Sales of Halloween-related purchases are rising across UK retailers, farms, and entertainment venues, providing a longer selling period for pumpkins and greater overall marketing opportunities as consumers beyond children embrace the spooky season. As Halloween cements itself as a key occasion for UK consumers, the shopping season is extending well beyond the traditional two-week run-up to the holiday.  By the beginning of October, over one million supermarket shoppers had pu

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has set out its Scottish Environmental Horticulture Manifesto, recommending practical actions that could unlock a £5.1bn economic opportunity for a greener, healthier, and more prosperous country by 2030. Image: HTA – L-R Stan Green, Carolyn Spray (Pentland Plants), Katie Neenan Unveiling the manifesto to members at Pentland Plants near Edinburgh this week, HTA said its proposals would foster greener jobs, healthier, more resilient c

Saga Robotics has concluded its biggest operational season so far in the United States and the United Kingdom, utilising Thorvald robots across 20% of the UK tabletop strawberry market in 2025 and cementing plans to expand further next year.  Image: Saga Robotics Across both countries, the autonomous Thorvald platform for grapevine and strawberries tripled its operational distance compared with the year before; operating 150 robots at 97% uptime which accrued over 200,000 aut

Businesses operating in the gig economy and those hiring zero-hours workers are set to face stricter regulations under new UK government measures aimed at tackling illegal employment. Through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill , the government will expand its enforcement of right-to-work checks to verify the legal work status of gig economy and zero-hours workers, including those hired as couriers and contractors in the food delivery and warehousing sectors. The

A stark number of independent street food traders in the UK lack confidence in the future after nearly 9 in 10 businesses raise prices, 71% reduce staff hours, and almost a third cut jobs entirely, according to a new survey. Conducted by hospitality organisation KERB , the poll of over 100 UK street food traders found that only 1% see a strong, viable future ahead for the sector as it grapples with rising costs. KERB says the system is stacked against the very businesses that

The premium retailer has launched partnerships with Soil Association Exchange and Regenified to give UK farmers and fresh produce growers the tools, data, and verification to produce food in ways that restore and protect the environment.  Waitrose aims to have all its UK farms using regenerative practices by 2030, and the retailer has committed to reaching net zero across its UK farms by 2035. The new collaborations with Soil Association Exchange , a farm-measurement tool, an

Retail buyers and major chain­sellers are raising the alarm over escalating input costs in the horticulture sector — a situation that threatens stability across the entire fresh produce aisle. Retailers are now reporting increased pressure from their supply chain partners in the UK horticulture sector, with significant cost inflation affecting growers — and by extension, the retailers themselves. A recent article in Horticulture Week notes that the rising burden from energy

Annual food price inflation in the UK cooled to 3.7% in October, down from 4.2% in September, according to the latest data released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research partner NielsenIQ. While this marks a welcome deceleration, the picture remains mixed across food sub-categories. Fresh food inflation picked up to 4.3% in October (from 4.1% in September), indicating that produce and perishables continue to face upward pressure. In contrast, ambient food infl

A delegation of International Trade Centre-vetted Jamaican digital service providers, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) under the UK Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme, will visit London from 10–14 November 2025 to connect with UK scale-ups and SMEs seeking cost-effective, high-quality tech partners. The firms specialise in software development, AI, cybersecurity, cloud transformation, and customer experience solutions, offering flexible, rig

Scotland’s potato sector stands at a pivotal moment, as growers and exporters grapple with pressures ranging from rising costs to trade disruptions, while concurrently embracing technological innovation and global market strategies. Producing around one million tonnes annually, Scottish potato growers are renowned for high-grade seed potato exports. Key factors underpinning this reputation include rigorous disease-control regimes and the country’s cool growing conditions, whi

Sysco GB and Meals & More have teamed up to brief parliamentarians on the growing child food poverty crisis facing the UK, and to call on the Government for further support. Image: Sysco The Tackling Food Poverty event, which took place on 22 October, saw MPs, Lords and Westminster colleagues hear about the progress being made to end holiday hunger and the significant hurdles that still need to be overcome. Ahead of the November budget, it provided the opportunity to talk t

Veryan Bliss has been appointed as Chair of the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme Fresh Produce Sector Board, the organisation announced on 27 October 2025. Ms Bliss will also join the Red Tractor Board of Directors, working to shape strategic priorities across the scheme’s fresh produce supply-chain assurance operations. With more than three decades of experience across global fresh produce supply chains, Ms Bliss brings deep expertise in growing, packing, technical assurance, in

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves readies the next Budget, major UK retailers are warning that any further tax rises or new business-rates surcharges could reignite food inflation just as consumers begin to breathe easier. In a letter coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), supermarket groups have urged the Treasury to reconsider plans for a business-rates “surtax” on properties with a rateable value over £500,000, saying the move would risk pushing prices higher. The B

A significant proportion — 34% — of British berry growers are contemplating either scaling back operations or leaving the sector altogether, according to a recent audit by British Berry Growers (BBG). The audit highlights a stark reality: only 48% of growers report they are currently making a profit. Rising production costs — in labour, energy, packaging and transport — are placing heavy strain on the sector. BBG’s data suggests that if these trends continue, up to 40% of gro

Global shipping and logistics group CMA CGM has announced the acquisition of Freightliner UK, one of the country’s leading rail and road freight operators, in a move designed to strengthen its intermodal logistics capabilities across the UK. Image: Freightliner Group Under the agreement, Freightliner’s UK rail business and inland terminals will become part of the CMA CGM Group but continue to operate as a standalone entity. The company’s heavy haul divisions in Poland and Ge

The British public is more positive about UK agriculture in 2025 than at any point in the last seven years, and sentiment remains strong for domestic fruit and vegetable production, according to the latest AHDB/Blue Marble trust study published this week. Despite ongoing concerns about the cost of living, trust in farmers and interest in food production have reached new heights, with more than half of shoppers likely to actively seek out British food and produce rather than i

An innovative project has been launched to raise awareness and understanding of mental health in UK agriculture through a Virtual Reality (VR) educational experience that highlights the unique lived experiences of farmers and rural workers, with the aim of better supporting those in need. Developed by three Suffolk doctors in collaboration with Cambridge-based creative technology company Revolve Labs, the Rural Minds Project is designed to address the growing mental health cr

DP World has taken a major step forward in the digitalisation and automation of its port operations by investing £170 million in groundbreaking container handling technology at its London Gateway logistics hub that will increase reliability, efficiency, capacity, and safety.  Image: DP World Developed by BOXBAY, a joint venture between DP World and Germany’s SMS group, the new Empty Superstack system represents a revolutionary approach to handling empty containers, according

New data shows that millions of people across the UK are still facing food insecurity and families are sacrificing nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables because of financial concerns, leading to calls for the government to commit to halving UK food insecurity in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.  The Roadmap to Reducing Food Insecurity in the UK report , from influential national charity The Food Foundation, indicates that food insecurity in the UK has remained stubb

The UK’s leading crop science organisation has announced a hybrid event for its 2025 Soft Fruit Day to share both in person and online its latest developments in pest management, post-harvest quality, resource use efficiency, and the new soft fruit genetic improvement network project. Taking place on Wednesday 3 December the annual event will feature three key sessions for up to 60 people to attend in person at Niab’s East Malling site in Kent, or for others to follow online