scale.”

www.aldo.co.uk

Aldi launches new vegan 'cheese' offering for Veganuary

Arriving specially for Veganuary, supermarket Aldi has launched its biggest ever vegan ‘cheese’ range – starting from a very nifty £1.49. From plant-based soft cheese and cheddar, to mozzarella and fake feta, shoppers can choose from the huge new range from now on.   

Aldi’s new Plant Menu Vegan Soft Cheese (£1.99, 200g) comes in either classic plain or a delicious garlic and herb flavour. Stir into pasta dishes, spread on sandwiches, or even use in baking recipes in place of regular cream cheese for the ultimate non-dairy treat.  

Back by popular acclaim and demand following huge popularity, is Aldi’s Plant Menu Vegan Cheddar-Style Cheese (£1.99) available in either a Block (200g), Grated (200g), or Sliced (180g) to suit a wide variety of meal preferences.  

Shoppers can also pick up Aldi’s new Plant Menu Vegan Continental Cheeses (£1.99) with a choice of either a creamy Grated Mozzarella (200g), a tangy ‘fake feta’ Greek Style Salad Cheese (200g) or a punchy Grated Hard Cheese (100g).  

Also launching in stores is the Applewood Smoky Vegan Block (£2.29, 200g) a smooth, creamy dairy alternative that’s infused with a deliciously smoky finished. Plant Based Boursin (£1.99, 130g) serves up the iconic garlic and herb spreadable blend as a totally vegan alternative. Plus, at £1.99 shoppers can enjoy a 37% savings compared to Sainsbury’s.  

Plant Based Babybel (£1.75, 100g, 5x20g) is a fantastic option for on-the-go shoppers or an excellent addition to kids’ packed lunches – and 19% cheaper than the same item at Sainsbury’s. Alternatively, those keen to boost their protein goals to kick-start their year can enjoy Eatlean Protein Cheese (£1.49) Grated (180g), Block (200g), Sliced (160g) – a tasty and healthier alternative that’s 46% cheaper at Aldi versus Morrisons!

www.aldi.co.uk

Sustained Growth Ltd. announces how to achieve extraordinary growth for your small or medium size beverage manufacturing company

Have you realised that creating great products doesn't bring the commercial success you had hoped and planned? This was the McQueen Gin experience which I completely turned around.

Meet Sustained Growth Ltd. providing real world Business Growth Guidance like nothing else available in the UK, from Dale McQueen, ex McQueen Gin, Scottish Gin Growth Company of the Year, and winner of Institute of Directors Regional Director of the Year.

The number of UK gin distilleries grew by 110 in 2021, there are now more than 820 UK gin distilleries, up from 710 in 2020 and 190 in 2015, according to the office for national statistics. Micro distilleries, those with less than 10 employees, now make up more than 730 of all sites.

Can consumer demand support growth for all of these? Probably not, so which will flourish and grow, and which will not?

Dale’s position as Managing Director of Trossachs Distillery Limited ended in August 2022, freeing him to bring his amassed wealth of real-world experience to help sustainably grow any aspiring small to medium beverage manufacturer.

He offers a free consultation to establish how he may add growth value. Having established that he can help, the initial engagement will be for 5 days, resulting in a detailed deliverable growth plan, which he can go on to help deliver if required. For lasting and sustainable results, he could act as a monthly part time member of your leadership team.

Sustained Growth Ltd is committed to growing client revenues quickly and sustainably, with passion, honesty and integrity. They have established a proven low risk and repeatable methodology that will deliver incremental growth, more quickly than your current expectation, and without compromising your values.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director at ALDI Stores: "I’d like to thank you for all the amazing work you’ve done for us over the last few years. You helped us from the outset of our gin journey and played a pivotal role in helping us formulate our range and offer. We wouldn’t be in the position we are in without your involvement."

http://sustainedgrowth.co.uk.

Fill up for less: Morrisons helps customers at the pumps with fuel offer

Fill up for less: Morrisons helps customers at the pumps with fuel offer

- 5p off per litre after spending £35 in store - 

- Deal running from Thursday 5th January until Sunday 15th January –

Morrisons is helping its motoring customers to save money on fuel by offering 5p off every litre at the pumps this January.   

All customers who spend £35 in store between now and Sunday 15th January will receive a coupon giving them 5p off every litre of fuel purchased.  (Please note this offer excludes any franchised Morrisons Daily petrol stations.)

The coupon is redeemable at all Morrisons petrol stations and customers have until Sunday 22nd January to spend it. 

In addition to the fuel deal, Morrisons is helping out its customers stretch their budgets through the January squeeze by cutting 130 prices on its entry level Savers range. The cuts include important fresh and frozen products for family meals and lunch boxes, together with cupboard essentials and household products.

Rachel Eyre, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Morrisons, said: "January is always a financial squeeze after the expense of Christmas and this year we know the cost of living continues to impact customers’ pockets too. Our fuel offer aims to help budgets go a little further by providing a saving on one of the biggest expenses people across the UK are facing.”

The required £35 customer spend excludes certain items: Fuel, Tobacco, Lottery products, Morrisons Café,  Gift Vouchers & Cards, Infant/Formula Milk, Cash Back, Dry Cleaning, Fireworks, Online Games and Instant Tickets, Photo Printing, Saver Stamps, Postage Stamps, ‘Top-Up’ Mobile Phone Cards, Delivery Charges/Pass, Garden Centre & Pharmacy (where applicable).   

Did you know Morrisons has 339 filling stations across the UK?

For further information and the full terms & conditions please visit: www.my.morrisons.com/fuel-offer 

 

Foodspring

Foodspring produces some absolutely stunning supplements with some pretty nifty twists.

For example, what about their clear whey in delicious lemonade flavour? 

It's a high protein whey product which is also sugar free. 

They are also produce whey protein, and of special interest during Veganuary they have vegan protein, meal replacement for weight loss.

There is a range of protein bars, including vegan protein bars, too. 

There's also a range of vitamin supplements and other food supplements and amino acids, ready to drink products.

Hey! What about their Protein Brownies? And a special cook-it-yourself Protein Pizza base mix? Sounds delicious!

And don't forget the Lifespring absolutely delicious protein spreads! 

Their top selling Protein Creams have 85% less sugar than usual sweet spreads. Their vegan variety has 8x more protein. 

Just Nuts are some of the cleanest spreads around, with up to only four organic ingredients. And our rich Peanut Butter is made from nothing but genuine whole organic peanuts.

https://www.foodspring.co.uk.

Tesco is keeping low prices low, with over a thousand everyday products price locked until Easter 2023

Tesco has announced a new price lock on over a thousand products, which will run until Easter 2023.

The price lock underlines Tesco’s unwavering commitment to great value for its customers. 

This time, as well as popular branded products, prices have been locked on many favourite own-brand staples too, meaning customers can shop a wide range of products bought week-in, week-out – from cupboard essentials and teatime favourites to household and health & beauty products – safe in the knowledge they are locked at a low price.

So whether it’s Tesco Breaded Plaice Fillets and McCain Home Chips for a tasty midweek dinner or Nescafe Instant Coffee and Tesco Tea Bags alongside a bowl of Kelloggs All-Bran to start your morning right, our customers can count on the price of over 1,000 products at Tesco to be the same each time they shop – helping them stick to budgets and spend less on their shopping.

The latest price lock announced today follows last year’s price lock commitment, which saw prices frozen from 5 October until the start of 2023. Locking these Low Everyday Prices is a key part of Tesco’s commitment to delivering great value on the weekly shop – going hand-in-hand with Aldi Price Match, great value own-brand staples through ‘Exclusively at Tesco’ brands and exclusive deals through Clubcard Prices.

Tesco UK CEO, Jason Tarry, said: “As we start the New Year, we know times are tough for many of our customers right now. We hope this extended price lock commitment gives our customers the certainty of knowing that over a thousand household favourites and own brand essentials will stay at the same low price for months to come – helping them budget when they need it most.”

• Price Lock includes over 1,000 products across larger Tesco stores and online. Excludes Express.

• Prices locked until 10/4/2023.

Morrisons kickstarts the year with price cuts on Savers range

Morrisons is cutting 130 prices across its entry level products to help customers’ money go further throughout the January squeeze.

The cuts include important fresh and frozen products for family meals and lunch boxes, together with cupboard essentials and household products to help customers across their shopping. 

Morrisons has invested over £16 million to make these cuts as customers look for help on their weekly shop after the expense of Christmas and as the cost of living crisis continues to impact household grocery budgets. 

Fresh products like bacon, pre-cooked chicken and cheese which can be used to make hearty meals have had their prices reduced as well as fruit and vegetables including apples, pears and potatoes.  Frozen ready meals, fish fingers and prawns have been cut along with cupboard fillers like tins of beans, chopped tomatoes and tuna chunks.  Household essentials such as laundry powder, washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets have also seen their prices slashed as have toothbrushes, toothpaste and sanitary products. 

Morrisons entry level range has 263 products, 28 of which were new additions within the last six months.  This month the range will grow further with the introduction of cherry tomatoes, easy peel oranges, green beans and mixed peppers.

David Potts, Chief Executive, Morrisons, said: “Our Savers range offers customers great value on the products they buy every day. We want to do all we can to help when it comes to the cost of grocery shopping and by investing in the range and cutting the prices further, our customers will see a noticeable impact on their budgets at a time when they really need it.”

Morrisons price cuts will be communicated to customers via TV, radio, press, digital display and social media as well as email and online activity. On the website, the Savers range will be highlighted on the homepage under Morrisons ‘More Way to Save’ section and until January 22nd, the seasonal aisle in Morrisons stores will feature displays of the ambient Savers products in one place to help customers shop the breadth of the range, while the fresh and frozen items will have prominent displays in their aisles to help customers identify them. 

Morrisons entry level range includes ‘Morrisons Savers’, ‘Morrisons Wonky’ in produce and ‘Morrisons Essentials’ in homeware and health & beauty.  The price cuts are in all of Morrisons 498 supermarkets and the majority of products can be found online.

www.morrisons.com.

What to do after dry January? Vidrate has the answers!

9 million people are estimated to be participating in Dry January this year, and the first night out on the town back after 4 weeks alcohol free could be a heavy one. 

If you don’t fancy nursing the mother of all hangovers the next day, Nick Hird from Vidrate have stepped in to advise the UK on how to properly hydrate and fight off the dreaded post night out grogginess. 

“Whether you’ve been participating in Dry January and had an alcohol free month, or you've seen sipping wine here and there; - the dreaded hangover the next day may put you off. Here are our top tips for preventing a rough post party. 

- Hydrate before drinking

'Dehydration is the main cause of feeling hungover, alongside vitamin depletion and excessively putting toxins into your body. By staying hydrated before drinking you’re giving your body a head start. You're supposed to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid everyday - so this gives you an idea of how much you should be drinking to stay hydrated.

- Make sure you eat

This is an obvious one, but one many people ignore. Don't start drinking on an empty stomach as this makes your body absorb the alcohol quicker. By eating a well-balanced meal before a night out, you slow down the body's alcohol absorption rate.

- Drink water with your alcohol

Alcohol is a diuretic, which stimulates your kidneys to produce urine, meaning it makes you lose more water than you take on board. Basically, you pee more than you drink, which means you are dehydrating yourself and with that you also lose some of the body's electrolytes.

Drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic drink keeps you hydrated and helps you retain some water, minerals and vitamins.

- Avoid fizzy drinks

Don’t drink non-alcoholic fizzy drinks, instead of water to try and fight off the hangover. Fizzy drinks actually increase the rate at which your body absorbs alcohol - so could make your hangover worse. Same with carbonated alcohol such as prosecco and champagne - the carbon dioxide speeds up your alcohol intake meaning you get drunker faster, resulting in a worse hangover.

- Don’t drink too much water

Don’t chug multiple glasses of water before bed as this might do more harm than good. Drinking water in excess means you’ll need to go to the toilet and can mess up your sleeping pattern.

Drink one glass of water before bed and keep another on your bedside table for when you wake up with a banging head and dry mouth. Think about adding a hydration powder, such as ViDrate, to your glass of water before bed to help replace the vitamins and minerals lost.

- Avoid coffee

Reaching for a cup of coffee on a hangover might seem like a good idea, but the caffeine dehydrates you further - making your hangover even worse.

- Have a power nap

Sleep is one of the best hangover remedies but when you’ve been drinking the alcohol disturbs your restorative sleep. Try and schedule in a power nap the next day, or if you don't have time make sure you get an early night so your body can recover.

- Exercise

Yes exercise! We know the last thing you want to do when your head is pounding is exercise. But even a short walk or jog will make you feel better due to the fresh air and endorphins released by physical activity.

- Ginger

If your stomach is unsettled and you keep getting waves of nausea then ginger is a great remedy. Ginger helps reduce inflammation and helps settle your stomach.”

Vidrate provide natural, healthy supplements and probiotics to help with hydration, health and well-being. https://www.vidrate.com.