Well-known food brands have a new place in the kitchen with the launch of a website that introduces branded content into personalised cookbooks. The Australian website MyFoodbook allows consumers to create high-quality  personalised cookbooks that may include both professional recipes from leading brands and old family favourites, with quality photography. The site – www.myfoodbook.com.au – has attracted significant food industry interest with a number of major brands, including Schweppes,... ...Read more »

The iconic Australian chocolate and confectionery brand Darrell Lea has been placed into voluntary administration by its directors. The company, started 85 years ago by the same family from a small factory under the first arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, now has 69 stores owned or licensed across Australia, whilst its well-known products are sold in more than 1,800 retail outlets in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The business employs about 700 people. Insolvency specialists PPB Advisory... ...Read more »

Nestle has created a new brand, “Maison Cailler” as the launching pad for a new form of direct marketing. The campaign will create a new marketing channel that bypasses conventional retailers. Consumers will register online to order a box of Maison Cailler, with five different testing flavors, such as milk, caramel, nut, fruit, vanilla and cocoa flavors. Consumers then use a profiling system where they “discover their chocolate personality” by sharing their preferences online with friends. Within... ...Read more »

Major state-owned company of China, Bright Foods Company, is reportedly opening a permanent office in Sydney, signaling an intention to expand its Australian operations. The reports come after the Chinese food group’s acquisition of a 75% stake in Australian food manufacturer Manassen Foods has been approved by the Australian Foreign Institute Review Board. Bright Foods is one of China’s largest dairy producers and a major manufacturer and distributor of consumer food products. The company... ...Read more »

The findings just released of a nationwide survey by Australian consumer research group, Roy Morgan Research, reveal which confectionery brands Australians are choosing to buy, and why Australians decide to eat sweets in the first place. Roy Morgan Research sampled the views of 18,483 Australians aged over 14 years who said they had consumed sweets such as lollies, toffees, éclairs and caramels in the past four weeks. The survey was carried out between October 2010 and September 2011. Of those surveyed,... ...Read more »

Australia’s leading supermarket chains have been accused of using “copycat” packaging of leading Australian food brands to mislead consumers into buying the supermarket’s own private label products. The Australian Food and Grocery Council’s Chief Executive, Kate Carnell, said today that supermarkets are targeting brands with a strong market share and copying their designs as closely as possible without infringing trademark laws. Private label products are forecast to grow strongly and could... ...Read more »

Australian retail food brand manager and franchisor, the publicly listed Retail Food Group Limited (RFG) has announced it is in the midst of a number of acquisitions which, if successful, will raise the number of food outlets it operates by around 15 per cent. RFG currently owns the Australian franchises of Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie, Brumby’s Bakeries, bb’s cafe, Esquires, and Big Dad’s Pies. The latest announcement was made by RFG’s CEO, Anthony Alford, at the company’s Annual... ...Read more »

Progressive Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited, has bid farewell to the Woolworths brand in New Zealand, marking the final stage of transition to the new ‘Countdown’ brand. Woolworths Meadowlands was the last store in New Zealand to carry the Woolworths brand. The store reopened this week as a Countdown supermarket. In 2009 Progressive Enterprises announced plans to transition all its supermarkets to the Countdown brand. Over 60% of its 159 stores nationwide... ...Read more »

One of the U.S.’s leading Greek yoghurt brands, Chobani, has launched its flavoured Greek yogurt range in Woolworths’ stores this week throughout New South Wales. In August 2011, Australian Food News reported Greek yogurt sales had increased in the U.S. by a staggering 2500 per cent in the last five years. The Chobani brand gained tremendous market share, growing from just 5 per cent in March 2008 to 48 per cent in March 2011. Chobani’s launch in Australia marks the first international expansion... ...Read more »

The percentage of Australian consumers who recognise the ethical label Fairtrade has risen from 37 per cent to 44 per cent in the last year, according to a survey commissioned by Fairtrade. Fairtrade International commissioned international market researchers GlobeScan to survey 17,000 consumers in 24 countries. The total number of interviews per country ranged from 500 to 1,500. According to Fairtrade International, 55 per cent of the Australian consumers surveyed said they feel empowered to make... ...Read more »