NEWS

Coles wages war on merchandising companies

IN a major move that may have its reflection in this market, Coles in Australia believes it can cut out hundreds of millions of dollars and eliminate the 20,000 strong army of merchandisers by setting up its own organization to contract to suppliers. Coles would then become the arbiter of fees paid by suppliers and allow it to pocket a lucrative rebate in the process. Coles believes that merchandising and demonstration agents generate around $A500 million a year from suppliers.

Mars launch M&M bar in US

MARS has extended its M&M brand in the US with the launch of a new chocolate bar. The bar combines a milk chocolate bar with M&M’s chocolate candies.

Ireland goes for cigarette plain packs

IRELAND is forcing tobacco producers to plain boxes emblazoned with graphic images under tough new laws. The country’s Health Minister said the initiative would stop cigarette companies from using marketing tactics like packet size, colour and styles to attract young smokers, particularly girls.

NZ producers world first deer cheese

WELL known cheese authority Neil Willman of the New Zealand Cheese School and Over The Moon Dairy has created what is thought to be the world’s first legitimate commercial deer milk cheese. While the cheese is not owned by the Putararu Over The Moon company, the cheese was produced there. Full production is expected to start by December this year.

Soda Stream sell out denied

PEPSICO has denied it is in talks to purchase the Israeli owned SodaStream International operation, reputed to be worth around $US2 billion. An Israeli newspaper had earlier reported negotiations were underway. The report also brought Coca-Cola into contention but there has been no comment from that direction.

Roping off alcohol sales in new restriction?

A PROPOSAL to bring supermarkets in line with other off-license premises, including roping off departments outside designated hours, is part of a  draft scheme put to the Hamilton City Council. The draft recommended scaling back off license hours and forcing supermarkets to also toe the line. The draft policy will be put forward for consultation this month.

Cheapest supermarket in consumer study

CONSUMER NZ has surveyed the price of 40 grocery products in north and south-east Auckland, Tauranga, Hasting, Napier, Wellington Christchurch and Dunedin. It has found Pak’nSave  was still the country’s cheapest supermarket with the lowest prices in six out of the seven surveyed areas. But it did find that Countdown was closing the gap and actually came out top in the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie. New World dropped to bottom spot.

May positive consumer spending month

PAYMENTS provider Paymark has reported May being a positive month for consumer spending with electronic spending  up by 5.1% with food the spending leader. A number of regions saw above average growth with both Marlborough (up 9.2%) and Hawkes Bay (up 6.4%) leading the way. Strongest sector growth was in food takeaways (up 11.8%) and cafes and restaurants (up 11.3%).

Halswell New World gets rebuild green light

WORK on extending the Halswell New World in Christchurch has got approval and the 950 sqm extension will start later in the year and take 12 months to complete. The $10m project will also see adjacent earthquake damaged shops rebuilt. The resource consent allows for an extra 131 carparks, more retail floor space, additional checkouts and a café.

Survey sees more kids in the kitchen

 A survey run in conjunction with Maggi’s Kitchen Showdown programme for intermediate students has shown that parents efforts to inspire the next generation of home cooks is having a good impact but there is still some way to go to get more kids into the kitchen. About a third of parents with children under 15 identified their children were cooking a meal at least once a week.

US confectioners want more Aussie sugar

THE confectionery industry in the US has called on its Government to open up the sugar market  so makers can get more Australian sugar. Currently the US Federal Government tightly controls the sugar market in the US, which is bad for small players who can’t afford the existing high prices.

Natural Products board appointment

NATURAL Products has appointed John Stanton as a new board member. John is general manager of sales at  Vitaco Health and has had nine years in the natural health industry previously with Nutra-Life in Australia and New Zealand.

Kraft NZ pays first dividend from Cadbury

KRAFT Foods Investment (New Zealand), who took over Cadbury in 2010, has paid out a $40 million dividend to its parent company. The New Zealand Cadbury sales last year were $320.4m, up 1.2% on the previous year with profit in New Zealand more than tripling to $11.6m. The New Zealand sales though were a drop in the bucket for the multi-national (now called Mondelez) which internationally were around $NZ44 billion. The dividend equates to around 20% of the New Zealand purchase price paid by Kraft of $207.3m.

New player here in advertising research

THE only measures available until now on ad spend in this country  have been from Neilson and the Advertising Standards Authority or other industry organizations releasing irregular reports. This month sees the launch of another player called Standard Media Index (SMI). The company is an independent global publisher that is well known in Australia, the UK and the US. The company is chaired by former Fairfax boss and ex-All Black captain David Kirk.

Sealord canned salmon recall

A SPECIFIC batch of Sealord No Added Salt canned salmon (210g) has been recalled. It is batch 2025P DN217 stamped on the lid. There has been only one single report of a fragment of brass in a can after a component broke during manufacture. There has been no reports of injury from the product that has been available in-store since February 5.

Carnegie moves on from P&G

Only a couple of weeks after addressing the NZ Food & Grocery Council half yearly conference in Auckland, Australian-based Procter & Gamble managing director Maile Carnegie has moved on to become managing director of Google for Australia and New Zealand. She has been P&G managing director for the past three years after spending her entire working life with the multi-national across Australia, Singapore and the US.

Cadbury moves deeper into snacks

MONDELEZ International is rolling out a new Cadbury product – a chocolate covered cereal snack in the UK this month. Called Cadbury Crunchums, it follows on from other quirky Cadbury snacks such as Cadbury Popcorn and Cadbury Pretzels.

Mainland recalling Tasty cheese slices

FONTERRA Brands is recalling  its Mainland Tasty individually wrapped flavoured processed cheese slices after discovering a packaging fault where the wrapping of individual slices may split into thin strips posing a potential hazard if consumed. The product involved is one with a Best Before date of 28 February 2014. This product is sold in supermarkets, foodservice outlets and dairies throughout the North Island. No other Mainland product is affected.

Countdown's new Wellington lease

Countdown has entered into a new lease with American entertainment group Reading International to incorporate a new supermarket as an anchor tenant in the new Courtenay Entertainment Centre in Wellington. Progressive has been looking for a central Wellington site for a number of years after being under-represented in the Wellington market. The 3870 sqm supermarket is being built on an existing carpark with underground parking being created. The project is likely to be completed around June 2015.

Helping fight cancer

IAN Hong and Gary Baker, owner operators of Wellington City New World, have got their supermarket behind pioneering cancer treatment being done locally by the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute. The charity work will support award-winning work by Professor Swee Tan who has already had remarkable success with the charity’s new poster girl and her vascular tumour.

Paradox of Food Quality Versus Price

“The relationship between price and food quality is complicated. What is most often true is that empty calories from added sugar and added fats are cheap. And the recommended healthier food, including lean meats, fruit and vegetables and whole grains are more expensive. So making a decision to eat healthier does entail some economic costs. The paradox  is that if you try to save money on food, you are going to be driven towards foods which give you more calories for your dollar, and those are going to be energy dense foods which happen to be good tasting, widely available, and those foods are easy to over-eat because they pack a lot of calories into a small package. It’s difficult to over-eat celery or spinach and easy to over-eat chocolate and potato chips – so you pay less to eat more.”

A comment from Dr Adam Drewnoski of the University of Washington.

Nestle's Maggi World's Top Seller

Nestle’s Maggi brand of instant soups, stocks, sauces, taste enhancers and noodles has been judged top food brand in the world according to the international Kantar Worldpanel. Unilever’s Knorr brand was second with PepsiCo’s Lay’s brand in third place. The data on ranking global brands came from tracking shoppers’ habits in 32 countries. Coca-Cola was the world’s number one drinks brand with its products being chosen 5.3 billion times a year. Unilever was the leading manufacturer with 15 brands in the top 50.

Shoppers choice of Pak 'n Save music

New touch screen technology launched in three Pak’nSave’s this week – Papakura, Porirua and Riccarton – could could be used at all of the banner stores throughout the country shortly. The technology allows shoppers to choose their own in-store music while they are shopping from a database of 3500 songs specifically selected for the store environment.

Pepsi price war affects Coke

Australian Coca-Cola Amatil managing director Terr Davis has said that his company’s earning have been hit by a price war with Pepsi along with fewer soft drink sales in supermarkets. CCA has been forced to drop its prices due to the heavy discounting of Pepsi and to ensure its rivals new product, Pepsi Next, did not gain traction in the Australian market. Lower earnings in CCA’s Australian business will cause a drop of eight or nine per cent in its overall earnings for the first six months of 2013.

Complaint over light proof milk bottles fails

Three television advertisements promoting Anchor’s new lightproof milk containers were the subject of a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, but the ASA found there were no grounds to proceed over the matter. The complainant claimed that the advertisements were misleading and potentially dangerous because the new containers offered no advantage for milk kept in a normal fridge as it was the cool temperature that slowed the growth of bacteria, not light.

Wrigley pulls new energy gum in the US

Confectioner Wrigley has taken its new caffeine added chewing gum off the market in a temporary move while the US Food & Drug Administration begins an investigation into the safety of caffeine added foods. The FDA said the move demonstrated the company's real leadership and commitment to public health. 

Success at International Wine Challenge

New Zealand winemakers demonstrated their excellence at the 30th International Wine Challenge this month picking up a record 38 gold medals. Thirteen were award to our pinot noir. Emerging grape varieties also did well for New Zealand with Gruner Veltline (typically found in Austria) and Albarino (stemming from Spain and Portugal) also picking up golds.

Coles secretly buys Woolworths store

Coles Supermarkets has secretly bought one of Woolworths’ most profitable Sydney stores in Neutral Bay to the surprise of its rival. A report by Sydney journalists said Coles paid $A40m for the shopping centre that the Woolworths store is part of, concealing its involvement by using a $A10 company based in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands. The story goes that it was in revenge for the earlier move by Woolworths that pushed Coles out of its Katoomba site late last year after it had operated there for 30 years. Under the terms of the lease, the landlord at Neutral Bay has the right to inspect the store’s sales records because the rental was based on a percentage of sales.

Tribute to outgoing board members

The Food & Grocery Council half yearly conference in Auckland this month paid tribute to the work of two outgoing board members – former chairman George Adams (Coca-Cola Amatil) and Peter McClure (Fonterra Brands), both of who had devoted some years to the work of the organization.

Australian Food and Liquor retailing

The total value of food and liquor retailing in Australia grew by 4.2% in 2011/12 to $A135 billion. Supermarkets and grocery stores accounted for 62% of food retailing expenditure, almost stic over the previous year.The three major groups of Coles, Woolworths and Metcash operated or serviced 3996 grocery stores and 4970 liquor outlets.

Investment firms buy US Twinkies 

THE sale of Twinkies in the US to a pair of investment firms has been approved by a bankruptcy court. They expect to bring the iconic snack cakes back on the shelves shortly. The sale by Hostess brands of Twinkies  as well as its Ding Dongs, HoHo’s and other brands was for around $US410 million.

Industry Excellence Awards

The 2013 Food Industry Excellence Awards will be announced at the NZIFST conference in Hastings July 2-4. Nominations are currently open and the entrants do not have to be NZIFST members to qualify.

Cookie Time partners the 40-Hour Famine

World Vision and Christchurch baker Cookie Time have signed a deal for the company’s One Square Meal product to be the official food partner of the 40-hour Famine (June 7-9). Funds for this year’s famine have been earmarked for Papua New Guinea where 43% of children have had their growth stunted by malnutrition.

Icecream Awards judging completed

Judging has finished for this year’s Ice Cream Awards due to be announced at the industry’s annual conference in Wellington on May 30. There are 11 categories in the awards including a fresh “New To Market” title.

New Fresh Choice store in Dunedin

Progressive is in talks with the Dunedin City Council to build a new multi-million dollar Fresh Choice store in the city’s Green Island. Current operator John Moyle would close his existing store and move to the new site between Main South Road and Shand Street. Discussions have been ongoing for the past six months over the site that currently houses the now-closed Royal Tavern. A council spokesman confirmed the talks and said it hoped to conclude negotiations as soon as possible to allow the project to proceed.

Planning for 2013 pie awards

BAKERS around the country are already working on their entries for this year’s  NZ Bakels supreme pie awards with the winners to be announced at a major Auckland function on July 23. Entries don’t close until June 27 but they are expected to exceed last year’s 4500 pies from 444 bakeries.

Auckland meeting on current food regs

FOOD Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is holding a meeting for industry stakeholders in Auckland on June 13 (Novotel Hotel, Ellerslie starting 9am) to update its current work programme and regulations and to get feedback from the industry on current thinking. Backed by the Food & Grocery Council, it also involves the Retailers Association, Juice & Beverage Association, Bakers Association and the Institute of Food Science & Technology.

Goodman Fielder gets into wraps market

TWO of Goodman Fielder’s baked brands – Freya and Nature’s Fresh – have joined the growing wraps market with new product ranges this month. The New Zealand flat bread segment is growing rapidly and is currently valued at around $11.7m a year with a growth rate of 25% year on year.

Australia Food & Beverage sector down

The performance of the Australian manufacturing sector, including food and beverage, worsened significantly in April amid weakening economic conditions. The industry report said this was the lowest manufacturing production level for four years and the lowest export reading since 2004. The Australian Industry Group report said the contractions in food, beverage and tobacco were significant

New children's line from Tilda rice

UK-owned global rice business Tilda has launched a new children’s rice and vegetable range in Australasia. The four variant 125 pouch packs contain a blend of hidden vegetable puree as well as small piece to help parents subtly boost kids’ vegetable intake.

Symingtons license Unilever wet sauces here

LEADING  UK convenience food manufacturer Symingtons has reached an agreement to license Unilever’s wet sauces portfolio in New Zealand and Australia. Symingtons are taking on the three brands of Chicken Tonight, Raguletto and Five Brothers although the products will still be produced at Unilever’s Tatura factory in Victoria. The takeover of the brands in the UK two years ago has seen a 15% sales growth. Symingtons are setting up a regional office in Melbourne to oversee the market.

Media source on obesity issues

THE Food & Grocery Council has developed a new information source on its public website that gives an updated list of industry-wide initiatives on healthy eating. This has been developed to assist the media in answering questions on inevitable attacks on the industry.

Foodstuffs North Island merger progress

FOODSTUFFS Auckland Wellington executives are working towards a vote by members on the proposed merger in the North Island although it is still several months away. The companies have thanked the supplier trade for its level of support for the process.

Positive consumer spending trend

PAYMENTS provider Paymark says consumer spending over the first four months of this year is up 3.9% on the same period in 2012 and has shown a positive start to the year. Sectors where spending had noticeably accelerated this year included food and liquor that was up 4.1% and pharmacies that were up 6.%.

Steak of Origin awards announced

THE annual Beef + Lamb Steak of Origin semi final held earlier this month  generally covered farming and processing operations, but in the retail best of brand segment, one of the four nominations was New World Remuera with its Angus Pure product.

Anti-Smokers want retail register

THE Health Ministry is looking at tightening regulations over retail sales of tobacco and one of its ideas is forcing all tobacco retailers to be listed on a state register.  The idea of restricting the number of tobacco outlets had been floated but no further work had been done on that aspect. Currently New Zealand has around 10,000 tobacco retailers, some of whom could be delicensed from the state register if they were caught selling illegally to under 18 year olds.

Suppliers accused of over-charging

COLES and Woolworths in Australia are preparing to take on suppliers in a new battle on the basis that they are paying too much for groceries. They have accused multinationals of earning excessive profits by charging more in Australia than they do in overseas markets. Coles has called for an independent analysis of wholesale pricing saying the differences between local and overseas pricing differences are so large that they cannot be explained by distance and higher local costs. The Australian Food and Grocery Council says the new attack is just a diversionary tactic.

New supermarket for Dunedin

PROGRESSIVE Enterprises is in talks with the Dunedin City Council  with a vew to developing a Fresh Choice supermarket on Dunedin land between Main South Road and Shand St. The site includes the closed down Royal Tavern as well as a block of council-owned flats and land next to the Green Island Memorial Park. The nominated operator of the new stores is understood to be John Moyle, current owner of the Green Island supermarket that would be closed if approval is given.

Fonterra to slash Aussie brands

FONTERRA is planning to slash its consumer brands in Australia in a move to restore profitability as competition increases for both milk supplies and retail sales. The company posted a 32% decline in normalized earnings  with EBIT  from Australian consumer brands falling 31% while New Zealand earnings were up slightly. The company has decided to rationalize brands and its organization in Australia with its current 21 brands in the market being reduced to probably four or five.

Code of conduct close in Australia

A VOLUNTARY code of conduct for retailers in Australia’s $86b grocery sector could be as close as six weeks away, according to the Australian Financial Review. This is based on comments by Coles ceo Ian McLeod who suggested there was agreement on changes to a draft document that was soon to be sent to the federal government. A current sticking point has been the flow of confidential information about branded products to the supermarket private label teams.

Pine bark extract in food applications

THE New Zealand pine bark extract Enzogenol used in dietary supplement formulations for brain health, cardiovascular and anti-inflamatory benefits, has been endorsed for use in food applications after gaining US certification. The product can now be used in various food applications including non-alcoholic beverages, snack, sport and nutrition bars, cereals and processed fruit and vegetable products. The New Zealand producer is Enzo Nutriceuticals and has been producing the product for 12 years.

Bright food buys into Weetabix

THE Chinese food conglomerate Bright Food, the country’s second largest food company, has bought a 60% share in the British Weeabix Group that has produced the mainstay of the English breakfast table for the past 80 years. The deal offers an entry for Weeabix into the lucrative Chinese market where consumers with growing disposable income are becoming receptive to trusted Western brands.

Mobile wallet trial at Coles

COLES has launched a trial of a new MasterCard mobile wallet that enables a sample group of consumers to pay for their groceries with their credit card and earn Flybys points using their smartphone. The trial, partnered by GE Capital, MasterCard and Vodafone, will assess the user friendliness of the technology and the seamless integration of loyalty points.

Comment made in the year 1955

“I’ll tell you this, if things keep going the way they are, it’s going to be impossible to buy a week’s groceries for $10 …..

Cadbury relaunch dairy milk blocks

GLOBAL confectionery giant Cadbury has relaunched its Dairy Milk blocks range in Australia with what the company says are significant enhancements. These include the introduction of new rounder shaped chocolate pieces, the inclusion of whole nuts in all nut varieties and a new-look resealable pack. The company’s flagship Dairy Milk block will now be available as a new 220g pack, an increase of 20g for the same price. As part of the changes, it will also be introducing a smaller size 135g block into the range.

Five plus now includes pizza

NORTH American parents who have struggled to get their kids to eat 5+ a day are breathing easier now that the House of Representatives has passed legislation that declares pizza a vegetable. Frozen pizza will now qualify for a federal subsidy because it contains two tablespoons of tomato paste.

Rainbow Confectionery buys into Australia

OAMARU-based Rainbow Confectionery, the phoenix that grew out of the demise of the Regina and Nestle plant, has now doubled its capacity with the purchase this month of Metford Confectionery  in Australia’s Newcastle. Both plants make similar products and the deal adds huge scope to the company across both countries.

New CEO at Easiyo

 BRIAN Dewar, former national sale general manager at Vitaco Health has been appointed CEO of home made yoghurt specialists EasiYo. He replaces Paul O’Brien who has moved into a new role to develop the company’s Asian market. The company was bought by Westland Milk Products four years ago and is now a 100% subsidiary. Currently it is selling its products and equipment in around 20 countries and is strong in supermarkets.

Kai time on Maori tv starts again 

KAI Time On The Road and celebrity chef Peter Peeti are back on the air tonight (Monday) with a brand new food series – the 11th season of the programme. Although most of the programmes are devoted to natural food, the 26 episodes also bring in a number of prepared food lines and amongst the early highlights is a visit to south Waikato’s Over The Moon cheese factory to learn the art of cheesemaking.

New research on breakfast

 “him” research who operate in Australia and New Zealand, has released new research on the breakfast market that releases some interesting data. It said 5% of shoppers buy breakfast away from home every day; they are prepared to pay over $10 if the deal is right; 14% would buy a sweet breakfast such as coffee/fruit and a donut or muffin; 13% said they would buy a savoury offering consisting of coffee/fruit plus a sausage roll.

Police impressed by supermarket worker

HAMILTON police are impressed by the attitude of a Clarence St Pak’nSave worker who chased a trolley thief for over a kilometre. The thief pushed a shopper to the ground and stole the laden trolley but was caught by the shop’s security officer and handed over to the police.

Chip Group's Matamata success

The Chip Group ran a training session for hot food  and independent takeaway operators in Matamata in February and the results of post-testing show the programme successfully lowered the fat content of deep fried chips by a whopping 20%. The industry group said it was an excellent result and would make a huge impact on the Matamata food this year.

Voting on Beef + Lamb Choice Awards

VOTING began earlier this month in the annual Beef+Lamb People’s Choice Awards across the eleven regions of the contest. Voting is scheduled to finish on May 19 with the winners being announced in early June.

On The Grill wins world award

THE six episode series of a restaurant construction and launching featuring executive chef Sean Connolly, has been judged the best international production at the World Food & Wine tv festival in Paris. The show featuring The Grill in Auckland was aired on TV3 last November.

Villa Maria wins nine gold medals

VILLA Maria took out nine gold medals at the 2013 Auckland Easter Show including its 2010 vintage of merlot that topped its class for the second year running.

Best Chip Shop Competition

ENTRIES open in mid-April for the prestigious Best Chip Shop national competition. This year, all operators achieving less than 9% fat will receive a high commended award. The winners are being announced in August.

Wellington Barista tops competition

NICK Clark from Flight Coffee in Wellington has won the annual Huhtamaki sponsored national barista championship from 25 other contestants. He will now travel to Melbourne to represent New Zealand in the World Final next month.

March spending figures slower

FIGURES released this week by payments provider Paymark have shown year-on-year spending growth slowed during March, probably as a result of Easter falling pre-April for the first time in five years. The total value of transactions processed through the Paymark network increased by 3.1% over March of last year but the annual growth rate was running around 5.7%.  Paymark reported that Easter often brought a slowing in spending growth.

Grocery Industry Squash Contest 

THE ninth annual grocery charity squash tournament is open for entries. The charity programme that operates in Auckland and Wellington supports the Foundation for Youth Development. Last year the tournament raised $22,000 for the charity. The dates this year are June 7/8 in Wellington and July 5/6 in Auckland. Entries forms are on www.fyd.org.nz

Bell Tea going on the market

THE long time Foodstuff’s owned company, the Bell Tea & Coffee Company, will leave the Foodstuffs fold once a buyer has been found and operate as an independent supplier to the industry. The company has been owned by Foodstuffs for around 50 years and its growth has been impeded by this relationship. In the meantime, it is business as usual while PriceWaterhouseCoopers explores potential buyers.

Innovative new packaging for Anchor

FONTERRA Brands has revealed innovative 100% light proof bottles for their Anchor brand with CEO Peter McClure branding it a "game changer" for the fresh milk category. "Our triple-layer 100% light proof bottle is the most significant innovation project we have undertaken at Anchor. We have developed sophisticated new techology backed by extensive research to apply the concept of light proof packaging to fresh milk and cream," he said. Anchor's new look bottle is the first of its kind in New Zealand and  is designed to deliver the best tasting milk by locking in the taste and goodness.

Dilmah high tea challenge on again

WHILE targeted at the hospitality industry, there is strong retail spinoff from the annual Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge that will run again in June. The programme encourages cafes and restaurants to create a culinary masterpiece using Dilmah tea in an original tea-based cocktail or mocktail, create a tea infused dish and present a harmonious tea and food pairing. Last year, the event got substantial newspaper, tv and magazine publicity and the company believes it has a flow-on to retail sales.

Lower sugar soft drink trend

A NEW trend for mid-calorie products has appeared in the global carbonated drinks market according to new international research. The new products are positioned half way between full sugar lines and the health benefits of sugar free options. Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have trialled the concept.

Beer drinkers cutting back

A NATIONAL survey of New Zealand beer drinkers by researchers Canstar Blue has shown that more than half of the 1300 people surveyed had curbed their drinking over the past 12 months. The results showed that many NZ beer drinkers were feeling the economic pinch and that they were making a much wider product choice than in previous years.

Overall, 39% said they were buying whatever was on special while only 32% said they only drink their favourite brand. New Zealand features in the top 20 beer drinkers by consumption in the world with around 70 litres per person averaged each year. Low calorie and low carb beers were twice as popular in Auckland than in the South Island and around 50% of respondents said they now like to try craft and boutique beers.

Steinlager into 2013 America's Cup

STEINLAGER is once again supporting Emirates Team New Zealand in their bid to win this year’s America’s Cup finals in San Francisco in September. Steinlager sponsorship as the official beer supplier will be supporting the team in a number of ways yet to be announced. The company is also sponsoring the Steinlager Series of All Black - France clashes in June this year with test matches in Auckland, Christchurch and New Plymouth.

Goodman Fielder's Charitable Trust

GOODMAN Fielder has celebrated the delivery of its millionth loaf of donated fresh bread with the launching this week of its new charitable trust that builds on its bread donation programme. Over 60 foodbanks have benefited from the $3m worth of bread already donated. Funds raised by the new trust will be spread amongst community groups throughout New Zealand and will help families living below the poverty line. Employees across the company’s 17 manufacturing sites are being encouraged to get involved in a workplace giving programme.

Graeme Blackburn dies

HIGHLY respected and well known former Pak ‘nSave operator Graeme Blackburn  died suddenly on Monday. The owner operator of the Henderson outlet for many years and partner with John Street (Lincoln Pak ‘nSave) in a number of ventures including the pair being prolific and successful racehorse owners and breeders, was one of the industry’s gentlemen. Graeme (69) is survived by his wife Erin, daughters Kathryn and Loretta and sons Ewen, Phillip and Graeme jnr.

Sial China Event In May

A NUMBER of New Zealanders have already booked for the major food and beverage show SIAL China in Shanghai from May 7-9. Over 2,200 exhibitors from 90 countries are expected to attract around 50,000 international visitors. Running alongside this show is SIAL Wine World, the country’s only premium wine event featuring over 450 exhibitors. In this part of the show are five events including masterclasses and a wine innovation forum.

China is showing a growing demand for imported food with imports increasing by 15% a year with the country expected to be the world’s biggest importer inside five years.

Detail on the show is on www.sialchina.com 

Murray Johnston heads back to Aus

AFTER five years with Progressive, GM Merchandise Murray Johnston heads back to Australia next month in a new role as Commercial General Manager of the Woolworths hardware subsidiary Masters. The 37 year Woolworths veteran is facing the challenge of turning around the recent start-up 28 store chain that lost close on a million last year. Johnston came to New Zealand in 2008 and is credited with turning around trade attitudes towards the company and strengthening its position in the market with fresh consistency and strong leadership.

Pitango rises out of Rosella ashes

AUCKLAND chilled food producer Pitango Innovative Cuisine has been rescued from the collapse of its parent Gourmet Food Holdings, also owner of the ill-fated Rosella business that closed its doors last Friday. Pitango has been bought by chilled foods, meat and smallgoods producer Beak & Johnston, a national supermarket supplier in Australia with interests in New Zealand and North Asia.

Icecream awards planning under way

THE annual New Zealand icecream awards will be staged in May with the winners of earlier judging being announced at the NZ Ice Cream Manufacturers Association’s annual conference in Wellington on May 30. Entries close on April 26.

Wrigley moves in with Mars

WRIGLEY bought internationally by Mars in 2008, is joining up with its local parent in a new building in Auckland’s Central Park. The consolidation of the two companies takes place on April 1.

Tegel selling eight properties 

POULTRY producer Tegel has put eight of its large industrial sites up for sale and leaseback. The sites in Auckland, Taranaki and Canterbury include feedmills, hatcheries and processing plants in a move to generate investment capital for the company.

Countdown takes top lamb award

PROGRESSIVE Enterprises has taken the title of Grand Champion Retailer in the Golden Lamb Awards run by Beef + Lamb. The Countdown entry used its Southdown lamb to take the award. The Grand Champion award went to a lamb product from Mangapoike Ltd near Gisborne with a composite product processed by Silver Ferns Farm at Takapau (Hawkes Bay).

Murray Johnston to leave Countdown

POPULAR merchandise and packaged goods gm at Progressive, Murray Johnston, is moving back to Australia in late April after a number of years driving the Countdown business in New Zealand. In his return to Woolworths Australia, Murray is thought to be moving into the company’s hardware operations. Johnston is credited with much of the major turnaround and improved supplier relations between the company and the industry.

Good news in the wind for Pitango

AUCKLAND  gourmet food producer dragged into receivership by its Australian parent Gourmet Food Holdings, is expecting good news on a sale of the business later this week. Pitango was sold to the Rosella owner several years ago but had been an extremely successful small business until the receivership involvement.

Inghams finds a purchaser 

THE 95 year old Australian-based chicken processor Ingham Enterprises has found a purchaser in global private investment company TPG. The family-owned company has been looking for a buyer for some time and has finally found one who could ensure continuity and growth. The family has retained its substantial property portfolio and its extensive horse racing business. For the company in Australia and New Zealand, it is business as usual under the direction of CEO Kevin McBain.

Countdown launches Onecard visa credit card

COUNTDOWN has launched a Onecard Visa credit card in partnership with GE Capital – an ll in one loyalty card and credit card that managing director Dave Chambers says will provide one of the most practical and rewarding loyalty programmes on offer in this country. The card was available to consumers from March 4 and is one of the first cards to use the Visa payWave technology in which transactions are processed with a wave of the card over a terminal.

Mt Maunganui shopper wins $10,000

A NEW World Mt Maunganui shopper has won $10,000 in the latest draw of a nationwide New World and Fonterra Brands promotion. The promotion closed on March  3 with four major winners. The story goes that supermarket owner/operator Allan Rudkin was as excited as the lucky shopper.

New study shows NZ Manuka honey benefits

MEDICAL grade manuka honey  can improve effectiveness of antibiotics and prevent the emergence of resistance to them according to new Australian finding announced this week. The University of Technology Sydney suggests that this New Zealand  honey could be a new  weapon in the fight against drug resistant bacteria such as the superbug golden staph.

Woolworths may enter wine business

AUSTRALIA’S largest liquor retailer Woolworths is considering buying a collapsed Barossa Valley winery and the country’s grape growers are fearful of the retail chain’s growing market power. Wine industry sources have told the Australian Financial Review that Woolworths attempted to buy Barossa Valley Estate for $A13m before receivers were appointed in January but was now involved in part of the formal sales process.

Changes at troubled Ardmona

SPC Ardmona, the troubled subsidiary of Coca-Cola Amatil, has a new boss after Vince Pinneri  has moved back to the parent company after three years with the grower and canner. CCA’s current managing director of business services will be stepping into the Ardmona role. Kelly is well known after 25 years with the Coca-Cola system and has held a number of key positions including general manager grocery and director of operations and logistics.

Pie awards booked for July

THIS year’s annual Bakels Pie Awards  will be judged in early July with the awards dinner scheduled for July 23 in Auckland. Entries open in early may with a sample deadline of June 27.

Restaurant Brands sales increase

WITH the inclusion of two Carl’s Jr stores in its fourth quarter sales, Restaurant Brands has reported a 4.5% sales gain in the last three months. Sales rose to $72.96m in the 12 weeks ended February 25 and annual sales were reported as $311.9m. Current strategy is to wind down its less profitable Pizza Hut operations while adding more Carl’s Jr stores.

Bookings for 2013 Grocery Ball

BOOKINGS have opened for limited tickets at this year’s Grocery Charity Ball. Organisers are expecting over 65 people and tickets are already being taken up. The charity this year for the August 31 event is the Monty Betham “Steps For Life Foundation” which is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing obesity and works with overweight high school age youth.

Coca-Cola moves to new Kiwi Blue bottles 

RELEASED this week, the new Kiwi Blue bottles of water from Coca-Cola are the first of their kind to be produced in this country  and have 25% less plastic than previously. The brand is now the lightest product in the still water category with even the caps using 5.7% less plastic than before. The company said its use of PET plastic would be reduced by 74 tonnes a year using the new technique

Windsor New World renovations complete 

RENOVATIONS at Invercargill’s Windsor New World were completed last month after a $9m upgrade. The store now boasts over 60 new grocery bays, contemporary checkout with the latest technology and major redesigns throughout the store.

Dutch style cheeses dominate awards 

TWO local Dutch cheese companies dominated this year’s NZ Champions of Cheese Awards. Meyer Gouda Cheese won the Crossroads Wines Champion of Champion award for large cheesemakers and Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese won the Cuisine magazine award for smaller producers.  The New World champion favourite cheese award voted on by consumers, again went to Kapiti Kikorangi for the second year running.

Big profit rise for delegats

DELEGATS Group has lifted its first half profit to $19.3m for the six months to December on sales of $130m. The company says it had been hugely successful with sales to North America and Europe.

New Pak 'n Save in Blenheim

A NEW 6000sqm Pak ‘n Save will open in Blenheim next week (March 19) carrying around 10,000 sku’s and is promising to deliver new low prices to locals. There has been a significant interest in employment at the supermarket with more than 1600 job applications. 

Coles say petrol discounts will carry on 

COLES has brushed aside criticism of its petrol discounting programme and has signaled it may even extend the promotion.  The company says it is a significant benefit to its customers and Woolworths have continually matched the deals. The Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has already launched an investigation amid fears that the ongoing discounting will kill off many independent service stations and leave the two supermarket giants even more dominant in the market.

Mars spending $A52m on plant upgrade

MARS have announced a $52m expansion of its Ballarat chocolate plant that will secure a further 400 jobs on the site. The expansion includes a brand new Maltesers production facility over the next 12 months

Premium ice cream company closes

SOUTH Island premium icecream producer Gourmet Ice Cream Company closed its doors yesterday (February 28) after 18 years in the business. The company was bought by industrial researchers and developers Bliss Technology several years ago from founder Mark Scorgie. Bliss announced earlier in February that the closedown was imminent and all staff were made redundant. Bliss are moving their operations onto the Gourmet site.

The icecream market at the premium end has become a tough business over recent years with pricing and deals the order of the day. The closure comes just as the company was working on a number of new and innovative market ideas. Scorgie finished with the company at the closure.

Ex-Warehouse boss to head Metcash

AUSTRALIA’S major grocery wholesaler Metcash has yesterday (Thursday) appointed Ian Morrice as its new CEO to succeed Andrew Reitzer who steps down in June. Morrice has been the CEO of The Warehouse Group from 2004 to 2011 and has had over 30 years of retail experience including top management in some of the UK’s leading retailers such as Dixons and The Kingfisher Group.

Metcash, that made a profit of $A262m last year, supplies and handles the marketing of independent grocers such as IGA and Foodworks as well as group of independent liquor stores and operates the Mitre 10 hardware banner. Reitzer has been the CEO since 1998.

Young Nelson baker takes bread title

ROBERT Reihana from Quality Bakers in Nelson has won the title of Young Bread Baker of the Year following judging in Auckland this week. The award is sponsored by the NZ Association of Bakers and is designed to promote excellence in people emerging from their training. Robert received a $10,000 research grant.

The judges also awarded a $2000 research grant to Sean Jackson of Centre City New World in Dunedin who was runner-up.

Juice & Beverage conference new dates

BECAUSE of a clash of dates with the major ANUGA food and beverage expo in Germany, the NZ Juice & Beverage Association has brought its conference dates earlier. The event being staged at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga will now run Thursday September 26 to Saturday September 28. Registrations will open shortly and a theme is currently being worked on by the conference committee. Any queries to NZJBA secretary John Robertson on Auckland 375-3927.

Voluntary salt reduction agreement

FOOD manufacturers, retailers and the Australian Federal Government have reached agreement on a new voluntary level of reduction of sodium, starting with savoury crackers. The salt reduction agreement follows voluntary commitments by individual food producers to reduce both salt and sugar in various food products.

New range from Donovans

THE Prolife owned Donovans Chocolate in Hamilton has launched an innovative range of flavoured chocolate bars using Swiss technology and a dose of Kiwi ingenuity. The three lines use out of the ordinary flavours.

Aldi tops customer satisfaction awards

ROY Morgan Research  has revealed the winners of its second annual Customer Satisfaction Awards with Aldi being named Supermarket of the Year for the second year running.

ACCC gets stuck in supermarket supplier treatment 

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is stepping up its activities regarding alleged supermarket treatment of  suppliers. In the latest move, the consumer watchdog has moved its campaign up a notch by signalling concerns over the impact of shopper dockets on the petrol market. At a hearing before the Senate committee last week, the ACCC for the first time, backed the formation of a legally enforceable code of conduct governing trade relations. It says it has credible new evidence that includes bullying tactics. Coles and Woolworths say they will co-operate with the accelerated probe.

Nestle result up by 12%

THE 2012 year was not a “walk in the park” for Nestle internationally  but the company still delivered a good result with nett profit for the year to December 2012 up 12% to around $11.5billion. The company said it had delivered in both the developed world and in emerging markets and had grown its portfolio over all segments. Executive vice president Ms Wan Ling Martello said there was a stream of innovation coming through in its frozen business as well as new capsule machine in the Nespresso area.

Coca-Cola Amatil's disappointing half year

COCA-COLA Amatil has seen a drop of 22% annual drop in profit its half yearly results to December. The results announced this week included an $A98.5m writedown that was largely attributed to its struggling SPC Ardmona business. The company said the New Zealand business delivered a “disappointing result” with a decline in volume and earnings following a poor start last year with a cool and wet summer. The company said New Zealand volumes were impacted by a significant reduction in stock held by major customers as they focused on more efficient working capital management.

Overall the Australasian result showed a nett profit of $A459.9m that was down almost $A140m on the previous same period.

Surprise result in Nestle survey

AN independent survey by Nestle New Zealand has shown that men and not women have chosen chocolate as their favourite flavour. Women mainly opted for mint. And to celebrate the release of  new mint flavoured chocolate and confectionery shortly,  Nestle are taking consumer votes with a $25,000 prize to the drawn winner.

And Belgians launch chocolate stamps

BELGIUM'S domestic and international postal service has launched stamps infused with both the smell and taste of chocolate. The five new stamps in the range depict chocolate in various forms.

Australian independents talk retail merger

TWO of the last independent supermarket groups in Australia are again talking about a potential merger. They are the Canberra based Supabarn run by Eric Koundouris and the Ipswich-based Spar Australia. Supabarn has a number of stores in Canberra and Sydney and while it sources some goods from Spar, it has been keen to buy out the wholesaler to boost its position.

Coles trialling a smart phone wallet 

COLES has launched a trial MasterCard Mobile Wallet that will enable a sample group of customers to pay for groceries with their credit cards and earn Flybuys points by using their smart phones. The technology is already being used in the US and has the capacity to increase tfansaction speeds, save customer time and run a seamless integration of points. The trial is in partnership with GE Captial, Vodafone and MasterCard.

Australian supermarkets deny dodgy dealings

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched an investigation into Coles and Woolworths over possible misuse of their market power and indications of “unconscionable conduct” in relation to deals with their suppliers.

Both supermarket groups are maintaining their innocence but the ACCC is hinting it will use its mandatory powers to obtain more information. The accusations include discriminating against suppliers in favour of own brands and adding additional costs to suppliers with the threat to delist the products if the costs are not paid.

Around 50 suppliers have so far come forward and raised issues of unfair activity and the ACCC says this week that allegations raised in its investigations so far had included conduct that did not conform to acceptable business practice.

The ACCC  has the power to obtain information and protect the anonymity of suppliers who had produced evidence that supported the claims. Despite a code being set up by the industry, its implementation would not prevent an ACCC investigation.

Coca-Cola Schweppes recall

Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) has issued a recall for a range of Schweppes bottled products with best before dates of 10 January 2014 and 30 January 2014. This is a range of 330ml glass bottles sold in packs of four or individually. The products involved are Schweppes Lemonade, Schweppes Tonic Water, Schweppes Soda,  Schweppes Dry Ginger Ale, Schweppes Soda Lemon Twist. The recall is due to a fault in a small number of glass bottles within these batches which may have chipped finishes and glass fragment. The contact is the company’s customer services on 0800 505 123.

Countdown golf tops $1m for charity 

THE annual suppliers golf tournament that ran last Friday at Auckland’s Titirangi Golf Club contributed another $155,000 to the charity pot bringing the 10 year tournament funds raised for Alzheimers Auckland  to in excess of $1m. Over 200 golfers took part in this year’s tournament

Loaf Bakery wins Coles order

AUCKLAND baker Sean Armstrong’s Loaf bakery has  signed a multi-million dollar deal with Coles Supermarkets in Australia. A selection of the company’s gourmet slices will now be stocked in 400 of its stores. The ongoing order has now given the bakery a 24 hour production schedule and a 20% boost in staff numbers.

Huge fine for Coles over trolley incident 

COLES Supermarkets have been ordered to pay $A500,000 to a woman who was struck instore by a heavy trolley pushed by a staff member. The woman claimed it damaged her hip and stopped her from adopting a child. Coles appealed to the Supreme Court but lost the appeal.

Sunrice reports big profit increase 

AUSTRALIA”S principal rice grower group, Sunrice, has announced a great financial result for the first six months to last October with group profits up 24%. Revenue for the first half was $A519m, a rise of 7.7% and group profit was $15 m after tax. The company’s products are now sold in 60 countries.

Blenheim New World changes hands 

BLENHEIM New World in Freswick Street, has been sold and the new owners, Ashley and Melanie Shore, have now taken over.

Vinexpo a major attraction in Bordeaux 

A number of New Zealand winegrowers have already booked for the major international wine event, Vinexpo, in Bordeaux this June. Wine and spirit professional from over 150 countries are expected to converge. This is the 11th year of the show at which new national stands include Australia, Mexico and South Africa. The major producing countries of France, Germany, the USA, Chile, Italy and Spain along with other large displays, hve already booked their stands.

A Vinexpo study of the market shows that red wine still dominates world consumption, that in 2011 61.5% of the world’s spirits were drunk in the Asia Pacific region, that sparkling wines account for 7.7% of all wine consumption, and that the consumption of wine increased by 2.8% in the last four years with total sales now 32 billion bottles annually.

Billionaire Buffett buys HJ Heinz

AMERICAN billionaire investor Warren Buffett has bought HJ Heinz for $US23.3 billion, the richest deal ever in the food industry. The deal is intended to help Heinz worldwide accelerate its expansion. The New Zealand arm of Heinz is Watties.

Heinz babyfood shake-up in Australia

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has raised concerns over the proposed acquisition of fellow wet and dry infant food producer Rafferty’s Garden by Heinz. Heinz already dominated the sector in Australia  with a 39% volume share and Rafferty’s hold a further 16%. The ACCC says combining the two large suppliers would likely limit competition in the market. A decision has been deferred until late March.

Trade alive over Foodstuffs merger

THE supplier industry is bristling with comment over the proposed merger of Foodstuffs Auckland Wellington – with most expressing relief that the groups have finally managed to do a deal. It is yet to be voted on by members but this seems a fait accompli giving better organized buying, promotions and particularly compliance. Managing director of the new group is planned to be Auckland’s Murray Jordan with clearly management rationalization ahead over the North Island. Altogether a sensiblre move is the general opinion – as it was in the South Island some years ago when Christchurch and Otago Foodstuffs merged into a single unit.

Progressive opens 166th Countdown

THE 166th Countdown supermarket was opened by Progressive last week at Stoddard Road in Mt Roskill, just around the corner from Foodstuffs Auckland head office and down the road from that company’s latest New World. The 3600 sqm unit was opened by local MP Hon Phil Goff, is managed by Mike Uri , employs 160 staff and has its own in-store pharmacy. In addition to its 86 outdoor carparks, it has a further 144 covered parks under the building.

And Tawa opens number 167 February 12

FOLLOWING on from the Mt Roskill opening, the company is opening its 167th unit at Tawa in Wellingon on Tuesday (February 12). This is a 3115 sqm supermarket being opened by local MP Peter Dunne and Countdown’s first in this community. Store manager is Melanie Rae.

Sainsbury offers prompt payment

SAINSBURY chief executive Justin King has written to the British government agreeing to join the PPC, a voluntary code of commitment by British businesses agreeing to honour contractual payment terms with suppliers. This reverses Sainsbury’s previous stance. It is estimated that small businesses in Britain are owed more than $NZ70 billion in outstanding accounts.

Coles sales growth

COLES supermarkets in Australia continue to drive retail sales growth with a reported 15th successive quarter of comparable store sales.

McCain buys Sara Lee frozens

McCAIN Foods (Aust) P/L has now completed the acquisition of the Kitchens of Sara Lee frozen bakery business from Hillshire Brands. This move paves the way for an extension in the range of products available in New Zealand and Australia. The transaction includes license rights for considerable intellectual property used in the Australasian bakery business as well as for the Asia-Pacific region.

Auckland baker strikes major Aussie deal

LOAF bakery in Auckland run by former chef Sean Armstrong, has completed a multi-million deal with Coles in Australia. His gourmet slices are now being stocked in 400 Coles supermarkets in NSW and Victoria leading the bakery to a 24 hour operation seven days a week and a 20% boost in staff.

Mobil moving out of owned service stations 

MOBIL (ExxonMobil Corp) is successfully completing its shift from owning and operating convenience stores and service stations in Australia, a long rumoured process, to simply supplying fuel and other items to dealer operatored sites that carry the Mobil banner. The company has been moving forward over the past year to close the books on its direct served businesses.

Charity golf for Countdown 

COUNTDOWN’S annual charity golf day at Titirangi will be held this Friday with around 200 trade golfers taking part in the two round event. For some years, Progressive has been supporting Alzheimers Auckland and to date, in association with Rotary, has raised close on a million dollars. Last year, the event raised $165,000.

Costco’s Aussie Success

OPERATING out of only three stores, the US discount retailer Costco has underscored its escalating threat in the Australian grocery market with the announcement of revenue of $A609m, double that of the previous year.

Proposed merger for Foodstuffs Auckland & Wellington

THE TWO Foodstuffs co-operatives in the North Island that operate the three major grocery brands – New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square – are to be merged, subject to member consultation and a subsequent vote.

The move follows an extensive business study resulting in a decision by the boards of the two wholly New Zealand owned and operated  regional co-operatives unanimously agreeing on a merger proposal to be put to their respective owner-operators.

“The key beneficiaries of the move would be consumers,” said Foodstuffs spokesman Murray Jordan, who would assume the Managing Director role of the new company which would be known as Foodstuffs North Island Limited.

 “It will help keep prices down through the benefits of common systems, faster decision-making, reduced costs and other benefits. The savings can also be applied to in-store enhancements.

 “The merger of the Auckland and Wellington regional co-operatives is a natural next step in supporting Foodstuffs’ mission of offering the best shopping experience and value for all Kiwis in all its outlets.”

He said Foodstuffs had moved to a more integrated model over recent years for the three co-operatives in areas such as marketing and product development, and a merger of the two North Island co-operatives was the next natural evolution.

Mr Jordan said the proposed Board for the new company would be drawn from both co-operatives with the inclusion of professional directors Sir Henry van der Heyden and Jane Freeman. In the lead up to the merger vote, which will take place in the coming months, they will be independent advisors to Foodstuffs.

Solid result for Woolworths

WOOLWORTHS has released its second quarter results that showed a profit increase of 3.8% in its supermarket division compared with the same period last year. The company had sales of $A13.2 billion across the entire supermarket division in Australia and New Zealand. The success was driven by strong December sales with produce, seafood and meat departments exceeding performance expectations.

And Coles was strong too

FOR the same quarter, Coles sales were at $A9.8 billion, up 5.2% on the same period the previous year and the positive growth from the company was expected to put pressure on Woolworths. This was the 15th consecutive quarter of growth for Coles and the company said it continued to invest in lower prices throughout the quarter to drive volume ahead of sales growth. The company opened 10 new supermarkets and closed four during the quarter giving it a total of 753 supermarkets.

Irish fast food chain in Australia

IRISH fast food chain Supermac is to open its first store in Australia this year and the company says it already has a further six calls for franchises. Supermac has a fast food menu of burgers and fried chickens but also has some unique lines such as curry fries and coleslaw fries. This move follows McDonalds' slump in global sales that included a 2.4% sales drop in the Asia Pacific region.

Arano launches new range

ACTIVITY is afoot in the Arano juice camp. The company has just been appointed the key juice supplier for the new MasterChef series that starts this month, and at the same time has launched a new range of six premium juices including grapefruit, pear, peach, apricot, plum and a pure orange juice.

New food labelling rules announced

AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand ministers responsible for food regulations, have agreed to new standards regulating label claims. Misleading label claims involving health and nutrition have been worrying industry leaders for some time. The new rules mean makers must be able to back up claims and provide scientific proof to meet the new criteria. FSANZ has given a three period of grace  for the transition.

NZ makers jealous of Aussie grant

THE Australian government has launched a new $1000 bonus to businesses that hire a mature aged worker as part of a package of initiatives to increase mature age participation in the workforce. A number of New Zealand manufacturers believe the incentive could also work in New Zealand to bring older workers with experience back into their businesses.

New muesli line from Harraways

SOUTH Island cereal producer Harraways has introduced a totally new concept created for keen muesli fans. Called Muesli Base, it is a base breakfast product where consumers can add things of their own choice. The time consuming part of creating a muesli such as roasting, toasting and adding honey has already been done.

Foodstuffs to run supplier briefing

AS promised by Foodstuffs NZ managing director Steve Anderson, Foodstuffs is to hold an industry briefing on February 25 to collect views on how the industry can be more successful in the forecast tough trading environment. The half day briefing will allow key suppliers to discuss how Foodstuffs can work more effectively with suppliers at both regional and national levels.

New Zealanders at international sweets show

 A number of New Zealand company executives are currently in Cologne, Germany, at the annual International Sweets and Biscuit Fair (ISM).

New chairman for grocery council

SANITARIUM’S general manager Pierre can Heerden is the new chairman of the NZ Food & Grocery Council (FGC). He replaces George Adams, the CEO of Coca-Cola Amatil who stepped down in December after four years as chairman. Adams has announced he will shortly leave the local bottler and return to Europe.


McDonalds selling milk and bread

IN a further incursion into the convenience business, some McDonalds in Australia have started selling two litre cartons of milk as part of their drive through business. The company is also planning to introduce a range of fresh breads to its takeaway business. The response to the market test for milk has been positive.


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Nosh continues rapid expansion

HOT on the heels of opening in Mt Maunganui, Nosh Food Market opens its eighth store on Constellation Drive in Auckland’s North Shore this coming Tuesday (13 Nov).

Nosh co-founder and director Clinton Beuvink says there has been plenty of demand from North Shore shoppers for a Nosh store.

“We have had a lot of feedback from ‘the shore’ asking when we’d be opening a branch there so we’re delighted to have Constellation Drive ready in time for the busy summer season.”

He says New Zealanders are sophisticated consumers who are now demanding a better quality of food retailing which is fuelling demand for greater competition.

“It strengthens the category and consumers are the winners – they have more choice on where they can shop and are no longer dictated to by the big supermarkets. We are giving consumers what they want and more.”

The store stocks a range of global brand names such as Waitrose and also includes a Black Rock Butchery (winner of the Ham of the Year 2012) on site bakery, fruit and vegetables seafood and much more.

Constellation Drive is Nosh’s second franchise store, jointly owned with Jo and Simon Jamieson who have a background in food and retail businesses including a café and catering outlet, video stores and a telecoms franchise.

The Jamiesons contacted Nosh after reading in the media that the company was interested in pursuing a growth strategy involving the owner-operator model and say they’re “stoked” with the Constellation Drive location.

“It’s smack bang in the middle of a large residential and commercial catchment area and very close to the motorway. Plus we’re bringing up to 40 new jobs to the area – it just has a good community feel about it,” Mr Jamieson says.

Nosh will extend its VIP member scheme to the new store. A Nosh VIP-only morning on Tuesday features special deals, food tastings and demonstrations by My Kitchen Rules stars Simon and Meg.  The store is open to the general public from midday.

Ingham Win Sees Sisters Take Inaugural Trip to South Island

FOUR Auckland sisters will set foot in the South Island for the first time in January after winning Ingham’s recent ‘Wonders of Wanaka’ Onecard promotion.

The promotion offered customers the chance to win a family trip to Wanaka, including flights, accommodation and spending money with every purchase of Ingham’s red bag frozen products.

Winner and youngest sister Jessica Wech, of Torbay, says the sisters had been looking for an opportunity to spend some time together and have always dreamed of an adventure to the South Island. “I couldn’t believe it when I was told about my prize. None of us have been to the South Island, so we’re even more excited than ever to finally experience all that Wanaka has to offer!” she said.

Jessica won the prize after purchasing Ingham Chicken Nuggets from Countdown Browns Bay and swiping her Onecard. “I stick with brands I know and trust. I’ve always enjoyed Ingham’s frozen products as they are tasty and easy to serve, perfect for my weeknights.”

Ingham National Sales Manager Jonathan Gray says Ingham’s range of frozen products is aimed at providing convenient meal solutions for busy Kiwi families. “As a true New Zealand brand, Ingham aims to provide quick, easy and delicious meal ideas for any Kiwi meal occasion,” says Gray. “We are delighted that Jessica enjoys our frozen range too and we hope she also enjoys what sounds like a fun-filled, family trip to Wanaka,” Gray says.

The promotion marked the launch of two new products to Ingham’s range of frozen products, Chicken Goujons and Chicken Wedges, as well as new packaging applied across the range.

SIAL CHINA 2013 dates announced 

ASIA'S largest annual food and beverage exhibition, SIAL CHINA 2013, is set to take place next year on the 7th of May at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The three day show is aiming to improve on this year’s record attendance with an emphasis on food innovation in Asia.

The venue will also be home to the inaugural Wine World Shanghai. For the first time in 13 years Wine World Shanghai is to become independent from SIAL CHINA and is expected to attract more than 450 wine and spirit exhibitors, five dedicated events and in excess of 10,000 visitors.

SIAL CHINA 2012 occupied over 73,200 sqm, featured 1907 exhibitors from 69 countries and 24 provinces in China, 37 international pavilions, and had a record 40,722 visitors. Next year’s show is promising to be even bigger with Turkey already confirmed as the guest country of honour, SOPEXA is to host an exclusive Mediterranean catering show at La Cuisine and celebrity chefs will be participating in cooking demonstrations. 

Back in stock – Bloody Marvellous!

SINCE its launch earlier this year Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations has been an incredibly successful product line for the company. The Marvellous launch was so marvelous that Cadbury had to reship to the total market last month.

“Due to the exceptional sell through of Marvellous Creations we have experienced some supply chain shortages which we have proactively worked through internally and with our customers. Supply constraints have been managed through product allocations based on fair share,” says category development manager Lucianne O’Shaughnessy.

O’Shaughnessy says that whilst they thought Marvellous Creations would be well received even they were shocked by the response to the product.

“We expected Marvellous Creations to be big due to purchase intent research and how everyone that saw the product prior to launch was totally excited by the proposition. However, we did underestimate how much New Zealanders would love this product. The total brand has scanned $3m (Nielsen Total Scan 12/08/12) since launch with supply constraints. The three blocks have scanned more than Cadbury Dairy Milk 200g during the same period,” she says. 

The Marvellous Creations line features three variants; Jelly Crunchie Bits, Jelly Popping Candy (our favourite) and Peanut Toffee Cookie which are available in 50g bars and family sized blocks. Jelly Popping Candy has been their number one selling sku for both blocks and bars with O’Shaughnessy saying that they are adding to the category. “Marvellous Creations brings fun to the most expandable and impulsive category. It encompasses fun new flavours, new pip shapes, and a new sharing occasion.”