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Arrival of the laser-etched avocado! Avocado fans will notice some dramatic changes when they pick up one of Britain’s most popular salad items at Tesco. In a move to help the environment, the supermarket will trial the scrapping of barcode stickers currently on avocados and replace them with bold laser etching. If rolled out across all stores, the moves, made jointly with the UK’s main avocado supplier, Westfalia Fruit, based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, could save: ·     More than 20 million pieces of plastic tray packaging from the twin pack avocado alone, increasing up to 25 million pieces across the pre-packed range ·     Nearly a million plastic stickers on its loose extra-large avocados (information based on current sales information, provided by Westfalia Fruit) Tesco sells nearly 70 million avocados a year and has seen demand for the fruit grow by 15 per cent in the last year so that’s some saving on packaging! #sustainability

National Wine and Cheese Day One of the most basic, yet classic food-and-drink pairings … wine and cheese. A nice tangy red or white with a creamy, nutty cheese on a cracker (or digestive) is hard to beat. Freelance writer and wine lover, Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, created National Wine and Cheese Day on 25th July. It’s a US event but we thought we’d highlight it as we have many successful UK vineyards and cheese makers. Enjoy! #ukcheese #ukwineindustry

Waitrose builds on ambition to be the home for food lovers with acquisition of Dishpatch Waitrose has today announced the acquisition of Dishpatch, the meal-kit delivery service that provides restaurant-quality home dining in collaboration with some of the UK’s leading chefs.  Dishpatch, founded in 2020, replicates a restaurant experience without leaving the house with chef-designed dishes from the likes of Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux Jr, Rick Stein, Sabrina Ghayour and others. Customers can choose from over 40 Dishpatch menus, with food and wine delivered nationally on Friday to have an indulgent weekend meal. The difference between Dishpatch and other meal kit companies is that all dishes come pre-prepared with only a few simple steps to finish and serve, to truly take the hassle out of high-end home dining. Great alternative if you just don’t feel like going out but want to enjoy quality food without the hassle. #dishpatch

World Ice Cream Day 21st of July Established to recognise the universal love for ice cream, this is the day you can have a 99 with strawberry sauce and sprinkles and know you are backing an important day in the foodie calendar. What more can you say? #icecreamday

Denmark recalls Korean ramen for being too spicy! Denmark recalled several spicy ramen noodle products back in June by South Korean company Samyang. The Danish Veterinary and Food administration said it had assessed the levels of capsaicin in a single packet to be “so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning”. It’s understood this isn’t a quality issue, they were just too spicy. Three of the fiery flavours of the Samyang instant ramen line (which are exported globally) are being withdrawn: Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew.

Bakery giant Warburtons more than doubled its profit after it poured investment into diversifying its product range beyond its iconic bread. The Bolton-headquartered group grew its pre-tax profit to almost £30m in the 12 months 2023 – a huge jump from the £13.3m it made the year before. Its turnover increased by 17% during the year, hitting a new record high of £711m compared to just over £600m in the period prior despite the soaring cost of its raw ingredients and rising wages. The company, which is led by the fifth generation of the Warburton family, has invested heavily in new product launches over the past few years as plummeting demand for traditional sliced bread continues to put pressure on bakers. #breadbakery #foodindustry

TATTON PARK FOODIES FESTIVAL The Tatton Park Foodies Festival 2024 is full of top chefs, tasty food, delicious drinks and live music with Example, Blue and Sister Sledge. Watch Master Chef Champions, Michelin-starred and top local chefs cooking their signature summer recipes in the La Española Chefs Theatre. Learn how to make show-stopping cakes in The Pots & Co Cake & Dessert Theatre with expert bakers. Great British Bake-Off stars will share their best baking hints and tips live on stage with easy to make recipes that are as delicious to look at as they are to eat. Sample new wines, champagnes and cocktails in The Drinks Theatre. Eat delicious street food from around the world. Taste new flavours. Meet artisan producers. Have fun all day with chilli eating competitions and food challenges! Kids join in the fun at The Kids Cookery Theatre. ALL NEW COOK SCHOOL – Hands-on Authentic Thai Green Curry Cook School sessions with Master Chef star Yui Miles. £25.00 per person (45 min sessions). Join highly acclaimed author Yui Miles of the Nigel Brown Cookery Academy and get hands-on with this fabulous Thai green curry masterclass. #foodiesfestivaltatton

July produce in the UK! There doesn’t seem to be much to shout about on the sunshine front but we do have fabulous produce to be proud of in the UK. This July we’re going for the good old green bean. It’s right in season along with tomatoes, beetroot and many more. Sticking with the green bean, if you haven’t tried them with some lightly fried garlic after boiling there are delish! Cooking with local, season produce is often much cheaper, supports your local farmers and farm shops and is a big tick in the sustainable box! #britishproduce #ukfarming

Sainsbury’s offers free herbs and spices to help increase diversity and flavour in diets New research from Sainsbury’s reveals that half of those struggling to afford food have lost the joy in mealtimes, saying they’re no longer excited by food (54%) and find mealtimes to be bland (49%). On a mission to improve this, Sainsbury’s is launching the UK’s first ever Seasonings Shuttle service, an initiative that offers free herbs and spices to users at mobile food clubs, run by The Bread and Butter Thing. This comes as a huge three quarters (76%) of those surveyed are cutting herbs and spices from their shopping baskets to save money, despite over two thirds (69%) wanting to make mealtimes more exciting by adding the flavours found in these ingredients. The resulting lack of diversity to diets has left Brits feeling unsatisfied, with nearly half (47%) saying they don’t feel fulfilled after a meal. Spices generally have anti-inflammatory properties, aid digestions and can help facilitate the growth of bones and reduce blood pressure. #thebreadandbutterthing #shuttleseasoninginitiative

World Chocolate Day 7th July Dark and bitter, smooth and sweet, with a nice cup of tea, drizzled on strawberries, it’s definitely one of our popular treats.  The cacao bean, which is responsible for that unmistakably rich flavour we know and love so well, is native to Mexico as well as South- and Central America but has been transplanted into the US and some European countries to match the high consumer demand for this delicacy. Chocolate always hits the spot. Around 1 billion people from around the world eat chocolates every day so if you are just enjoying a nice block of choccy, you’re not on your own. Besides its great taste, it has tons of health benefits. Although chocolates are recognized as fattening, amazingly they can also aid weight loss and help maintain weight if consumed moderately and maintain brain function. Enjoy! #worldchocolateday