Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, and Tesco have announced measures to support communities over the winter months by offering everything from free Christmas meals to wonky Christmas trees to raise spirits, spread kindness, and combat loneliness during the season of giving. Aldi – Christmas Lunches Aldi will donate around 2,500 free Christmas lunches to people in need at 15 Community Shops across the UK between 16 and 18 December.  Under its partnership with Community Shop, the discounte

Two of London’s historic wholesale markets could move to the Royal Docks in 2028 and offer a new onsite food school under a new proposal to secure the future of the centuries-old food markets after long-term relocation plans to Dagenham were abandoned last year. Image: City of London Corporation The identification of a preferred site – Albert Island in east London – where both markets can be located together has been described as “progress” by The City of London Corporation,

The European Union has launched a book to help UK retailers, wholesalers, importers, distributors, chefs, and foodservice buyers explore the region's breadth and quality of food and drink as an opportunity to strengthen product portfolios and create a point of difference for their businesses.  Image: European Union As consumer demand grows for authentic, premium, and sustainable products, the book, titled ‘ A Taste of Excellence ’, offers UK buyers a deeper understanding of h

A team of scientists from the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute, working together with potato cooperative Grampian Growers, has embarked on an initiative to unlock the hidden potential of potato shaws by turning the waste leaves and stems into a high-value skincare ingredient.  The project aims to extract solanesol from the discarded shaws, a compound vital for producing coenzyme Q10 and vitamin K – key ingredients in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and phar

Health isn’t just a buzzword anymore — it’s becoming a defining lifestyle choice for UK shoppers. And as we head into 2026, all signs point to fruit and vegetables taking centre stage in a retail landscape shaped by wellbeing, value and simplicity. Industry analysts now suggest that the grocery channel will continue to grow steadily over the coming years, with consumers demanding far more than low prices alone. While budgets remain tight, shoppers are increasingly seeking foo

Smaller growers, packers, importers and logistics firms may feel understandably twitchy reading the Bank of England’s latest Financial Stability Report. The Bank is clear that risks in the global system have risen – from frothy AI-driven markets to leveraged hedge funds and cyber threats. But there is also good news buried in the detail: the UK banking system remains robust, capital rules are easing slightly, and specialist trade bodies such as the Fresh Produce Consortium (F

Britain’s seasonal spirit is glowing this week after a majestic 19-foot Norway Spruce was switched on outside 10 Downing Street — a festive gift to the nation from the country’s champion Christmas-tree growers. The tree was supplied by the grower crowned British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) Champion Grower of the Year 2025, Cadeby Tree Trust, in Leicestershire. The tradition is a long-established one: each year, the winning grower earns the right to present a ha

Food price inflation in the UK eased markedly in November, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)–NIQ Shop Price Monitor report. Fresh food inflation slowed to 3.6 per cent year-on-year — down from 4.3 per cent in October — marking one of the sharpest drops seen in recent months. Overall shop price inflation also continued its downward trajectory, suggesting that competitive pressures in the retail sector are helping to curb rising costs for households. Much

A new report from food-and-farming alliance Sustain, titled “Bridging the Gap” has called on the Government to increase its support for organic food, arguing that doing so could deliver significant public-health and economic benefits. Image: Sustain The report highlights the potential for greater production and consumption of organic food to support healthier diets, reduce long-term pressures on the NHS, and strengthen the resilience of UK farming. It notes that organic syst

Global demand for blueberries continues to surge, with retailers and consumers increasingly expecting availability all year round. Yet berries remain one of the most challenging categories for growers and exporters due to their exceptionally short shelf life and high susceptibility to waste. In response, post-harvest specialist AgroFresh has strengthened its FreshCloud digital ecosystem through new partnerships with South African analytics firm Aerobotics and Israeli AI inno

A new “supermarket surtax” introduced in the Autumn Budget is prompting questions across the food and retail sectors about how it may influence future grocery prices and the wider supply chain. The surtax applies to large retail premises with a rateable value above £500,000, affecting an estimated 4,000 supermarket sites across the UK. Revenue generated from the measure will be used to reduce business-rates bills for smaller retailers, including independent grocers and high-s

In the wake of the Autumn Budget, supermarket chain The Co-op has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to UK agriculture — announcing that it will continue to spend more than £700 million per year with British farmers and agricultural suppliers. Image courtesy of The Co-op The retailer, which already sources the vast majority of its produce from within the UK, says maintaining this level of investment is vital for ensuring resilient supply chains at a time when growers are feel

The UK Agri-Tech Centre has unveiled a bold new initiative designed to put the spotlight on cutting-edge agri-tech companies that are quietly, but firmly, reshaping the future of UK farming. Dubbed “Grow Your Own Way; We Mean Business When it Comes to Agri-Tech”, the campaign seeks to highlight innovations across robotics, AI, advanced sensing and controlled-environment agriculture, while underscoring how the Centre is helping businesses scale. At the heart of the campaign is

The long-awaited green light for London Heathrow’s third runway has taken another step closer to take off after the government selected the winning bid in what has been described by the logistics sector as a positive step towards long-term growth. Image: Heathrow Airport The Transport Secretary this week confirmed that Heathrow Airport Limited’s (HAL’s) proposal will be used as the scheme to progress the expansion of Heathrow, which is designed to support trade, tourism and j

Foodservice supplier Delifresh has been acquired by Irish retail, wholesale, and foodservice giant Musgrave in a move that further strengthens the Irish company’s position in the premium foodservice sector in Great Britain, and signals future growth opportunities for the UK firm. Image: Delifresh The move reportedly follows Musgrave’s previous acquisitions  of Ritter Courivaud, Town & Country Fine Foods and Italicatessen UK, who are all suppliers of premium ingredients to che

Company Shop Middleton, part of the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products Company Shop Group, is celebrating a decade of environmental and social impact by cutting food waste while serving the local community.   Image: Company Shop Group Since 2015, the Manchester-based store alone has prevented 30,000 tonnes of surplus from becoming waste, delivered the equivalent of 69.3 million meals, saved members over £63 million, and avoided an estimated 78,0

Changes to business rates, minimum pay, inheritance tax, and apprenticeship funding herald winners and losers across the industry with the impact set to trickle down to consumers in the coming months as inflationary pressure increases on the UK’s food system.  FreshTalk Daily takes a look at the key changes and mixed industry reactions to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget on Wednesday 26 November. Wages The National Living Wage will increase by 4.1% to £12.71 an hour f

Aldi, Co-op, Lidl, and Morrisons have announced cost-saving initiatives, including price cuts on everyday items like fresh produce, to help struggling households this winter as new research from New Covent Garden Market reveals British consumers are eating more vegetables at Christmas.  Aldi and Lidl are slashing prices of traditional festive vegetables to 8p to help shoppers budget for their Christmas food shopping.  Co-op, meanwhile, is injecting £1bn across a range of meas

DP World’s new Atlas Service is officially on the water after the first reefer containers were loaded onto the M/V BF Carp on Tuesday (25 November), marking the historic launch of this transformative shipping route that will deliver Moroccan fresh produce to buyers and retailers in the UK and Europe via a quicker, greener, and more reliable service. Image: DP World Departing from the Port of Agadir, the inaugural northbound voyage is now bound for London Gateway and Antwerp G

As Rachel Reeves stands up in the Commons today to deliver her Autumn Budget, Britain’s fruit and vegetable growers will be watching with a mix of anxiety and very cautious hope. This is the second Budget from the new Labour government , set against weak growth, a sizeable fiscal gap and heavy pressure to raise revenue without touching manifesto promises on income tax, VAT or National Insurance. For horticulture, the stakes are unusually high. The long-running EU-legacy Fruit