The Sea Fish Industry Authority is to increase its annual levy by 10% to £9.24 per tonne from April. [31-Dec-1998]
Markbeech Products has bought Cadec, the supplier of edible nuts and ingredients to the bakery and confectionery industries, from the Harrington Food Group. [29-Dec-1998]
The Northern Chicken Growers trade association for independent poultry producers is closing down after 25 years, as the major packing stations are now taking greater control and providing new services to producers. [28-Dec-1998]
Fyffes is acquiring a 50% stake in Capespan International, the South African fruit exporter, for £12m. [24-Dec-1998]
Golden Wonder is to create up to 200 jobs in Scunthorpe, following a £14m investment in a snacks factory and distribution centre. [23-Dec-1998]
The Monopolies & Mergers Commission is planning another investigation of the ice cream market, partly due to concerns over the way the large manufacturers place freezer cabinets in shops. [23-Dec-1998]
Park Group is to close its Spuddles flavoured potato manufacturing business due to continued losses. [23-Dec-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge, the brewing and pubs group, has accepted a £108m bid from a management team under the name of Rhesus. [22-Dec-1998]
Compass is linking up with Accor of France to acquire a 50% stake in GR, the Brazilian contract caterer, for £47m. [22-Dec-1998]
EU fish ministers have agreed cuts of up to 30% in allowable catches for next year, including a 30% reduction of whiting from the west of Scotland, a 23% cut in North Sea haddock, and a 5% cut in North Sea cod. [19-Dec-1998]
The Monopolies & Mergers Commission is to release its report on the milk market by the end of January, which will consider complaints from dairy processors about the way milk is sold by the Milk Marque farmers co-operative. [19-Dec-1998]
Unilever has won Dutch regulatory approval for its Flora pro-activ cholesterol-reducing spread, and EU approval should follow after 60 days. [18-Dec-1998]
Webbs Country Foods is to cut 180 jobs at its chicken processing plant in Winchester in response to falling sales. [17-Dec-1998]
Torridge Vale, a dairy farm collective based in Torrington, is to open a new creamery early next year, in order to produce milk products for markets across Devon. [17-Dec-1998]
Ben Shaws, the Huddersfield-based soft drinks company, has been acquired by Chaudfontaine Distribution of Belgium in a £22m deal, and has also announced plans for a new £2m bottling plant. [17-Dec-1998]
Allied Domecq has ended talks with Seagram of Canada about an alliance of their wine and spirits operations, and Seagram has also ruled out forming links with other global companies. [17-Dec-1998]
WT Foods has announced a reverse takeover of Noon, the supplier of Indian foods, in a £50m deal. [17-Dec-1998]
Albert Fisher has closed its loss-making operation in Buffalo, US, and is in talks to sell its sauces and dressings business. [17-Dec-1998]
Diageo has announced that negotiations to sell its Strathleven bottling plant in Dumbarton to Bacardi have been terminated. [16-Dec-1998]
Vaux expects to complete the sale of its brewing operations by February, and the company will then be renamed to Swallow Group at it focuses on its Swallow Hotels chain. [15-Dec-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes has agreed to sell its non-US soft drinks businesses to Coca-Cola for £1.12bn, and the proceeds will be used to expand its confectionery operations around the world. [12-Dec-1998]
Kerry has opened a new £2m ready meals facility at its Durham factory to supply Somerfield, and an additional 130 jobs could be created over the next two years as further convenience foods are introduced. [11-Dec-1998]
Peter's Food Services, the South Wales company recently bought out from Grand Metropolitan, has bought the food distribution company Early Bird and ham-maker JV Rowe of Tenby. [09-Dec-1998]
Golden Vale is to close a cheese factory in the Netherlands with the loss of 148 jobs, and will reorganise its butter and milk powder operations. [09-Dec-1998]
Bass has confirmed that its Cannon Brewery in Sheffield will close in January, with the loss of 57 jobs. [08-Dec-1998]
Tomkins has sold its Just Juice drinks brand to Del Monte for £10m, and the Just Juice plant in Ledbury will be closed with the loss of 185 jobs. [08-Dec-1998]
Hillsdown is selling its Ross Breeders poultry business to the venture capitalist BC Partners for £100m, but is no longer actively looking to sell its potato packing business. [08-Dec-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes has announced that its US soft drinks business Dr Pepper/Seven Up has agreed a new distribution deal with PepsciCo's bottling division. [08-Dec-1998]
Young's is restructuring its Pyewipe chilled fish factory in Grimsby with the loss of more than 100 jobs, due to overcapacity in the market. [07-Dec-1998]
Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool is to almost double its output, following an agreement between its parent company Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries and Guinness to extend their licence to brew Harp Irish Lager until 2009. [07-Dec-1998]
Carlsberg-Tetley is considering plans to postpone the closure of its Wrexham brewery in order to cater for higher demand during the millennium celebrations. [07-Dec-1998]
Dairy Crest is to set up a £33m national cheese maturation and distribution centre in Nuneaton by April 2000. [07-Dec-1998]
South African Breweries is planning to move its stock exchange listing from Johannesburg to London in order to support its international expansion plans. [05-Dec-1998]
Express Dairies is said to preparing to acquire a 51% stake in the Claymore Creamery in Nairn, and would then double output at the dairy. [04-Dec-1998]
Geest is selling its two Dutch produce trading operations to De Weide Blik of Belgium for £10m. [03-Dec-1998]
Plans are being considered to set up a Scottish meat marketing agency with a budget of at least £4m a year. [03-Dec-1998]
Hazlewood Foods is to focus its Warrington and Bristol factories on producing a new range of chilled ready meals for two supermarket groups, and some low-margin products will be dropped. [02-Dec-1998]
Foyle Meats is opening a £2m meat processing plant in Londonderry, creating 35 jobs. [01-Dec-1998]
Elementis is selling BOCM Pauls, the animal feed and pig business, to Accruechart, which is jointly owned by BOCM management and Electra Fleming, for about £60m. [01-Dec-1998]
Chivers Hartley has cut 20 jobs at its jam factory in Histon, Cambridgeshire, following a review of its operations. [30-Nov-1998]
Kelvin, the Gardner Merchant subsidiary, is said to be discussing the merger of its North Sea catering operations with those of Universal Services. [30-Nov-1998]
Devro, the sausage casings company, is planning to save up to £7m a year by cutting its 3,500-strong worldwide workforce by 5%. [27-Nov-1998]
Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries has announced a £262m takeover offer for Marston, Thompson & Evershed, but Marston has rejected the bid as "inadequate". [27-Nov-1998]
Fenmarc, the Cambridgeshire-based vegetable-processing company, has undergone a £11m management buyout. [26-Nov-1998]
Cranswick has acquired Mr Lazenby's, the Teesside-based sausage maker, for £3.5m. [26-Nov-1998]
Hot Bread Kitchens is creating 60 new jobs in Ellesmere Port having won a DTI Regional Selective Assistance to help finance its £1.2m expansion plans. [25-Nov-1998]
Marston Thompson & Evershed is cutting 90 jobs at its brewery in Burton-on-Trent. [25-Nov-1998]
Christian Salvesen is to close a frozen food warehouse in Paris and will reduce the number of processing plants in its food services division. [24-Nov-1998]
The EU has voted to allow the UK to resume exports of beef from next spring. [24-Nov-1998]
Unilever is considering plans to set up an in-house operation to distribute Wall's ice cream, which would put an end to its links with the 27 distributors that are currently used. [23-Nov-1998]
Jennings Brothers is to invest more than £1m over the next two years to expand the capacity of its Castle Brewery in Cockermouth. [23-Nov-1998]
Scottish & Newcastle is said to be considering plans to acquire Kronenbourg, the French beer, from Danone. [23-Nov-1998]
HT Webb, the chilled food importer with annual sales of £52m, is undergoing a management buyout. [21-Nov-1998]
Oriental Eastern Foods has won a contract to produce chilled ready meals for Loughborough-based French food firm Le Sezannais, which could create an extra 50 jobs at its Nottingham factory. [20-Nov-1998]
Joseph Johnston & Sons of Montrose is to close its salmon fishing operation in order to focus on fish processing. [20-Nov-1998]
Bass is to invest £5m in improving the efficiency of its Cape Hill brewery in Smethwick. [19-Nov-1998]
Northern Foods is planning a £47m capital expenditure programme in order to increase the efficiency of a number of production sites. [18-Nov-1998]
A consortium of 18 Speyside whisky distilleries are planning to invest over £3m in a waste-water disposal network in order to meet new European regulations. [17-Nov-1998]
BG Foods, the chilled and frozen desserts company, has been acquired by management for £36m, and the new owners are planning to build a £6m dairy desserts factory in Newton Abbot. [14-Nov-1998]
Roberts Yorkshire Kitchens has merged with Nordale Foods to create a new £23m company called Roberts Group that will be the country's second largest manufacturer of Yorkshire puddings. [14-Nov-1998]
Iceland's Woodford Foodservice subsidiary has acquired Caterfish, the Midlands-based supplier of frozen foods and fresh fish. [14-Nov-1998]
IAWS has bought a 34% stake in Welcon Pelagic, the Norwegian fishmeal and seafood processing company, for £5m, as well as Viper Seafoods of Scotland for £1.1m. [12-Nov-1998]
Britannia Biscuits is planning to build a £4m biscuit factory at South Tees Food Park on Teesside, creating about 180 jobs. [10-Nov-1998]
Robert Wiseman Dairies has shortlisted a number of sites in the south of England to build a new dairy, and hopes it will be operational by the middle of 2001. [10-Nov-1998]
Whitchurch Group is discussing the sale of its remaining meat and pet food operations to management. [10-Nov-1998]
Laurens Patisseries is planning to double the production capacity at its chilled and frozen desserts factory in Newark, creating 50 jobs. [06-Nov-1998]
Brooks Meat Wholesalers has closed its abattoir in Foston, Derbyshire, with the loss of 25 jobs. [05-Nov-1998]
Diageo's United Distillers & Vintners division is in talks to sell its Strathleven bottling plant. [04-Nov-1998]
Matthew Clark, the cider maker, has been acquired by Canandaigua Brands of the US for £215m, and the two businesses will be able to sell their products through each other's distribution channels. [04-Nov-1998]
Hillsdown is negotiating the sale of its Ross Breeders poultry business to BC Partners, the venture capital company, for about £100m. [03-Nov-1998]
Associated British Foods is looking to acquire small North American companies in order to use their technologies to expand into new products and markets. [03-Nov-1998]
Island Fresh, the Jersey growers' marketing co-operative, has ceased trading. [31-Oct-1998]
Prepco Foods, the Skelmersdale-based vegetables supplier, has undergone a £2.5m management buy-out. [31-Oct-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge and Alchemy Partners are trying to resurrect an aborted management buy-out for the Wiltshire brewer, and they are seeking funding from a number of international banks. [29-Oct-1998]
Redruth Brewery is planning to announce a number of redundancies following a decline in the domestic beer market. [28-Oct-1998]
Allied Domecq says it is still looking to form alliances and mergers with other major drinks companies. [28-Oct-1998]
BPT Meats of Driffield is cutting 33 jobs at its East Yorkshire pig processing plant. [27-Oct-1998]
Cameron Food Safety of Aberdeen is to operate a new Food Resource Centre at Inverurie's Food Park, which will aim to help local companies launch new products. [27-Oct-1998]
Booker has sold its fish processing business to a vehicle set up by Legal & General Ventures for £44m, and it will be renamed Bluecrest Seafood. [27-Oct-1998]
Associated British Foods is acquiring SPI Holding Company, the US supplier of sweetening agents. [26-Oct-1998]
Whitbread has sold its Castle Eden brewery to a consortium of local businesses called the Castle Eden Brewery Company for an undisclosed sum. [23-Oct-1998]
Donside Game and Meat of Inverurie is to set up a new venison processing operation in Grantown, creating 35 jobs. [23-Oct-1998]
Matthew Clark, the cider company, is in discussions with at least one potential bidder. [23-Oct-1998]
Albert Fisher has put a number of businesses up for sale, including salad dressings, chilled foods and the continental European seafoods operation. [16-Oct-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge, the brewing and pubs group, has announced that a planned £116m management buy-out has been scrapped due to uncertainties in the financial markets. [16-Oct-1998]
Scotia is looking for a multinational food group to set up a global distribution deal for its Olibra diet additive. [15-Oct-1998]
The Dartington Food Company is looking to double the workforce at its Ivybridge luxury foods plant to over 60 employees. [15-Oct-1998]
MD Foods has invested £7m at its dairy in Hatfield Peverel, Essex, to produce what it claims will be the first finely filtered milk in the UK, using a process that filters out more bacteria than pasteurisation alone. [14-Oct-1998]
The Duchy Confectionery Company may be acquired by Dartington Food, thereby saving the 20 jobs that were lost when it closed its Callington-based Cornish fudge factory last month. [13-Oct-1998]
The former O'Hara's Bakery in West Belfast has been bought by Grange, the local development company, and it will be refurbished and let either as a single manufacturing plant or divided into a number of smaller units. [13-Oct-1998]
Wilson's Country is investing £1.5m in new storage, grading and packing facilities at its potato packing plant in Portadown, with the creation of 35 jobs. [13-Oct-1998]
Macrae Holdings has acquired Pacitti Foods of Aberdeen and Arbroath for an undisclosed sum. [13-Oct-1998]
Cobra Beer is planning to raise up to £1m in a share issue in order to develop its Indian bottled lager into a mainstream brand. [12-Oct-1998]
IAWS of Ireland is planning to set up a new manufacturing and distribution centre in the UK next year for its Cuisine de France business. [12-Oct-1998]
Booker has sold Daehnfeldt, the Danish seeds business, to Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst, for £29m, and it is now looking to sell its fish processing subsidiary and its US turkey breeding operation. [09-Oct-1998]
Allied Distillers is to invest £14m in its Scottish businesses over the next year, including the refurbishment of its Dumbarton and Strathclyde distilleries. [09-Oct-1998]
Marine Harvest McConnell, the Scottish salmon farming operation, is considering plans for a management buy-out from its parent company Booker. [08-Oct-1998]
Greene King is to close its bottling line and maltings in Mid Anglia, and staff will be transferred to other areas of the brewery. [08-Oct-1998]
Guinness is linking up with Castel of France and the Commonwealth Development Corporation to buy the Reunidas brewery in Mozambique for $8m. [06-Oct-1998]
Inchcape has sold its Russian soft drinks bottling business to The Coca-Cola Company for $87m, and is now discussing the sale of its Latin American bottling business. [06-Oct-1998]
Ebor's small ice-cream factory in York is to close and production transferred to other locations. [06-Oct-1998]
Quickfruit is planning to set up a £1m organic farm in Chester to produce and pack organic foods, creating 75 jobs. [06-Oct-1998]
Brake Bros has acquired Watson & Philip Foodservice from Watson & Philip for £43.6m, and W&P will change its name to Alldays. [05-Oct-1998]
WT Foods is planning to acquire Noon, the supplier of chilled and frozen Indian foods, for about £50m. [03-Oct-1998]
Milk Marque has acquired North Bradon Farm, the Somerset-based cheddar cheese producer, for undisclosed terms. [03-Oct-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge, the brewer and pub chain, has announced plans for a £116m management buy-out, with the backing of Alchemy Partners. [03-Oct-1998]
BGR, the restaurant chain, has bought West Coast Shellfish, the Scottish producer of scallops, for £0.3m. [01-Oct-1998]
Kanes Food has won approval from Wychavon District Council to build a vegetable and salad factory at its site in Middle Littleton, with the creation of 70 jobs. [01-Oct-1998]
Allan and Dey is to move its fish processing business from Aberdeen to Edinburgh Smoked Salmon's new factory in Dingwall, with the loss of 40 jobs. [01-Oct-1998]
Bon Accord Sparkling Drinks, the Aberdeen-based soft drinks company, is up for sale as the directors want to pursue other interests. [01-Oct-1998]
Allied Distillers is to close the Imperial Distillery at Carron, Speyside, due to over-capacity in the whisky industry. [30-Sep-1998]
Voyager Foods is to expand its sauces factory at the Sunderland Enterprise Park in Castletown, creating 48 new jobs. [29-Sep-1998]
Morrells of Oxford has been set up as a new company to acquire Morrells Brewery of Oxford for £48m, and has promised to invest in the 132 pubs although the brewery itself will be shut. [29-Sep-1998]
Faccenda Chickens is investing £1m to expand production at its Brierley Hill poultry plant, and 100 jobs will be created. [29-Sep-1998]
Tomkins has been ordered by the government to sell four of the six mills it acquired from Kerry Group in March, due to concerns over the impact of the acquisition on flour and bread prices. [25-Sep-1998]
AG Barr has set up a soft drinks plant near Moscow, with $7m of funding from Agribusiness Partners International of the US. [25-Sep-1998]
Milk Marque is planning to build a £50m butter and milk powder factory near Cullompton, Devon. [24-Sep-1998]
Allied Bakeries is to close down production lines producing rolls, butteries and shortbread at its Aberdeen bakery, with the loss of 40 jobs. [23-Sep-1998]
S&A Foods is to invest £15m in the expansion of its chilled and frozen foods factory in Derby. [19-Sep-1998]
Freshbake Foods has sold its fruit pies factory in Peterlee to Hibernia Foods, leaving it free to focus on frozen foods. [18-Sep-1998]
Whitchurch Group is to sell Acacia Horbury Meat Services and Acacia Foodservice to Hambard Two Thousand for £1m. [16-Sep-1998]
Vaux is planning to pull out of brewing and wholesaling by selling its two breweries and up to 350 of its 660 tenanted pubs, and the proceeds will be used to expand its hotels, cafe bars and community pubs. [15-Sep-1998]
Unigate has bought the Roata group of companies, which run the Unipork pigmeat business in Northern Ireland, for £27m. [15-Sep-1998]
A consortium of North-east businessmen are said to be close to agreeing the acquisition of the Castle Eden brewery near Hartlepool, which Whitbread has scheduled for closure. [15-Sep-1998]
Cymru Country Chickens has begun work on a £7m chicken-processing factory in Anglesey, which will create up to 255 jobs. [14-Sep-1998]
Highland Distillers is linking up with Remy Cointreau of France to pool their distribution operations in the UK, US and Ireland. [12-Sep-1998]
M&W Mack, the fresh produce importer, is to set up a £1m preparation warehouse near Southampton. [12-Sep-1998]
Agrexco of Israel has set up a new bonded distribution warehouse and offices in Hayes, Middlesex, in order to expand its fruit and vegetables business. [12-Sep-1998]
Allied Domecq is to combine its US spirits operations - Domecq Importers and Hiram Walker - into a single business called Allied Domecq Spirits USA in order to make annual savings of £5m. [11-Sep-1998]
Grampian Country Foods has acquired Marshall Food Group, which could put an end to speculation that more jobs were to go at Marshall's chicken processing plant at Coupar Angus. [11-Sep-1998]
Dairy Crest has completed a £5m expansion at its Maelor Creamery in Marchwiel, creating 100 jobs. [10-Sep-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes is acquiring Wedel, the leading Polish confectionery brand, from PepsiCo for £46m, while United Biscuits is in negotiations to buy the Wedel biscuit business. [08-Sep-1998]
Albert Fisher has sold two businesses - the Aqua Star seafood subsidiary in the US to Admiralty Island Fisheries for £16m, and the Jiffy vegetables business in Worcestershire to Grower Marketing Services. [05-Sep-1998]
South African Breweries is considering plans to move its primary stock market listing to London as part of a strategic review. [05-Sep-1998]
The Stirling Mushrooms farm near Callender in Scotland is planning a £3.2m expansion programme that will create 140 jobs, and it could lead to a further 500 jobs in other agricultural businesses throughout Scotland. [04-Sep-1998]
Hydro Seafood, the Highland seafood company, is to cut 150 jobs, mainly in Argyll, due to the effect of Infectious Salmon Anaemia. [02-Sep-1998]
Redbridge Holdings is acquiring AFI Fruit Importers, the Kent-based berry fruit distributor, for undisclosed terms. [02-Sep-1998]
Perkins Foods is looking to expand its chilled ready meals business by acquiring family-run companies. [02-Sep-1998]
Country Chickens, part of the Grampian Country Food Group, is investing £7.2m at its Anglesey site to expand its chicken processing business. [01-Sep-1998]
Hillsdown has confirmed that it is planning to demerge its Fairview Homes housebuilding business and its chilled foods operations, and listing details are being sent out to shareholders. [31-Aug-1998]
The Institute of Food Research has developed a high pressure process for extending the life of food products without the use of preservatives, and the first products could be on sale within six months. [29-Aug-1998]
SK Chilled Foods of Teesside is planning to create 125 new jobs over the coming year to cope with rising demand for ethnic snacks and meals. [28-Aug-1998]
Newboulds, the meat producer, is to create an additional 25 jobs in Middlesbrough to cope with growing demand for its pies and pasties. [28-Aug-1998]
Ushers is to close the Burt's micro brewery at Sandown on the Isle of Wight due to "quality and financial considerations". [27-Aug-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes has renewed its German soft drinks distribution joint venture with Brau und Brunnen, and the two companies will build up their brands through increased investment. [27-Aug-1998]
Allied Domecq is set to acquire Bismarck, the German schnapps producer, for up to £15m. [27-Aug-1998]
Prize Food Group has acquired the Amble-based roast potato operation of Pillsbury, and will change its name to Cheviot Foods. [24-Aug-1998]
Keddies Saucemasters is to expand its factory in Abercarn to meet rising demand for its range of oriental cooking sauces. [17-Aug-1998]
Banham Poultry's processing plant near Attleborough, Norfolk, has been destroyed by fire and production has been transferred elsewhere. [17-Aug-1998]
Treats, the ice-cream and frozen confectionery supplier, is changing its name to Richmond Foods. [13-Aug-1998]
Burtonwood Brewery is to take a 40% stake in a new joint venture with Thomas Hardy Holdings in order to expand Burtonwood's brewing and packaging business in Warrington. [12-Aug-1998]
Inchcape is to sell its Russian bottling operation to Coca-Cola for $187m, and is now looking to sell other businesses in order to raise up to £600m and focus on global car distribution. [11-Aug-1998]
Marshall Food Group is planning 188 job cuts at its chicken processing plant in Coupar Angus, Scotland. [08-Aug-1998]
HP Bulmer is acquiring Green Mountain Cidery, the US cider company, for £8.7m in an effort to build up its international business in response to fierce competition in the UK. [08-Aug-1998]
F Duerr & Sons has acquired Samuel Moore Foods, the jams and preserves company, from Hazlewood Foods. [08-Aug-1998]
Inter Link Foods is planning to raise £2.1m through a listing on Aim in order to invest in new machinery for its own-label cakes business and to facilitate acquisitions. [07-Aug-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes is looking to expand its confectionery and soft drinks businesses through acquisition, aiming to fill gaps in markets where it already has a presence. [06-Aug-1998]
Greencore of Ireland is to acquire Paramount Foods, the pizza base maker, for £28m. [06-Aug-1998]
Celsis International is planning to launch the world's first disposable hygiene test next year, which will enable food manufacturers and retailers to detect contamination on work surfaces. [01-Aug-1998]
The director-general of Fair Trading is to seek undertakings from Unilever that its Birds Eye Walls division will supply all wholesalers on the same terms as its dedicated ice cream distributors, as a Monopolies & Mergers Commission report has found that its marketing practices are against the public interest. [30-Jul-1998]
J Sainsbury has bought a mechanised frozen food facility at Elstree from Christian Salvesen for £15m, but Salvesen will continue to run transport services from the site on behalf of Sainsbury. [28-Jul-1998]
Dalgety Group is closing compound feed mills at Avonmouth and Poole with the loss of 120 jobs, as part of an industry-wide rationalisation. [27-Jul-1998]
Unilever is acquiring Lao Cai, the Shanghai soy sauce brand, for about $10m, which will help to improve its understanding of Chinese consumers and of marketing and distributing foods in China. [21-Jul-1998]
PIC International is planning to relocate its pig breeding business to the US, beginning with a small head office and research centre in California. [21-Jul-1998]
Acatos & Hutcheson, the edible oils concern, has sold two former production plants in Bootle and Manchester to Peers Hunt for £5.9m. [21-Jul-1998]
Perkins Foods has acquired Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods for £9.7m, its second acquisition in the chilled foods sector in three months. [18-Jul-1998]
Golden Vale has completed the acquisition of Rye Valley Foods, the Irish prepared frozen foods company that has a strong position in the UK market, for £17m. [18-Jul-1998]
Milk Marque has cancelled its July auction, throwing the wholesale milk market into disarray, following a decision by six large dairy companies to only offer token bids in protest at the high prices being asked. [18-Jul-1998]
Thorntons has brought forward its plans to set up a chocolate manufacturing and storage site near Alfreton, Derbyshire, to Easter 1999, in order to keep up with sales growth. [17-Jul-1998]
Unilever has sold Plant Breeding International Cambridge, the leading breeder of wheat, to Monsanto of the US for £320m. [16-Jul-1998]
Global Group, the meat shipping concern, is buying Pin-It Pastry from Kerry Group for £0.5m. [16-Jul-1998]
Albert Fisher, the food company, is planning a fundamental review of its operations in order to prevent further losses, and a break-up of the group is possible. [15-Jul-1998]
Bensons Crisps is looking to spend £5m on the acquisition of new lines of snacks that could be put through its existing distribution system. [10-Jul-1998]
Morrells Brewery of Oxford has been put up for sale, as it has not been generating sufficient profits to invest in its estate of 132 pubs. [10-Jul-1998]
Matthew Clark is to close its cider plant in Taunton and transfer production to Shepton Mallet, thereby saving £3m a year in response to declining sales in the UK cider market. [07-Jul-1998]
Diageo could lose the rights to distribute the Jose Cuervo tequila brand in North America, as its Mexican manufacturer believes that the way Grand Metropolitan was merged into Diageo last year gives it the right to renegotiate the contract. [07-Jul-1998]
JN Nichols (Vimto) is planning to close its soft drinks factories at Southampton, Haydock and Wythenshawe, and consolidate production at a new site near Wigan. [06-Jul-1998]
Milk Marque is increasing the indicative prices for raw milk by 10% for contracts starting in October, prompting the Dairy Industry Federation to accuse it of abusing its monopoly. [03-Jul-1998]
Allied Domecq is acquiring the remaining 49.6% stake in Cantrell & Cochrane, the Irish drinks distributor, from Diageo for undisclosed terms, and may now float the business. [03-Jul-1998]
HP Bulmer is to close its Inch's cider plant in Devon, putting 47 jobs at risk, in order to save £1m a year. [02-Jul-1998]
The London tea auction has closed and will be replaced with dealing by telephone and email. [29-Jun-1998]
James Finlay has sold its confectionery business to Northern Foods in a £10m deal that will help finance the development of its tea plantations in Sri Lanka. [27-Jun-1998]
Marshall Foods is to cut 170 jobs at a chicken processing plant in Tayside, and the plant is being considered for sale to an unnamed buyer. [23-Jun-1998]
Diageo is creating 60 jobs at a new supply and distribution operation in Glasgow, but its United Distillers & Vintners division is cutting many more jobs by closing bottling plants in Dumbarton and Essex. [20-Jun-1998]
Northumbrian Fine Foods, the Gateshead-based biscuits and cakes manufacturer, is changing its name to NFF in order to reflect its strategy of expanding into other parts of the country. [16-Jun-1998]
Tetley, the teabags company, has unexpectedly dropped plans for a £400m flotation due to dissatisfaction over the price the shares were expected to fetch, prompting speculation that a trade buyer may now make an approach for the company. [16-Jun-1998]
Milk Marque has identified a possible site in south-west England for a milk processing plant, as part of a strategy to minimise the impact of falling milk prices on its supply business. [11-Jun-1998]
Express Dairies hopes to agree a merger with one of its competitors over the next year, in order to prepare for the expected consolidation in the dairy sector. [10-Jun-1998]
Unigate says it is still interested in acquiring other food companies despite the collapse of its recent bid for Hillsdown. [09-Jun-1998]
Christian Salvesen is considering plans to sell its food services division following a fall in profits. [09-Jun-1998]
Park Food is considering plans to sell its loss-making DJ Spuddles snacks business, unless the business can be revived with a new oven-cooked fries product. [06-Jun-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge has received a number of takeover approaches from unnamed companies, which could prompt a spate of similar bids for other local brewers. [06-Jun-1998]
Vaux Group, the brewing and hotels company, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. [05-Jun-1998]
Acatos & Hutcheson is to develop its newly-acquired Leon Frenkel edible oils business in a joint venture with Princes Limited, the marketing and distribution concern. [04-Jun-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge has won a licence to brew and sell Lowenbrau beers in the UK, in competition with Carlsberg-Tetley. [03-Jun-1998]
Booker is planning to sell non-core businesses such as fish processing, sugar, seeds, salmon farming, and poultry breeding, in order to focus on its cash and carry and food distribution operations. [03-Jun-1998]
More than 2m cans of soft drinks are being withdrawn from sale following the discovery of benzene contamination in the carbon dioxide supply of a factory near Bristol, and affected products include Coca-Cola, 7-Up and Pepsi Max. [02-Jun-1998]
Unigate has withdrawn from negotiations to acquire Hillsdown, the food and housebuilding conglomerate, for £1.6bn, apparently due to doubts about Hillsdown's future prospects. [29-May-1998]
United Biscuits has acquired Biscuits Delacre, which operates in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, from Campbell Soup for £78m. [27-May-1998]
British Pepper & Spice Company, the dried herbs and spices supplier, has undergone a management buy-out from Burns Philp & Co, its Australian parent, with £7.6m of funding coming from Primary Capital. [26-May-1998]
Merrydown, the troubled cider maker, is to raise £7m in a share placing and has also announced 50 redundancies and a new board following an increase in losses. [23-May-1998]
Paramount Foods, the maker of pizza crusts and sauces, is in discussions about a possible £25m management buy-out. [22-May-1998]
Coca-Cola Beverages, the soft drinks bottler operating in eastern Europe, is to undergo a £1.5bn flotation in London and Sydney following its demerger from Australia-based Coca-Cola Amatil. [22-May-1998]
Unigate is still interested in acquiring part or all of Hillsdown, the conglomerate that is planning a demerger, despite the rejection of its £1.5bn takeover offer. [19-May-1998]
Bernard Matthews is to close a number of farms, shut down its processing plant in Spalding, and pull out of the export commodity market, due to the effect of weak turkey meat prices and the strength of sterling. [19-May-1998]
Guinness has awarded Al Ahram Beverages of Egypt a licence to produce both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers for the Middle East market. [15-May-1998]
Tetley, the manufacturer of teabags, is planning a flotation with a valuation of about £400m in order to gain access to additional funding for product development and acquisitions. [14-May-1998]
CWS Agriculture is to acquire Broadoak Farming, the farm management company that has been hit by a sharp fall in income. [14-May-1998]
Unilever Mexico has acquired the remaining 50% of Helados Holanda, the Mexican ice cream business, for undisclosed terms. [13-May-1998]
Merrydown is considering plans to sell assets and licence its drinks brands to other manufacturers, as part of a rescue package for the struggling drinks company. [11-May-1998]
Hillsdown has confirmed plans to restructure the group, which will result in the demerger of its housebuilding and chilled foods businesses, and the sale of a number of other activities such as biscuits, potatoes, chickens, eggs, poultry breeding, wines and spirits, and furniture. [09-May-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes, in partnership with Carlyle Group, has acquired two independent bottling companies in the US for £433m, and the new joint venture will be called American Bottling Company. [07-May-1998]
Tomkins has acquired Le Pain Croustillant, the part-baked frozen bread company, for £44m. [06-May-1998]
John Lusty is acquiring Unimerchants, the importer of Mediterranean food products, for up to £6.5m. [04-May-1998]
Dalgety is selling its agriculture division to a management team for £50m, and is now free to concentrate on its last remaining business - the Pig Improvement Company. [02-May-1998]
Allied Domecq has said it is still looking at the possibility of joining forces with other companies in preparation for the anticipated consolidation in the drinks industry. [01-May-1998]
Scotia has reached agreement to supply its Olibra diet additive to Unigate, who will use it in a range of yoghurts and desserts that will be on sale within 18 months. [01-May-1998]
Soda-Club Group of Israel has bought SodaStream, the Peterborough-based soda-making machines supplier, for £15.5m, and the new group will be floated early next year. [01-May-1998]
Yates Wine Lodges is to reduce the price of soft drinks following government criticism that licensed traders are overcharging for them. [30-Apr-1998]
United Biscuits is discussing the acquisition of Delacre, Campbell Soup's European biscuits business, in order to build up its operations in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. [29-Apr-1998]
Scottish & Newcastle is restructuring its brewing division into four regional companies in order to help it compete for business with Nomura's pub chain, and 300 jobs are expected to be lost. [29-Apr-1998]
Diageo is looking to sell a further six spirits brands from its United Distillers & Vintners operation as they are not making sufficient profits. [24-Apr-1998]
Milk Marque is said to be planning to invest £100m in new processing facilities, but the Dairy Industry Federation has criticised the move because of current overcapacity in the sector. [24-Apr-1998]
The government is planning a crackdown on publicans and restaurateurs who sell illegally imported drink, and vehicles seized from smugglers will now have a restoration fee of up to 50% of the value of the seized goods. [23-Apr-1998]
Tomkins' £92m bid to acquire the Spillers milling business from Kerry has been referred to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission due to concerns over the impact on competition in the flour market. [23-Apr-1998]
Golden Wonder is planning to invest £30m in the expansion of its crisps manufacturing facilities in Scunthorpe and Corby, creating 100 new jobs. [22-Apr-1998]
Diageo has commissioned an independent valuation of its half share of Cantrell & Cochrane, the Irish drinks distributor, that could result in its sale to its partner Allied Domecq. [18-Apr-1998]
Perkins Foods has acquired Le Magicien Vert, the French chilled convenience foods company, for an initial £4.5m. [15-Apr-1998]
James Finlay has acquired Plantation Investment Management, the Sri Lankan investment company with majority stakes in two tea growing companies, for £16m. [09-Apr-1998]
Greencore of Ireland has acquired Pauls Malt, the UK's largest malt producer, from Elementis for £61m. [09-Apr-1998]
Nestle is looking to set up a chain of Nescafe Coffee Houses in retail centres, leisure parks, sports venues and petrol stations, and will also use the opportunity to sell confectionery products. [07-Apr-1998]
Morland is to close the Ruddles brewery in Langham, Leicestershire, and production will be switched to Abingdon. [04-Apr-1998]
Whitbread is looking to sell its breweries at Cheltenham and Castle Eden and transfer production to other sites, but will close them if no buyer is found before October. [04-Apr-1998]
Dalgety is to return £675m to shareholders following European approval for the sale of its petfoods business, while its remaining pig breeding business will be taken over by a new holding company called PIC International Group. [04-Apr-1998]
Tate & Lyle has won US FDA approval to use its sucralose low-calorie sweetener in 15 categories of food and drink, but European approval is not expected for another year. [02-Apr-1998]
Diageo has confirmed the sale of its Dewar's Scotch whisky and Bombay gin brands to Bacardi-Martini for £1.15bn, and Bacardi will acquire four distilleries in the deal. [31-Mar-1998]
Avonmore Waterford is selling two US food businesses - Waterford Food Products and Avonmore Cheese - to Saputo of Canada for £21m. [31-Mar-1998]
Unilever has acquired a controlling stake in Moskovsky Margarinovy Zavod, the Russian margarine and fats company, for undisclosed terms and will invest £12m in the company. [30-Mar-1998]
Diageo is expected to soon announce the sale of its Dewar's Scotch whisky and Bombay gin brands to Bacardi-Martini for £800m. [28-Mar-1998]
Bernard Matthews is to move further into branded, premium products, following a fall in profits caused by price pressures in the turkey products market. [26-Mar-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge, the regional brewer, is raising £48m in a private placement in the US in order to refinance debt and provide additional funding for pub acquisitions. [23-Mar-1998]
Devro, the maker of sausage casings, is planning to invest £25m this year to expand capacity and upgrade technology at its plants. [19-Mar-1998]
Diageo has outlined its strategy for merging the former Grand Metropolitan and Guinness businesses as it aims to raise shareholder returns to levels set by the world's leading consumer groups over the next five years. [18-Mar-1998]
Dalgety has won shareholder approval for the £335m sale of its food ingredients business to Kerry and the £715m sale of its pet foods business to Nestle. [17-Mar-1998]
Unilever's Van den Bergh division has confirmed that it is developing a vegetable oil spread that can cut cholesterol levels in the body by up to 10%. [17-Mar-1998]
MD Foods of Denmark is regaining control of MD Foods International from banks and investors in order to demonstrate its commitment to the UK milk market following a period of declining returns. [14-Mar-1998]
United Biscuits is planning to buy back £150m of shares in November, and has now completed the second phase of its recovery plan. [13-Mar-1998]
Unilever is to lodge an appeal against a European Commission ruling that prevents it from providing freezer cabinets to Irish shops, a move that could have widespread implications for the way ice cream products are sold across Europe. [12-Mar-1998]
Enterprise Inns is to sell the drinks wholesaling business that it acquired with Gibbs Mew to the Beer Seller for £6.6m, and will use some of the proceeds to buy a stake in Dawes Group, the parent company of the Beer Seller. [06-Mar-1998]
Hillsdown, the food, furniture and housebuilding group, is to undergo a review to determine how to improve shareholder value, which could result in the disposal of non-food businesses. [06-Mar-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes is planning to propose a share buy-back at its annual meeting in May in order to strengthen its balance sheet, and is keen to make acquisitions in the confectionery sector. [05-Mar-1998]
Dalgety is in discussions to sell its agricultural supplies business to management, which would leave the company with just one activity - pig breeding. [05-Mar-1998]
Compass has won a contract to supply catering facilities to cover all 265,000 worldwide employees of Philips Electronics. [04-Mar-1998]
Perkins Foods is selling its fresh produce business to Greenery International of the Netherlands for £124m, in order to focus on chilled and frozen foods. [03-Mar-1998]
The Institute of Grocery Distribution has devised new voluntary guidelines for food and drink nutritional labelling, which will give consumers clear details of the fat and calorie content per serving. [28-Feb-1998]
Diageo is to close the former Guinness offices in Perth with the loss of 158 jobs. [27-Feb-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes has announced a £183m joint venture with the Carlyle Group to buy two independent soft drinks bottlers in the US mid-west, thereby improving the distribution of its Dr Pepper and Seven Up brands. [24-Feb-1998]
Northern Foods has acquired Woodgate Dairies, the East Sussex supplier of milk to supermarkets, for £17m. [21-Feb-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes is close to announcing the creation of a new US bottling company through the acquisition of Beverage America and Select Beverages, in an attempt to set up a distribution network for its Dr Pepper-Seven Up business. [21-Feb-1998]
Albert Fisher has failed in its efforts to sell its European seafood operations, and will now try to develop the business instead. [21-Feb-1998]
Milk Marque has been forced to reduce milk prices further, and has opened a fourth auction with the base price set at 19.01p a litre. [20-Feb-1998]
Unilever is selling its Robert Timms, Pablo and Faggs coffee businesses in Australasia to Freshfood Australia and New Zealand for undisclosed terms. [18-Feb-1998]
Northern Foods is acquiring Cavaghan & Gray, the chilled and frozen food company, for £79m. [18-Feb-1998]
Roach Foods is expanding its meat production facilities in Cornwall with the creation of 300 jobs. [14-Feb-1998]
Merrydown, the cider manufacturer, has said that talks with a potential bidder have collapsed. [14-Feb-1998]
Kerry of Ireland is to sell six of its recently-acquired Spillers milling plants to Tomkins for £92m, including sites in Birkenhead, Cambridge, Liverpool, Tilbury, Newcastle and Avonmouth. [13-Feb-1998]
Virgin Group has bought out Cott's 50% stake in their cola soft drinks joint venture to enable it to take full control of marketing and reverse a decline in market share. [12-Feb-1998]
Sims Food is to close its 50% owned Premier Meat Packers in March, thereby ending its interest in the fresh red meat sector. [11-Feb-1998]
Unilever is looking to sell off businesses with annual sales of up to £2bn this year, as part of its programme to dispose of poorly performing operations. [11-Feb-1998]
United Biscuits has announced a worldwide restructuring plan that will involve the creation of two divisions - McVitie's Group for the international biscuits business and UK Foods for the snacks and prepared foods. [11-Feb-1998]
Foster's Brewing Group has made a £11m profit on the sale of rights to Scottish & Newcastle shares, thereby ending its interest in the UK brewing sector. [10-Feb-1998]
Milk Marque has now reduced milk prices to a level that is 1p a litre below what was originally offered last month, as processing companies have not bid for sufficient quantities to "clear the market". [06-Feb-1998]
Dairy Crest, through its joint venture with Sodiaal of France, is acquiring Raines Dairy Foods Operating Companies, the supplier of dairy products to supermarkets, for £66m. [06-Feb-1998]
Dalgety has sold its Spillers pet food business to Nestle for £715m and its Martin-Brower US distribution business to Reyes Holdings for £120m. [05-Feb-1998]
Tate & Lyle has issued a profits warning due to disease in the sugar beet fields of Nebraska, the strength of sterling, and higher-than-expected commissioning costs for a starch plant in France. [04-Feb-1998]
WT Foods has acquired Eghoyan's Pitta Bakery, the London-based producer of ethnic foods, for £5.1m. [03-Feb-1998]
Cavaghan & Gray has acquired John Richards, the Aberdeen fish processing company, for £1.3m. [30-Jan-1998]
The government has published hygiene scores for all abattoirs in an attempt to raise standards in the meat sector. [30-Jan-1998]
Bensons Crisps has received a £40m takeover approach from Knox D'Arcy, the investment trust, but is unlikely to recommend it to shareholders. [29-Jan-1998]
The OFT is referring the raw milk market to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission, following complaints by the Dairy Industry Federation about the dominant role of Milk Marque. [28-Jan-1998]
Northern Foods has confirmed plans to demerge its Express Dairies division in March, and it is then planning to participate in the expected consolidation of the dairy sector. [27-Jan-1998]
The European Commission is to stop ice cream manufacturers from banning shops from storing rival brands in their freezer cabinets, following complaints made by Mars against Unilever. [27-Jan-1998]
Dalgety is selling its food ingredients and Spillers flour milling operations to Kerry Group of Ireland for £335m, and its wheat processing research activities to DuPont for £24m. [27-Jan-1998]
Hazlewood Foods has acquired Breadwinner, the London sandwich maker, for £14m. [24-Jan-1998]
Northern Foods is planning to demerge its dairy business which could be worth up to £450m, and a flotation is said to be more likely than a trade sale. [24-Jan-1998]
Diageo is closing the headquarters of its Heublein distiller in Hartford, Connecticut, as part of the restructuring programme following its creation from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. [24-Jan-1998]
Milk Marque has been unable to raise milk prices as insufficient bids have been received for the milk it will have available from April 1. [23-Jan-1998]
Shephard Neame, the Kent-based brewer, has failed in its High Court attempt to have the government's 3% increase in excise duty declared illegal, but it now plans to go to the Court of Appeal. [22-Jan-1998]
United Distillers is to close its Japanese spirits subsidiary and transfer the business to Jardine Wines and Spirits, a joint venture of United Distillers, Moet Hennessy and Jardine Matheson. [21-Jan-1998]
Ushers of Trowbridge, the brewing and pubs concern, is planning to buy back up to 15% of its shares, following a fall in its share price of about a third since its flotation last March. [21-Jan-1998]
Allied Domecq has been in tentative discussions with Seagram about a possible merger of their spirit businesses, in response to the recent merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. [19-Jan-1998]
Tomkins has expressed interest in acquiring the Spillers milling operations from Dalgety, and its main bidding rival is likely to be Associated British Foods. [17-Jan-1998]
Tate & Lyle has acquired a 61% stake in Industrias de Maiz, the Argentine corn sweetener and starch processing business, for £32m. [15-Jan-1998]
Cadbury Schweppes has secured a five-year extension to its contract with Coca-Cola Enterprises which will mean that its Dr Pepper-Seven Up soft drinks will continue to be bottled and distributed in the US by Coca-Cola until 2005. [15-Jan-1998]
The government is planning to require the food industry to pay part of the costs of the new Food Standards Agency, which could involve manufacturers, shops and restaurants being subject to a flat-rate licence fee. [15-Jan-1998]
Scotia has launched a weight-loss yoghurt in Sweden which includes an appetite suppressant called Olibra, and plans to roll it out across Europe during this year. [09-Jan-1998]
Guinness Brewing is planning a £350m redevelopment of its Park Royal Estate site in north-west London, which will involve the construction of a new headquarters and the creation of a business park. [08-Jan-1998]
Whitbread is to close two breweries in Cheltenham and Castle Eden, leaving it with just the three larger sites in Manchester, Gwent and Preston. [08-Jan-1998]
AG Barr, the soft drinks company, is said to be in danger of losing the right to produce Orangina when its contract expires in 2002, following the sale of the brand by Pernod Ricard to Coca-Cola. [08-Jan-1998]
Birds Eye Wall's is to set up major new coldstore at Hams Hill near Birmingham next year, creating 80 jobs. [08-Jan-1998]
JLI Group, the food processing company, has received a £25m recommended takeover offer from Harrington Food, a new company created by a management team, which will take JLI private. [07-Jan-1998]
Milk Marque has set the price for the opening negotiations with milk buyers from April 1 at 23.1p per litre of ex-farm milk, an increase of 0.6p. [06-Jan-1998]
Unilever is acquiring the Vegetaline solid frying fat business from Eridania Beghin-Say, the Italian-French food company, and selling its Frial liquid seed-oil business in France to Lesieur Alimentaire, a subsidiary of Eridania Beghin-Say. [06-Jan-1998]
Paramount Foods is to set up a pizza factory in Deeside, North Wales, creating 85 jobs over the next two years. [03-Jan-1998]
Treats Group is acquiring Richmond Ice Cream Company, the independent bulk ice cream manufacturer, in order to broaden their product range and make efficiencies in sales and marketing. [02-Jan-1998]