It's the coolest news of the summer – classic English drink Pimm's is to be launched on British high streets as an ice lolly.
Pimm's POPS, which contain just 32 calories, will be exclusively available at nearly 700 Tesco stores across the UK.
The move should please the UK's growing army of adult ice lolly fans as in the last year demand has grown by 10 per cent.
Tesco ice cream buyer Sonia Morland said:
“These refreshing ice lollies are a guilt-free treat and represent a glass of Pimm's in frozen form.
“With the present heatwave showing no end we think this great tasting ice lolly is set to be a hit at BBQs for the rest of the summer.”
Tesco has partnered with market leader POPS who have previously produced licensed products for both Fever-Tree and Fortnum & Mason.
The lollies have an ABV alcoholic rating of 4.3% per popsicle and will only be on sale to adults aged 18 and over - information that is written on the product itself.
And similar to alcohol, the lollies will indicate that the buyer needs to have ID to show they are aged 18 or over.
Earlier this year Tesco launched Halo Top, a healthier ice cream that has gone on to become a best seller in America after launching there just five years ago.
The Halo Top range has between 280-360 calories per one pint pot, and despite only launching five years ago is now amongst America's top selling ice creams.
And two years ago the supermarket launched the UK's first ever watermelon ice lolly – the first 100 per cent fruit lolly treat.
The Traditional Free Range Egg Company is celebrating yet more success following the release of this year's Taste of the West awards, taking home two Golds and one Silver across its Free Collection, as owners, Dan and Briony Wood continue to fly the flag for traditional free range egg farming. Following up on its South West Producer of the Year trophy in 2017, the Somerset-based free range egg producer and supplier picked up Gold for both its Rambling Free hens eggs and Dabbling Free goose eggs, and Silver for its Waddling Free duck eggs, whilst its Foraging Free quail eggs were also highly commended.
Applauded for their appearance and taste, Dabbling Free goose eggs were described by the judges as “a great looking egg” with a “wonderfully creamy” texture and “excellently rounded” flavour. Meanwhile, Rambling Free hens eggs, produced using the traditional flat deck method, drew praise from the judges for the “glorious” colour of their rich and vibrant yolks, with the judges simply commenting, “they taste great”.
Dan Wood, managing director of The Traditional Free Range Egg Company, explains: “We're overjoyed to see eggs from our Free Collection winning awards for another consecutive year and it's a real testament to the consistency and quality of egg that can be produced using traditional farming methods. We have always believed that truly free range birds lay the best of the bunch, and we hope that these accolades will inspire like-minded family-run farms to resist the more industrialised methods that are now dominating free range egg production.”
Foodies across the UK will be heading to GO! Organic Festival in their thousands this September for London's exciting new organic food and music festival.
Taking place over the weekend of 8-9 September at Battersea Park, the event's stellar line-up now includes celebrity cook Melissa Hemsley, one half of the Hemsley + Hemsley sisters – whose inspirational food business is well-known for championing the importance of good nutrition, sustainable sourcing and responsible environmental practices.
Called “the Queen of the kitchen” by Marie Clare, Melissa will be extending her reign to GO!'s Organic Kitchen stage. Closing the event with the last interactive session of the day at 4pm on Sunday 9 September, she'll be offering visitors a rare treat as she shares insights into her career so far, tips on eating well and making the most out of ingredients, and answers audience questions. All whilst serving up a sumptuous selection of fast, fuss-free dishes from her new bestselling book Eat Happy: 30-minute feelgood food. There will also be book signing opportunities following her session.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer such an incredible Organic Kitchen line-up for our first event,” says GO! Organic Festival's sales manager, Amanda Thackray.
“GO! Organic Festival is about people coming together to have fun and share their love of all things organic. It's about seeing, sampling, tasting, experiencing, and discovering what's out there, what's new. The event is already creating quite a buzz across London and beyond, and having Melissa Hemsley part of the line-up just makes it even more unmissable. This is really big news for us and a huge opportunity for visitors to hear insights from such an influential and knowledgeable healthy eating advocate.”
A feast for the senses
Over two action-packed days, the festival will feature over a dozen demos in the Organic Kitchen. Other new names on the menu include: Honey Spencer, sommelier extraordinaire for Abel & Cole, sharing her top organic wine picks for the months ahead; and nutritional expert Christine Bailey (her new book My Kids Can't Eat That: How to Deal with Allergies & Intolerances in Children is out next month), who will be sharing her favourite allergy-free recipes for the whole family.
Jay Morjaria, founder of London's first meat-free cookery school Sutra Kitchen, has also been confirmed as GO!'s Organic Kitchen host. A regular at food festivals and events, the 'plant-forward' chef recently appeared on the BBC's Million Pound Menu, where his innovative East Asian restaurant concept 'Dynasty' (already a sell-out London supper-club) landed an investment offer of £500,000.
Tesco has announced it will continue its multi-million pound investment in the growth of the British Aberdeen Angus herd, with 1,600 farmers in the UK set to benefit from new 12 month contracts which will guarantee a price above the standard market rate for beef.
The Aberdeen Angus farmers are located across the UK and supply Tesco with all its Finest beef steaks, mince and joints. Aberdeen Angus beef is recognised for its quality, and all the cuts included in Tesco's range are aged for 28 days, providing customers with the best possible quality and flavour.
To coincide with the introduction of the new contracts, Tesco is re-launching its Tesco Sustainable Farming Group for Beef. The Group becomes the 10th Tesco Sustainable Farming Group following the setting up of groups in areas including dairy, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, potatoes and brassicas.
The groups provide a forum to discuss sustainable production, customer needs, Tesco's quality standards and how Tesco and its supply base can work more closely together. They also play an important role in terms of securing supply, increasing efficiency and improving animal welfare.
Tesco's Commercial Director for Fresh Food, George Wright said:
“We're committed to building long-term, transparent partnerships with our suppliers, growers and farmers. These new contracts and the reformation of our Sustainable Farming Group for beef strengthens the partnerships we have with our farmers and means they can build their businesses and invest for the future, while providing our customers with the best quality British beef.”
David Knox, Sales Account Manager at Foyle Group, one of Tesco's Aberdeen Angus beef processors, said:
"We are delighted with Tesco's ongoing commitment and investments in their Finest range. The new contract will help secure long term sustainability for the beef sector. We are also excited about Tesco's restructuring their Sustainable Farming Group for Beef as it will act as a great platform in allowing suppliers to bring forward innovative ideas to deliver positive influence for the Industry."
Animals are reared to Red Tractor welfare standards and Tesco's Beef Livestock Codes of Practice.
Entirely plastic free and crafted from the humble rice husk, Huskup's reusable coffee cups have now become a canvas, inspiring designers to help the nation's coffee lovers to say no to single use. An instant bestseller for Huskup, the 'Thumbs Up' design caught the mood of the moment and has set the tone for a range of other patterns inspired by nature.
Frome-based designer, Donna Sarah is the creative behind these concepts, and a full range of her designs is now available from Huskup. Representing fundamental features of the natural world, from the coastline to the woodlands to the mountains, each design also leaves space for the natural material of the rice husk to shine through. These new designs, named Pebbles, Sticks and Triangles, take a simple, geometric approach, appealing to an eco-audience who want a unique product to reuse time and again.
Richard Milton, founder of Huskup, explains: “To create a truly green product, all the pieces of the eco-jigsaw have to fit together, so choosing to work with local designers who share our environmental principles was a no brainer. Donna's designs have naturally struck a chord with reusable cup shoppers across the country, and with more design collaborations on the way, we plan to keep Huskup a desirable product that makes it easy and appealing to tackle disposable culture.”
Donna Sarah, designer of the mono Huskup range, adds: “I was very impressed by the way that Huskup uses a by-product to resolve a pressing modern-day problem and it has been a great opportunity to be one of the first designers to work with the rice husk material. The thumbs up design is a little message to represent the good that the cup is doing for the earth, while with the other designs I took the planet itself as my starting point. Each one is based on an element of nature, the ground beneath us, the water and the trees, all things we must look to protect from now on.”
Gosta Green in Birmingham has just launched a brand new menu and there's something for everyone - especially vegans!
New on-trend dishes include a Vegan Burger - a spicy bean burger topped with mixed leaves, vegan mayonnaise, a vegan cheese slice and BBQ pulled jackfruit, served in a toasted bagel.
Described as 'pulled pork for vegetarians', jackfruit is being hailed as the next big food trend. A large, green spiky fruit originating from India, South America and South-east Asia, with a meaty texture and appearance, jackfruit is particularly popular with vegetarians and vegans.
Jackfruit features in other new dishes on the menu, including Jackfruit Bao Buns - a lotus style steamed bun filled with pulled BBQ jackfruit.
Other vegan-friendly dishes include Macaroni Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Chilli and Salad (Black Bean and Butternut Squash Quinoa Chilli with Spicy Rice finished with vegan cheese and vegan mayonnaise), Falafel Salad, Mac and Cheese, Nachos, Chilli Fries, Avocado Fries and Halloumi Fries.
If you're a meat eater, don't worry there's plenty on offer for you too! Check out our Chicken Curry Burger, Maple Bacon Burger and Double Decker Burger as well as 'Burger of the Month'.
Other meaty treats include Buttermilk Ribs (buttermilk dusted pork ribs, crispy fried and drizzled with BBQ sauce), Chicken & Waffles (crispy fried buttermilk chicken breast and zingy house slaw sandwiched between toasted waffles and drizzled with maple syrup), and Chicken Waffle Goujons.
Desserts don't disappoint either! Choose from gooey Chocolate Fritters (crispy fried Mars Bar or a Snickers bar coated in Doughnut Batter served with vanilla ice cream), scrumptious Cookie Dough, tempting Smores Biscuit (Digestive biscuits filled with Hazlenut chocolate spread and toasted mini marshmallows, drizzled with chocolate flavoured sauce) or our mouth-watering Smores Doughnut!
Plus we have a wide range of craft beers and wines and new 'Martinny' cocktails (cocktails in a can) on the autumn menu. For the more health-conscious, check out the new Avocado Go-Go, Breakfast Smoothie and protein-based smoothies: Fruitasia and The Veggie-Nator.
Alongside the new dishes and drinks, several great deals have been introduced. Customers can double their loyalty points on Mondays by receiving 20 points for every £1 spent on food or drinks, Tuesdays become 'Pancake Tuesday' with pancakes priced at 25p all day, whilst Wednesdays are 'Wing Wednesday' with chicken wings on offer for just 25p a wing all day.
General manager Stefan Sroczynski, says: "We're really excited about the new menu! We have lots of demand for vegan and vegetarian dishes, so we wanted to ensure we had plenty of options to choose from. The jackfruit dishes are really amazing, even meat eaters will love the flavour and texture as it really does taste like pulled pork! We think we've got something for everyone on offer this autumn, so come on down and try our new dishes for yourself!"
City of Wolverhampton’s Festival of Food and Drink at the weekend saw record attendance over the two days – up by almost 7,000 on last’s year inaugural event.
More than 25,000 people enjoyed the festival in the heart of the city centre on Saturday and Sunday after snapping up free tickets.
All tickets for Saturday were secured by Friday evening – and it is estimated the economic benefit to the city over the weekend is around £420,000.
Families revelled in the sunshine off Wulfruna Street, with a wide range of food and drink available, artisan stalls, live music, an open-air cinema, and traditional fairground games across both days.
Visitors on Saturday were treated to a flypast by a C47 Dakota from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) team.
And shortly after thousands were on cloud nine as they watched England’s glorious World Cup quarter-final win over Sweden on the big screen.
Organiser William Power of Street Banquet and Director of E11EVEN GROUP, said: “A massive thank you to everyone that attended and supported this year’s Wolverhampton Festival of Food & Drink. We were blessed with great weather and a World Cup victory to add to what was an amazing weekend for our team and hopefully the 25,000-plus people in attendance.
“Special thanks go out to all the traders that went above and beyond in what is a challenging weekend’s work for them. All of which were fantastic! Without them there is no foundation for this event so thank you from everyone involved. We do our best to bring new traders and tastes to the city and hope to do so more regularly moving forward.
“The festival provides a great offering and family day out in the city. This was only the second year for us and we are still looking for ways to improve your experience. We take on board all the feedback and plan to come back with an even better festival for you next year.”
Visitor comments on social media included ‘Amazing day! Fun times for my hen do with friends and family and an England win to compliment the food and drink!, ‘What an event! I still can’t get over we was in middle of Wolverhampton and had spent not a penny to get in! Everyone involved in this event should be so proud what a day!, ‘Second year in a row this event was a brilliant day out as expected. Huge range of food and drinks vendors to choose from’.
Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “I am delighted the flagship event of our Enjoy Wolverhampton visitor programme hit new heights this year.
“It is another example of Wolverhampton putting itself on the map and showcases exactly what the city has to offer to residents and visitors.”
In addition to strong advanced ticket numbers, almost 500 visitors chose to pay on the gate at the festival, which resulted in £488 going to the chosen charities of Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Phil Page, and the other half to event costs.
The math has been done and the financial rewards of using a reusable cup are compelling.
The individual saving is not insignificant. The average Brit, enjoying two cups of coffee every day,* could save up to £365 a year by refilling a reusable when opting for the biggest discount currently available – Pret's 50p incentive.
It's worth it. Especially considering that a reusable cup will pay for itself within as little as nine days in the case of a two-coffee-a-day consumer.
However, when considered collectively, the numbers are even more persuasive.
Recent figures show that the British public spent £6.3 billion on takeaway coffee in just a year* – that equates to around 2.8 billion cups of coffee,* with the preference being for milk-based coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos.
Based on these figures and the top discount of 50p, if every coffee purchased was served in a reusable cup, coffee drinking Brits could collectively save an astonishing £1.4 billion a year.
It's clear we're all mad for the stuff, but our coffee cravings mean we're responsible for 2.5 billion single-use plastic cups going to landfill every year. That's over 6.8 million every single day.
So, it's great news - for both the environment and for our wallets - that more coffee shops than ever are now offering incentives for customers using reusable cups.
And if coffee consumers were to make just one of their daily coffees at home, decanting into a reusable cup for their morning commute rather than buying en route, they could save a further £574.20 a year.*
Ecoffee Cup founder David McLagan says: “It's great news that so many high-street coffee shops are now offering incentives for customers using reusable cups. The potential saving of £1.4 billion a year makes it an obvious investment and allows coffee drinkers to be part of the solution to single-use plastic waste whilst also saving up to £365 each a year.
“Switching to a reusable cup is a small change that could make a big difference, and at Ecoffee Cup we offer a wide range of designs that are not only functional but stylish too – from iconic William Morris patterns to bold colours, there's an Ecoffee Cup to suit everyone.”
“Doing your bit for the oceans has never been so easy (and stylish)” says Ecoffee Cup customer, Priya. “Plus you often get money off your coffee when using a reusable cup. Just do it.”
Visitors to the first day of City of Wolverhampton’s Food & Drink Festival on Saturday, July 7 can also enjoy the spectacular sights and sounds of a commemorative Royal Air Force flypast.
A C47 Dakota from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) team will makes three passes above the city centre event at around 2.20pm.
The festival will take place on Wulfruna Street, the Civic Centre Ceremonial car park, St Peter’s car park and the pedestrian area outside the University of Wolverhampton’s Ambika Paul building.
More than 15,000 free tickets have already been snapped up for the weekend festival on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday 8 (12pm to 8pm on both days).
It is the flagship event of this year’s packed ‘Enjoy Wolverhampton’ visitor programme and tickets for both days can be booked online in advance at www.wolvesfoodfest.co.uk.
Fittingly, the C47 Dakota is a transport aircraft that moved food supplies regularly during wartime.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “The RAF celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and we are delighted the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team have chosen to honour one of our most popular city events with a flypast.
“As a city and a council we are signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and fully support them in any way we can.
“It will be great to see thousands of people at the Food & Drink Festival get to enjoy this spectacular sight – it adds even more to what is a fantastic family event and shows how it is already growing in only its second year.”
More than 18,500 people attended the inaugural festival and this year’s offer is even bigger and better, with around 80 different food and drink outlets.
Partnerships and collaborations with the likes of Digbeth Dining Club will see award winning street food and drink traders making their City of Wolverhampton debuts.
There will be a wider range of food and drink traders, artisan stalls, and exhibitors, alongside live music, an open-air cinema, Prosecco bar, guest appearances, family area and traditional fairground games.
The BBMF operates from RAF Conningsby, a Typhoon and fighter base, in Lincolnshire.
The mission of the BBMF is to maintain the priceless artefacts of our national heritage in airworthy condition to commemorate those who have fallen in the service of this country, to promote the modern-day Air Force and to inspire future generations.
Flown by regular serving RAF aircrew, the flight operates six Spitfires, two Hurricane Mk 2Cs, and a Lancaster, as well as a C47 Dakota and two Chipmunk aircraft.
Corinthia Hotel London has announced that the renowned Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, will open his first London restaurant, Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, at the hotel this September 2018.
Kerridge’s Bar & Grill will be a relaxed brasserie-style dining room with adjacent bar open all day. This exciting partnership will marry Tom and Corinthia Hotel London’s similarly modern and forward-thinking approach to hospitality, bringing both Londoners and visitors to the city one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2018.
The restaurant and bar will be located on the site which was previously Massimo, on the ground floor of the hotel, with a separate direct entrance off Northumberland Avenue, and a new and updated interior design by David Collins Studio.
The grand, high-ceilinged restaurant space will seat 90 covers and be furnished with a mixture of leather upholstered dining chairs and deep button-backed banquettes with a dark green and burgundy color palette. Within the main restaurant space there will be a striking rotisserie bar which will roast large joints of meat, fish, and some root vegetables in front of diners. Inspired by the menu at The Coach in Marlow, the rotisserie will have a daily changing dish on the menu each day. Some of the walls of the main restaurant will feature fridges showcasing hanging meat supplied by Tom’s own butchers, The Butcher’s Tap in Marlow. The room will be decorated with an assortment of beautiful and personally selected art work, which will be revealed at a later date.
Tom will bring with him Head Chef, Nick Beardshaw, who has worked with him for many years, initially at The Hand and Flowers as sous chef and more recently as head chef of The Coach in Marlow, and has been integral in winning the Michelin stars at both the sites.
Kerridge’s Bar & Grill will also have a separate and significant bar area divided from the dining room by a partition of antique mirror panels – very much a destination in itself. There will be seating in the form of curved banquettes and large lounge seats finished in a burgundy leather, as well as the option of taking a selection of high stools at the marble bar. The bar will serve cocktails along with an extensive list of English wines, Champagnes and of course ales and lagers on tap, which will be visible in a bespoke glass cellar as you enter the restaurant. There will also be a menu of diverse and interesting bar snacks.
In addition, there will be a Private Dining Room leading from a door to the left of the bar. This will seat 18 people around a bespoke table made by Custom Timber Works; guests will be able to enjoy an exclusive dining experience while watching chefs prepare and cook dishes right in front of them at the kitchen space within the grand, paneled dining room.
“We are incredibly excited about opening Kerridge’s Bar & Grill at Corinthia Hotel London. Work has begun on the design and the space, and Nick and I, along with the whole team, are enjoying creating a menu that will befit such a stunning room,” commented Chef Tom Kerridge.
Thomas Kochs, Managing Director of Corinthia Hotel London, added, “Every day I work with Tom Kerridge and his team, and Simon Rawlings from David Collins Studio, the anticipation builds of what I know will be a fantastic opening and a wonderful new addition to London’s restaurant scene. I look forward to September when we can finally welcome guests to this new dining experience.”
Homegrown British company, Cranes Drinks is launching into ASDA this summer with their tantalising range of fruit ciders.
Chilled by nature, Cranes Ciders are brewed with the finest Wisconsin cranberries, alongside apples, to deliver a crisp, refreshing range of fruit ciders.
Founded and developed by Twin Brothers Ben and Dan Ritsema, Cranes Ciders are naturally light, with 30% fewer calories compared to brand leaders.
“Consumer tastes are becoming more sophisticated, with a higher demand for quality, ethical and natural ingredient sourcing than ever before. Our fruit ciders fill a gap in the market for an innovative, naturally-light cider, brewed to utilise the pure sweetness of the super-fruits.” said Daniel Ritsema, Co-Founder of Cranes Drinks LTD.
Founded in 2012, Cranes, has been exceptionally well received at events and festivals across the country and is stocked by a host of farm shops, garden centres, bars and pubs across the UK. However, the national launch into over 300 ASDA stores this Summer, is the brands biggest break yet!
“To say we are ecstatic to be launching nationally in ASDA is an understatement! We are absolutely delighted Cranes Ciders will now be available to consumers across the UK.” said Ben Ritsema, Co-Founder of Cranes Drinks LTD.
Warrens Bakery are on the look-out for their first ever 'Young Budding Baker of the Year' and there's just two weeks left for nominations.
The overall winner of the seven shortlisted will go behind the scenes at Warrens Bakery in Cornwall for a masterclass with Head Baker Jason Jobling where they will also help to develop a brand-new bake. The lucky winner will also get to meet Martha Collison, win a year's supply of bakes, plus a baking course at their local cookery school worth £250.
Head Baker Jason Jobling, who has been with the team for an incredible 26 years, is helping to lead the search with the help of baking star Martha Collison to recruit 'wannabe winners'. As Chair of the Cornish Pasty Association, Jason's love for craft baking is clear to see, most recently featured on BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show with Chris Evans during the first ever Cornish Pasty Week.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of bakers, Jason said: “Up until February last year, Warrens Bakery stores were only in the South West. Our journey over the last 12 months has been incredible, with monthly store openings in regions throughout England. Local residents have instantly taken to our sweet and savoury range of bakes and having met so many new friendly faces, we want to inspire young bakers and grow the appetite for craft baking with the launch of the search for the next Budding Baker.”
With students across the nation currently completing GCSE's and A-levels, the campaign is extremely timely as teenagers look to the next chapter.
Tipped as one of the top three craft bakeries in the UK and gaining the highest place for a retailer in The World Pasty Championship, the expert team at Warrens Bakery have been guardians of the Cornish Pasty since 1860. Continuing to hand-crimp all of their pasties in St Just, near Land's End, hand crimping an average of three pasties every minute; recipes and hand-craft skills have been passed down generation after generation.
Celebrated author, Waitrose magazine columnist and rising baking star Martha Collison is helping the team in their search. Commenting about her involvement, Martha said - “Baking is so well-loved because it's part of our heritage; a skill that spans all generations. I was inspired to bake by looking up to those more experience than myself; grandparents, food technology teachers and aunties. They inspired me to get in the kitchen and try things out, to hone my skills and to improve my ability through encouragement and opportunity. I'm passionate about seeing a younger generation inspired to bake and let loose in our kitchens, as you learn so much about food through making it yourself.”
Open for nominations from siblings, friends, parents and grandparents who want to see their young rising star (16-18) crowned as the first ever Warrens Bakery 'Young Budding Baker of the Year 2018'. The competition is open for entry in the seven UK regions where Warrens Bakery stores are located.
South Australia has recently played host to MasterChef as part of their 10th series.
Visiting top eateries, restaurants, and food and wine venues, contestants were treated to some spectacular views and iconic locations as they cooked in Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, and McLaren Vale in the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Inclusion in MasterChef has cemented the State as a foodie hub for close to one million viewers. SA Week on MasterChef showcased premium tourism offerings and quintessential South Australian experiences, such as The Cube restaurant, Jacob's Creek vineyard, Maggie Beer's Farm Eatery, and Mount Lofty House.
As part of the activations surrounding MasterChef, SATC has engaged with Gary Mehigan to promote the best food and wine the State has to offer. Gary has scoured the State to find the best and most engaging dining experiences, giving credibility to South Australia's many fresh food producers.
Tesco is to help prevent a potential lemon shortage by putting a greener version of the fruit on its supermarket shelves.
Despite the skin being slightly green the fruit is still as crisp and zesty as you'd find as when they completely turn yellow.
But now Tesco has lifted the colour quality specifications for lemons in a move that will also help offset food waste in the home by adding up to an extra two days shelf life to the fruit as it turns yellow.
The shortage has been caused by significantly reduced end of season volume in Spain, from where the UK gets the bulk of its lemons until the end of spring, which has reduced availability to UK retailers.
Traditionally in late June the South African lemon season starts which then takes over as the UK's main supply source.
But Tesco will now take the greener South African lemons earlier than usual to keep supplies going.
Tesco citrus fruit buyer Savia Weidinger explains:
“These greener lemons that we now have on sale are already mature and perfect tasting inside but need longer for the skin to turn yellow.
“With the South African crop that happens towards the end of June as evenings cool which helps the fruit to colour up.
“The move not only means that shoppers will again be easily able to buy a fruit that is growing in popularity but they will gain extra freshness.”
The move should be popular with customers as lemons have jumped in popularity by nearly 10 per cent in the last year with more people using them in recipes and juicing.
Tesco has committed to making sure no good food goes to waste and works with farmers and suppliers to adjust crop specifications.
The greener lemons will be available in 800 tesco stores across the UK.
Alzheimer’s Society’s first ever Cupcake Day pop up experience has been embarking on a mini tour of the UK ahead of Cupcake Day on Thursday 14 June. Starting its journey in Newcastle, it visited Birmingham on Thursday 7th June.
The pop up was situated in Birmingham city centre on Edgbaston Street between the Bullring and Markets. Alzheimer’s Society staff were distributing free Cupcakes to the public and talking to them about dementia. Hundreds of Cupcakes were handed out to people who were encouraged to get involved in Cupcake Day and join the fight against dementia.
Anne-Marie Heeney from Birmingham said: “It’s so great to see something like this where it’s so visual and can start a conversation about dementia. I think that conversations about dementia don’t have to be depressing.”
People were able to enjoy free hand-finished cupcakes, supplied by The Cake Crew, get creative at a special ‘Glam Your Cupcake’ station and speak with Dementia Advisers about any concerns they might have.
Carol Bowsher, Dementia Adviser for Alzheimer’s Society was in attendance. She said: “I spoke with a woman who was worried about her mother. She wasn’t sure about what sort of symptoms she should be looking for and we discussed that perhaps a general health check could be beneficial.”
Alzheimer’s Society’s Cupcake Day raises funds to support people affected by dementia. Recently, Alzheimer’s Society joined forces with Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Government to fund the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute.
Emma Dowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society said: “We have had a fantastic time handing out Cupcakes to the public to celebrate the oncoming Cupcake Day. It’s great to see Birmingham uniting against dementia.”
In the UK, there are 850,000 people living with dementia and more than 10,000 people live with the condition in Birmingham and Solihull. It is estimated that dementia costs the UK economy over £26 billion per year. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.. Each cupcake will help Alzheimer’s Society find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.
Simon Tregunna, visiting Birmingham from Cornwall, stopped to talk at the Cupcake Day experience. He said: “This Cupcake Day experience is a good idea and raises awareness. My mother-in-law has become more forgetful recently and we are worried about her memory. Where I’m from, it’s bit of a wait to see a GP, it’s sketchy.”
Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to unite against dementia with their families, friends and colleagues, by baking or buying cupcakes to raise vital funds. People can celebrate Cupcake Day on 14 June or mark the occasion another time in the month. Alzheimer’s Society welcomes everyone in uniting against dementia by signing up for Cupcake Day at www.cupcakeday.org.uk