South Australian juice-maker Nippy’s has unveiled plans to spend A$10 million on increasing its packaging capacity and expanding its milk processing operations at Waikerie and Moorouk in the Riverland region. The Riverland adjoins the Murray River near South Australia’s border with Victoria. Nippy’s, which is owned by the Knispel Group, has been awarded a State Government grant of A$2.61 million to help with this expansion. Managing Director of the Knispel Group, Jeff Knispel, said the... ...Read more »

Boost Juice Bars is contemplating a public float in Australia, although it remains nothing more than a possibility at this stage. The largest smoothie chain in the country has been one of the biggest retail success stories of the past decade and Director and Founder Janine Allis has said that they are looking at a range of opportunities, including a listing on the ASX. ”We’ve seriously thought about floating. The likelihood is probably quite slim but you have to consider this for your... ...Read more »

Boost Juice Bars, one of Australia’s most successful franchises, is the latest Australian company to take its brand to China with Shanghai to be the entry point. Boost, which opened its first store in Adelaide in 2000, already has 190 stores operating in Australia and has now set up in 16 countries. The company yesterday announced it had signed a franchising deal worth over $1 million to set up 100 stores in China over the next 10 years. The decision comes after studying the differences between... ...Read more »

Leanne Wesche, Managing Director of Perth-based Pacco Group, was last night named the 2008 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.Ms Wesche established Pacco Group in 2004. In just four years, the company has grown to become one of Australia’s largest independent fruit and vegetable packing businesses, packaging over 60 different varieties and 150 tonnes of produce each week. Ms Wesche has since recently launched Safeguard Innovations, a company which offers a range of fruit and vegetable... ...Read more »

UK consumption of smoothies grew by almost 40% to reach 75 million litres in 2007, generating a retail market value of £319 million, according to the latest ‘UK Smoothies’ report from leading food and drink consultancy Zenith International. Sales have witnessed strong growth since the introduction of the smoothie concept to UK consumers nearly 15 years ago, yet the category remains a relatively niche area at 1.2 litres per person last year. “High retail prices and concerns over... ...Read more »

Boost Juice has created a range of smoothies which Nestle is set to produce and deliver to UK supermarkets, cafes and convenience stores. The Boost Juice franchise, most popular here in Australia, has only recently expanded into Britain. However, Nestle’s research suggested that the brand resonated with consumers and viewed Boost as an opportunity to continue their push into healthier food and beverage options. There are only eight Boost stores in the UK and with many more in Australia Nestle... ...Read more »