Pritchitts sale
Independent food manufacturer Pritchitts has been sold to milk processor Lakeland Dairies, based in Ireland, for £13m in a deal expected to be completed by mid-July.
The company, which supplies the Millac brand of cream alternatives and long-life creams and the Chef's Taste brand of stock bases to the food service industry, will keep its name and be run as a stand-alone division of Lakeland Dairies.
The merged business will be the largest UHT supplier to the UK and Irish food service market.
Market to expand its offering
London's New Covent Garden market looks set to increase its sale of fish, meat and other catering supplies, as well as fresh produce, following a statement from Ben Bradshaw, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Bradshaw supported the contents of the Saphir report, published earlier this year, which suggested New Covent Garden should become one of three markets - selling meat, fish and fresh produce - alongside one at Western International in Hounslow and one at Spitalfields.
"London markets should be allowed to develop in competition with each other. We see no reason to delay that decision," he said.
The Covent Garden Market Authority has welcomed Bradshaw's comments. However, the move might still be hampered by the Corporation of London, which currently governs Spitalfields. The corporation wants just one composite market at Spitalfields.
The corporation has also hinted that if the plans to create three general markets went ahead, it might withdraw future investments in Spitalfields.
Truffle growth is under threat
Soaring temperatures across much of southern Europe this year have led to fears that the region's precious truffle harvest may have been destroyed.
Most worrying is the effect the lack of rain could be having on the developing winter truffles, especially the lucrative black truffle of P‚rigord or tuber milanosporum, which are harvested from November onwards.
Isabelle Augier, director of speciality food company Grivan, warned that prices would rise. "This year was a good year with reasonable prices, but we expect prices could double come December."
She added that unless it rained between now and September the truffles would be ruined.
Meanwhile some suppliers were also predicting a price rise for the less-sought after summer truffles, or St Jean truffles, whose season comes to an end in July.
Gosé Bodineau from importers Wild Harvest said that prices for summer truffles might rise by as much as 25% during the course of this week.