Markets news from Fresh Produce Journal
Essential stories, analysis and research from UK’s fresh produce markets, with a focus on retail, wholesale, marketing, and consumers.
Musgrave acquires fresh foodservice supplier Delifresh
Irish supply group Musgrave has bought Bradford-based foodservice specialist as part of strategy to ‘capture more market share’ in premium ingredient market
Wrap bags £200,000 Sky Zero Footprint Fund to reenergise recycling
Environmental action group Wrap has received funding from Sky to deliver a 2026 advertising campaign to boost recycling across the UK
Uber Eats to deliver meals by robot in two UK cities
Partnership with Starship will see AI robot deliveries in Sheffield and Leeds begin this winter, with a European and US rollout set to follow
Strong start for South African table grapes
Table grape industry targets close to 80mn export cartons this season despite US tariff challenge and increased competition in Europe
Aldi UK cuts vegetable prices to 8p for Christmas
Discount retailer returns with Christmas Super Six promotion, but insists it retains full support from growers with whom it has fixed-cost agreements
Minimum wage to rise by 4.1 per cent
Minimum wage will rise by 50p an hour for over 21s under Rachel Reeves’ Autumn budget, while businesses could benefit from lower electricity bills and lower rates for some hospitality and retail properties
Start-ups invited to apply for regen farm ‘match-making’ scheme
Pitch Up! scheme positions farms as business incubators with new food or rural business start-ups invited to apply for innovative circular economy tenancies
Autumn budget is ‘last chance’ to support growers, MPs warn
A cross-party group of MPs have written to Defra warning that closing the UK Fruit and Veg Aid Scheme and PO funding without a replacement on 31 Dec will cause some growers to ‘shut up shop’
Fresh Direct ingredient arm unveils new collection
New range from Fresh Direct-owned Wild Harvest includes black truffle and other premium ingredients aimed at chefs seeking top quality
Pink Lady aims to take bigger bite of European market
Brand’s new marketing message focuses on enjoyment and experience, as it plans major new marketing campaign across Europe
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Waitrose Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary milestone
Group looks back on a project that pioneered ethical trade and sustainable supply chains
The creative lab with designs on tastier tomato treats
Tomatelier wants consumers to enjoy tomatoes more, by seeing them less as functional and more as fashionable, with style, emotion, and meaning
Bananas “confirmed as Europe’s favourite fruit” in Fyffes survey
New European-wide consumer research by Fyffes confirms bananas maintain their position as the continent’s most popular fruit, with 89 per cent of consumers having eaten them in the past four weeks
Nanna Tate rolls out Christmas potato packaging
Potato brand gives range a new look to inspire shoppers in lead-up to festive period
Fresh Union launches cold-pressed juice brand
New Covent Garden foodservice supplier says juice launch comes amid growing demand for fresh, locally made options
The Summer Berry Company set to double winter strawberry production
Berry producer is gearing up for a 400-tonne UK strawberry crop this winter after expanding growing area to 3.6ha of glass
Yuksel Seeds showcases ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes at Fruitnet Tomato Congress
International seed company Yuksel Seeds participated for the third consecutive year in the Fruitnet Tomato Congress, showcasing its extensive portfolio of ToBRFV-resistant tomato varieties at the Málaga event
Discounters lead the way with British apples after first two months of season
Between them Lidl and Aldi bought over 40 per cent of the apples sold by Brititish Apples & Pears growers in September and October
Lidl crowned Retailer of the Year by British Berry Growers
Discounter wins trade body’s top prize for supporting domestic soft fruit after 26 per cent increase in sales of British berries
Grocery price rises slow as retailers roll out festive deals
Inflation eases in October as grocers’ year-on-year sales increase and spending on deals rises considerably