Lidl GB is now third largest supermarket in London

Lidl GB is now the third largest supermarket in London after overtaking Asda and hitting a market share high of 9.1%. 

As well as experiencing the fastest growth out of all supermarkets in the city, it was also named fastest-growing supermarket in the UK as a whole. 

With more than double the market share of any other discount supermarket in the capital city, Lidl’s growth forms part of its £500 million investment into London, while reaffirming its unwavering commitment to ensuring that all Londoners have a Lidl store within easy reach. 

Unlike other supermarkets that run convenience models in city centres, which could be costing London households hundreds more a year, Lidl is firmly committed to providing all its customers with access to good food at low prices, no matter where they live. 

In 2022, Lidl marked its expansion in London by opening nine new stores, including locations in East Acton, Kingston, and Upton Park, whilst also securing a further five sites in the city for future expansion, generating hundreds of new job opportunities in the process.

Early next year, it’s set to open another store in East Ham and it has started construction at its Newbury Park and Bellingham sites, further contributing to local employment. Those working at Lidl receive the highest pay in the supermarket sector, with hourly wages within the M25 starting at £12.85, rising to £13.15, along with a competitive benefits package including colleague discount.  

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said: "We have a clear commitment to providing shoppers with the very best value, and becoming the third-largest supermarket in London reinforces our dedication to ensuring that everyone can eat affordable, high quality food, no matter where they live. We know convenience plays a huge factor when choosing where to shop in the city, which is why we’re pushing on with plans to bring many more locations to the capital in the future.”

Outlining its intentions to extend its great value offerings to even more households in the capital, the discounter has published a list of priority locations for new stores. Currently, Lidl boasts over 100 within London and the M25, with ambitious plans for more than 100, including areas such as Earls Court, Westminster, Kings Cross, and even Knightsbridge.

The discounter has also doubled down on its plans to strengthen its warehouse infrastructure to increase capacity across the country. Just last month, it opened its £300m Regional Distribution Centre in Luton to service over 150 stores in and around the capital, further cementing its commitment to London.

www.lidl.co.uk

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Brits turned to comfort eating in September as the cost of living crisis continued to hurt

High Street and online retail sales slumped in September, with only food sales showing a rise. Inflation may be slowing but consumers are still suffering, says ParcelHero.

Both in-store and online retail sales fell in September, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal. 

The home delivery expert ParcelHero says shoppers have yet to feel the benefit of the slowdown in retail price rises, with only food sales bucking the slump.

Retail sales volumes, the amount we all bought, fell by -0.9% in September compared to August, and there was also a fall of -0.2% in the value of sales, the amount we all spent. Household goods store sales volumes fell by -2.3% and clothing store sales volumes fell by -1.6%. The volume of non-store (predominantly online) sales fell by a hefty -2.2% and the value of online sales dipped by -1.3%.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., said: "There were few retail winners this September. Both the High Street and online sales fell. Retailers told the ONS that consumers were still struggling with the increased cost of living and prices. The only uptick was for food stores, whose sales volumes rose by 0.2% overall and 0.4% in value online. Doubtless, some of that spending was on comfort eating. Sometimes, only chocolate or a tub of ice cream can help beat the financial blues.

"There were some chinks of light in the September mists. The value of online sales was up 6.4% against the same month a year ago and took 26.7% of the entire retail market. The proportion of online sales continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels (19.7% in February 2020).

"As retail settles to a new equilibrium, it will be those retailers with strong in-store and online sales that will ultimately triumph in a post-Covid world. ParcelHero’s influential report “2030: Death of the High Street” has been discussed in Parliament. It reveals that, unless retailers develop an omnichannel approach, embracing both online and physical store sales, the High Street as we know it will reach a dead-end by 2030. Read the full report at: https://www.parcelhero.com/content/downloads/pdfs/high-street/deathofthehighstreetreport.pdf

(Image courtesy of Lynn from Pixabay)

Porte Noire Unveils Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne

Porte Noire is proud to announce the launch of its latest masterpiece: the Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne.

The Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne is the embodiment of luxury and elegance. It is an exquisite blend crafted from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir grapes, sourced from the prestigious Chardonnay Du Sezonnais and Pinot Noir Venteuil terroirs. Bottled in 2020, this sensational champagne undergoes meticulous aging for a minimum of 24 months in the bottle, resulting in a refined and sophisticated taste.

The vibrant raspberry and salmon hue is visually stunning, while the nose delights with bold and fruity aromas. Upon tasting, marvel in the intricate symphony of flavours, featuring subtle spice and pepper notes intertwined with the freshness of red berries. Its fine effervescence and balanced acidity create a harmonious dance on the palate, leaving a lasting impression of opulence.

Tramp Private Member's Club is the only venue in London where patrons can enjoy Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne throughout October. Meanwhile, those interested in adding Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne to their collection can now purchase it exclusively from Harvey Nichols for £54.99.

The Porte Noire name has always been synonymous with craftsmanship and innovation, and the Petite Porte Noire Rosé Champagne is no exception. Each bottle reflects their commitment to excellence, making it the perfect choice for those special moments when only the finest will suffice.

Giffard Liqueurs Introduces Their No/Low Range

The Giffard House, known worldwide for its liqueurs and syrups, will be launching a new alcohol-free range, inspired by its liqueurs.

Non-alcoholic cocktails have become increasingly popular as modern consumers are looking to cut back on alcohol, or even stop drinking altogether. 

With this new trend, spirits or non-alcoholic alternatives are booming with customers looking for healthier solutions and the taste of a luxurious cocktail.

To meet this growing demand, Giffard has taken advantage of their 138 years of knowledge in the maceration of fruits and plants, and expertise in liqueurs.

Inspired by their classic range of liqueurs, Giffard has developed a new range in which fruits and plants are macerated in wine vinegar. The result is an alcohol-free range with great aromatic richness and a reduced level of sugar, which brings complexity and real added value to the cocktail.

This new range of four flavours including Elderflower, Grapefruit, Ginger, and Pineapple will help bartenders improve their non-alcoholic offering, and will complete cocktail menus by bringing taste, sophistication, and character. Giffard’s no/low will be available to the UK market from this month, October.

In the spirit of this, this delicious recipe for a virgin paloma is a clear example of why Giffard’s no/low range will be sweeping the cocktail scene.

VIRGIN PALOMA

High ball / Shaker / clear ice

5cl Giffard Grapefruit without alcohol

1.5cl Agave Giffard syrup

2.5cl Lime juice

Top up with sparkling water

Garnish with rosemary, grapefruit zest, salt, and pepper

Unveiling the Carte d'Or Furoshiki: A Tale of Craftsmanship and Sustainability

A meeting of minds: Ryoko Sekiguchi, who is passionate about cooking, literature, and the role of women in the world of wine and gastronomy, met Charline Drappier during a meeting of the LA TRANSMISSION association. The group includes seven other women from Champagne, all driven by the same motivation to share and transmit the values and complexity of the region.

A dedicated admirer of Champagne Drappier for many years, Ryoko loves finding it on the menus of Japan’s best restaurants. As for Charline Drappier, she was delighted to discover Ryoko’s works and poetry, which she found particularly moving.

Ardent protectors of nature One day, a Franco-Japanese friend of Charline’s suggested that she could use a Furoshiki to wrap a bottle using a special folding technique.

Charline was already familiar with the Furoshiki technique and material, because she and her brother Hugo often wrap their Christmas gifts in these types of fabric. Perfectly suited to packaging a bottle of Champagne Drappier, the Furoshiki protects the glass without the need for paper or cardboard. As it is reusable, the material is also perfect for picnics.

As it happened, Charline was re-reading Ryoko’s book Nagori from 2022, in which she develops a truly unique idea about “sustainable” cooking, the extension of the seasons, and so on.

The connection with Ryoko’s poetry and the ancestral use of quince – one of the most characteristic flavours in DRAPPIER CARTE D’OR – was clear: she should create a FUROSHIKI for the champagne that has been Drappier’s signature for the last 70 years.

The idea also fit perfectly with the ecological journey on which the Drappier family embarked in the mid-1990s. Ryoko Sekiguchi is a writer and Japanese poet based in Paris. She inspires the reader to travel through the culinary cultures of the world. Her essay, Nagori, the nostalgia for the passing season, is an ode to postseason cuisine. Translated into six languages, the work has been a huge success.

A delicate creation by a talented pair Charline drew and painted the Furoshiki’s vibrant quince in radiant gold and green, while Ryoko wrote the text that will appear on the Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or in its new apparel. The Furoshiki is made from organic cotton poplin, printed in France at by small French Japanese designer (INSHO) and hand-sewn by people with disabilities at a medical and support organisation centre in Angers.

Because it is large (71 cm x 71 cm), it can also be used as a picnic blanket or tablecloth, or even worn as a scarf to brighten up a shirt collar or a handbag.

Paying tribute to a third woman: Micheline Drappier, Charline’s grandmother In 1952, André and Micheline Drappier created Champagne Carte d’Or, based on an idea from Micheline, who – unusually for a woman at that time – was heavily involved in all the decisions being made.

This radiant yellow colour, which has remained the same for 70 years, is a reminder of the famous quince jelly, one of the delicious flavours in this “classic brut” made of Pinot Noir (80%), Chardonnay (15%) and Pinot Meunier (5%).

Made only from first press grapes, the juice goes through its prise de mousse in a bottle specially designed for Champagne Drappier. Its refined and characteristic notes of quince and red berries, heightened with a touch of spice, make it a great partner for international dishes, as well as for fish and white meat, lightly cooked to enhance their full flavour. A temperature of 8°C will bring out its best.

The Drappier Carte d’Or champagne, wrapped in its Furoshiki will be available at independent wine merchants for £65.

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TRIP has Best Week of Sales Ever After Consumers Show Confidence In Superior Quality CBD

TRIP announces it has had its best week of sales ever, after consumers show confidence in superior quality CBD. TRIP (www.drink-trip.com) is the 4th fastest growing private company in the UK (Sunday Times 100) and the UK's market leader in CBD products (with 88% market share of CBD drinks - Nielsen). 

Holland & Barrett today reinstate all CBD products, after a temporary pause last week following the FSA announcement. 

TRIP is distributed in 25,000 stores. While the FSA and Trading Standards confirmed publicly that there are no changes required to listings, product formulas, labelling or packaging; Holland & Barrett were the only retailer to temporarily put some TRIP beverage products on hold, this has now been lifted and all CBD products are available again.

TRIP are passionate about bringing the health benefits of CBD into the mainstream and destigmatising conversations around mental wellbeing, TRIP has always advocated for regulation of the industry and championed best in class compliance, supporting the FSA's work for consumer food safety.

Last week, the FSA updated its recommended daily guideline of 10mg CBD, reduced from the previous 70mg limit. TRIP fully supports the FSA's emphasis on food safety, while also highlighting that the guideline is based on the lowest grade of CBD assessed in a study of three CBD sources.

Independent third party studies conducted on TRIP's source of CBD, reviewed by the FSA, generates a safety limit of 105mg (equivalent to seven cans per day), this demonstrates the materially different level of safety and purity in TRIP's products.

Said Dr Julie Moltke, MD Medical CBD Practitioner, Researcher and Published Author: “It is most surprising that when the majority of the high-quality CBD datasets that have been made public were assessed, the three datasets analysed by the FSA appeared to have a significantly lower daily guideline. It can be useful to compare to the daily guideline in other countries that have legalised CBD for many years - In Canada the daily upper guideline is for 200 mg/day and in the Netherlands it is 160 mg/day. It is also worth noting that in the UK the NHS upper prescription guideline for Epidiolex, a synthetic CBD given to children and adults with epilepsy, is 1750mg/day for a 70kg person”

The last week saw TRIP's best week of sales to date, showing consumer confidence in superior quality CBD (TRIP Drink Ltd. Value Sales w/e 15.10.23 Nielsen Retail, Online & On-premise). 

TRIP commented: “Following Mental Health Awareness Day (10th October) and after the FSA announcement TRIP had its best sales week ever with Britons continuing to choose TRIP CBD products to support their everyday wellbeing - having seen the benefits first hand over the past few years.”

TRIP is the CBD market leader with the top 7 best-selling CBD SKUs in the country over the last year (Source Nielsen Total Market Value Sales - 52 Weeks 03 June 23) and 88% of the CBD drinks market in the UK (Nielsen). The CBD in TRIP products wasn't included in the FSA's analysis, used as the basis of the announcement last week. 

TRIP comment, “Not all CBD is created equal. The FSA updated recommended daily guideline of 10mg CBD dosage is based on a study of 3 lower grade ingredient samples, which does not include TRIP's CBD.” 

Dr Antonia Orsi, Director of Toxicology, PhD, MRpharmS, UKRT, ERT, MRQA, CSci has confirmed the following of the CBD in TRIP products: “The CBD tested was considered to have a no observed adverse effect level at 150mg/kg body weight/day by an independent testing facility. This equates to a provisional acceptable daily intake of 105mg.”

Independent third party studies conducted on TRIP's source of CBD reviewed by the FSA, generates a safety limit of 105mg (equivalent to seven cans per day). This demonstrates the materially different level of purity in TRIP's products. 

TRIP is distributed in 25,000 stores. The FSA and Trading Standards have confirmed publicly that there are no changes required to listings, product formulas, labelling or packaging; TRIP is in complete compliance with this framework. 

TRIP added: “This message is echoed by TRIP's retailer partners, who have been overwhelmingly supportive, retailers are clear that TRIP is in full compliance with the regulation.” 

TRIP comment “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with retail partners and regulators to prioritise consumer safety and provide clarity for customers.”

“TRIP have pioneered CBD onto shelves and into homes nationwide with their CBD drinks making functional health accessible. We look forward to working closely with our valued partners and customer community on our mission.”

Massively Popular England's Seafood FEAST 2023 Sells Out and Announces Dates for 2024

The beginning of autumn saw the UK's most popular holiday destination, the English Riviera, welcome thousands of visitors for its annual England's Seafood FEAST, which celebrates locally landed and caught seafood during a fortnight of exclusive experiences, special events and seafood menus. 

The two week FEAST took place from 29th September until 15th October and saw the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham join forces to host a seafood feast like no other before. It was a fantastic opportunity for visitors to join the locals and experience some of the best seafood in the world, right where it's landed.

The FEAST started with a bang at Brixham Fish Market with an exhilarating live broadcast by BBC Radio Devon on Friday 29th September and an amazing featured piece on BBC Spotlight on Monday 2nd October 2023. Throughout both broadcasts, presenters John Acres and John Ayres engaged with the Faces of the FEAST, from dedicated fishers to market managers, painting a vivid picture of the vibrant maritime community. 

Special mentions go to Helen Lovell-Smith from the Fishermen's Mission, Barry Young of Brixham Trawler Agents, Mitch Tonks of Rockfish and program coordinator Kelly Widley, whose dedication set the stage for an unforgettable FEAST. 

All of the exclusive experiences sold out including the legendary '7 Chefs from England's Seafood Coast' in both Torquay and Brixham, 'Meet the Maker' with Simon Hulstone of The Elephant and Frazer Pugh of The Hand Picked Scallop Company, an Exclusive Celebration Seafood Supper at Sandridge Barton, a Sea Swim and Seafood with author Matt Newbury at Cantina and 'Seabirds and Seafood' Guided Walk and Breakfast with local bird expert Mike Langman at Guardhouse Cafe on Berry Head. 

Goodrington's SEAFEST was also a resounding success, featuring a medley of arts, performances, and interactive sessions that underscored the beauty and importance of the coastline, and the fun didn't stop there. 

Over 40 independent eateries took part in England's Seafood FEAST including Mitch Tonks' Rockfish who served a special of local mussels throughout and Hampton by Hilton Torquay, who hosted an Afternoon Tea with local artist Becky Bettesworth. 

A five course seafood taster menu was served at The Thatched Tavern, which welcomed Dartmouth-based explorer, marine biologist, and broadcaster Monty Halls for a talk and Paignton's Shoreline invited local paddle boarding nine time world record holder Brendon Prince to talk after a three course seafood sharing feast.

Carolyn Custerson, CEO of the English Riviera BID Company, said: “A huge thanks goes out to everyone involved with England's Seafood FEAST, which has gone from strength-to-strength every year. Our local fishers, chefs and independent eateries have done a fantastic job of showcasing the local fish and shellfish. As an organisation, we are very proud to represent these local individuals, businesses and eateries.

"I'm thrilled to announce that this year has been so popular that we have already confirmed dates for next year with some new exciting events in the early planning stages.. England's Seafood FEAST will return to the English Riviera from 27th September - 13th October 2024. Save the dates!”

England's Seafood FEAST is brought to you by English Riviera BID Company and kindly sponsored by Torbay Council and Henderson Seafood.

To find out more visit www.theseafoodfeast.co.uk and for regular updates follow theseafoodfeast on Instagram and follow/like theseafoodfeast on Facebook.