Coles Supermarkets have announced a range of new gourmet beef products featuring Angus and Wagyu beef. Angus and Wagyu beef are both known for their marbling and tenderness, and are amongst the most prized beef products in the world.  According to the Australian Wagyu Association, an Angus cow can fetch up to $2000 wholesale, and a purebred Wagyu cow can fetch up to $4500. Coles General Manager of Meat, Allister Watson said customers want quality that doesn’t cost the earth. “Coles scours the... ...Read more »

Australian representatives will today meet with World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva to protest over-quota sugar exports by the European Union, which they maintain are in breach of WTO agreements. Along with Brazil and Thailand, who will also attend the meeting, Australia is the world’s biggest sugar exporter, with an annual revenue of around $2 billion.  The decision by the EU to increase sugar exports, announced in January, has caused worldwide sugar prices to drop 15%; previously, prices... ...Read more »

Sara Lee North American Fresh Bakery this week announced the expansion of its successful Soft & Smooth bread line with the introduction of its new Sara Lee® Soft & Smooth Plus breads Made with DHA Omega-3. Based on a growing body of scientific evidence, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Omega -3 helps to support healthy brain development.  Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Plus breads are a simple means to ensure children continue to receive the benefits of DHA Omega-3 in their diets. “While moms... ...Read more »

Unilever Australasia, parent company of many of Australia’s favourite food, beverage and home and personal care brands including Streets Ice Cream, Dove, Rexona, Omo and Lipton, has this month started to introduce signature brand advertising on all newly-produced Unilever TV, print and outdoor ads. In the first stage of this signature roll-out, certain Flora, Omo and Rexona TVCs have started to air with Unilever’s distinctive “U” logo. Unilever’s other brands will begin... ...Read more »

Following six successful years of operation on Crown’s riverside, Crown’s revered and respected restaurant, the brasserie by Philippe Mouchel, will cease to operate as the brasserie by Philippe Mouchel on 30 June 2010.The end of an era of one of Melbourne’s most awarded restaurants was a mutual decision between Crown and the restaurant’s chef, Philippe Mouchel. Crown’s Chief Executive Officer, David Courtney, commented, “Crown has enjoyed the partnership between... ...Read more »

Bakers Delight has been recognised in the Oracle World Retail Awards 2010, taking out finalist honours for in-store merchandising designed and executed by sales acceleration agency, MediaTag. The Oracle World Retail Awards recognise outstanding innovation and creativity delivered by retailers across the globe. Established in 2007, these Awards help set benchmarks of excellence in key areas that are important in modern retailing. Voted one of the leading global retailers in the ‘retail advertising’... ...Read more »

Australian dairy co-operative Murray Goulburn has tabled a “revised” takeover bid for local rival Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory (WCB).Murray Goulburn, which has had an initial approach rejected by WCB, today (16 February) confirmed that it had made a second offer but declined to comment further. WCB, which announced its half-year results earlier today, was equally taciturn, stating only that the company was “in the process of evaluating” the offer. The muted response... ...Read more »

Australian dairy firm Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory today (16 February) reported a jump in half-year profits on the back of rising commodity prices.WCB, which has attracted takeover bids from two companies in recent months, said the figures for the six months to the end of December were a “significant improvement” on the year before. EBIT jumped from A$4.6m in the six months of fiscal 2008/09 to A$14.7m (US$13.2m) in the current financial year. WCB made a net profit of A$8.9m,... ...Read more »

Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman today unveiled the new Buy West Eat Best campaign, with the support of local food producers. The campaign, which includes television and newspaper advertisments, encourages Western Australian consumers to buy products grown, farmed, fished or produced in WA by looking for the Buy West Eat Best logo on packaging.  More than 90 companies are part of the program, which is a collaboration of growers, producers, manufacturers, retailers and... ...Read more »

UK supermarket Waitrose and recycling experts Cawleys have jointly been awarded by the Association for Organics Recycling for their pioneering waste-to-energy recycling program, where food waste is sent for conversion to energy and fed into the national grid.  To date, Waitrose has generated a total of 400 megawatt hours of electricity using the process, enough to boil almost eight million kettles. The process, known as anaerobic digestion, uses microorganisms to break down biodegradable material. ... ...Read more »