Commercial News

Weeks of rumours have been put to rest last Thursday (15th June) when Irish meat processor ABP Foods announced it will be taking over the Bridge of Allan abattoir and Queenslie meat packing plant in Scotland, leading to concerns being raised regarding the nation’s red meat sector.

As part of its plans to reach net zero by 2035, National potato supplier Branston has become one of the first UK businesses to trial a fully electric-powered (EV) truck to support its transport operations, working in partnership with Crossroads Truck and Bus Ltd.

Over half of shoppers surveyed in AHDB’s latest research want to see meat-free products displayed separately to meat products and distinct labelling to be used for plant-based meat to avoid confusion.

Two of Scotland’s longest established fresh produce organisations, East of Scotland Growers Ltd (ESG) and R&K Drysdales Ltd (RKD), have joined forces to expand their product range and provide additional value to customers, with a combined turnover now approaching £50m.

Perthshire-based Taylors Snacks and Abertay University are joining forces in a new project looking at mitigating levels of acrylamide, a suspected carcinogen, in potato crisp production in a bid to enhance food safety.

To meet rapid growth in global demand, family-owned UK manufacturer Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd has recently expanded its factory at the Wickhambrook site in West Suffolk, with the completed building set to double production and create numerous additional jobs.

An unnamed processor currently under investigation by the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCA) has allegedly been passing up to tens of thousands of tonnes of imported pork per week as British in what is possibly the biggest food fraud and safety scandal since Horsegate in 2013.

Popular healthy drinks brand innocent will no longer be offering its vegan coconut, almond and hazelnut-flavoured smoothies due to a continued lack of interest from customers, labelling the news “nutterly disappointing”.

As the filming of Clarkson’s Farm season three continues, Jeremy’s latest business endeavour saw him launching a new spirit line by the name of ‘cow juice vodka’, which he claims is “the smoothest vodka in the coolest bottle”.

An uproar among both farmers and farming organisations followed Aldi’s decision to abandon its longstanding pledge to only stock meat reared on British farms, with the consensus being the move couldn’t have come at a worse time for lamb producers.

Established in 2021, Pinnacle Agri is a new, creative company run by father and son team Steve and Zac Morris. The duo has over 30 years of experience in design and development, creating products for the agricultural, DIY and domestic sectors.

Total Farm Supplies – which stocks a broad range of products covering animal health, equestrian, pet supplies, clothing and footwear – is continuing to expand with aims to become a one-stop-shop for all farming needs.