Latest news
05.09.2008
UK food prices show 8.3% increase
Food prices in UK supermarkets and shops have risen by 8.3% since January, according to a study for the BBC.
Meat and fish - up 22.9% - registered the biggest price increases for any one category in the survey, with fresh fruit and vegetables up 14.7%.
Retail analysts Verdict Research also found price rises of nearly 50% for some individual food items.
The figures come amid growing concern about the high cost of food, which is exceeding the official inflation rate.
Click Here for the full story.
"Source bbc.co.uk 05th September"
23.07.2008
pureblue water …. love the water
We are please to announce that Westcountry Fruit Sales/The Essential Food Co. are distributing this fantastic water brand. Recently voted “The Worlds Best Bottled Water Label” at the Global bottled water awards in Mexico City, this product has a clear connection with the local market, environment and consumers. Within 2 years of launch it has already become the South West UK’s Favourite Water. The water is bottled at source here in beautiful, unspoilt Cornwall and is available in still and sparkling 24x500ml plastic bottle, 24x250ml and 12x750ml glass bottle packs. Along with a strong environmental message, there is wide media coverage and sponsorship of top water sports athletes ensuring the “young, active and environmental” brand message targets the key bottled water consumers, for any further information on pureblue water please call 01326 372304.
02.07.2008
Cornish Sea Salt, a truly unique Cornish product...
Since its launch only 3 months ago, Cornish Sea Salt has been winning both headlines and high praise from food writers, critics and leading chefs across the UK. Cornish Sea Salt is said to be amongst the purest coarse sea salts available anywhere in the world, and from its new production base at Porthkerris, on the Lizard Peninsular, it draws its base ingredient from the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean, on Cornwall's South West coast.
We are delighted to announce that Westcountry Fruit Sales/The Essential Food Co. has been chosen by The Cornish Sea Salt Co. to provide a high quality 'route to market' in the far South West for this fantastic new product. The product will be available in either 500g (chef's preferred choice) or 225g (popular as retail/consumer packs).
Cornish Sea Salt will be available from us, for daily delivery across Cornwall, The Isles of Scilly and West Devon, from Wednesday 9th July. Please call 01326 372304 for further information.
23.06.2008
Brassica prices must be sustained, warn growers
Alistair Ewan, managing director of East of Scotland Growers and vice-chairman of the Brassica Growers’ Association (BGA), said: “The prices we are seeing now are not high. They are where they ought to be and we cannot afford to let them drop. The cost of production is going through the roof.”
According to Ewan, the higher prices are also reflective of the situation of low availability. “We are at the crossover between the early crop and the open field maincrop, so availability will get stronger soon,” he explained. “But everyone will be trying to push the prices down, and we need the whole supply chain to try to keep prices up if we are going to keep sustainability in the UK brassica industry for the future.”
Many growers are already being very tempted by prices for wheat of £150 a tonne, as well as a greatly reduced risk when compared to growing calabrese and cauliflower. “As producers, we are very concerned,” said Ewan. “We are putting a huge amount of investment into these crops and, even at £1 a head, cauliflower is still a very good buy. But for long-term sustainability we need help price-wise.”
The BGA vice-chair calculates costs are up 20 per cent compared to this point in the season last year, but that worse is to come. “That is nothing compared to where we will be in 2009, as we don’t know where fuel prices are going,” he explained.
Ewan is also calling on his sector to lobby the Home Office over the phase out of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. “We are supposed to make up the shortfall with workers from EU member states, but with the strength of the euro they just do not want to come here,” said Ewan. “We have to pay them more just to attract them. The whole industry must lobby and contact their MPs to save the scheme.”
17.06.2008
Chiquita warns on banana prices
The price of bananas is set to increase this year because of rising fuel costs and poor weather in South America, fresh fruit giant Chiquita Brands International has warned.
The fruit increased 36% in price in North America and by 26% in Europe last month against a year ago, the company said.
"We are pleased that banana pricing remains favourable as we continue working to offset higher industry costs," said Fernando Aguirre, chairman and CEO of Chiquita Brands.
"At the same time, banana volumes remain flat to down, reflecting industry-wide supply constraints due to a series of adverse weather conditions throughout Central America and Ecuador that have substantially raised the cost of sourcing high-quality fruit," he added.
"Source thegrocer.co.uk 17th June 2008"
17.06.2008
Consumer Inflation 'could top 4%'
Rising food and energy prices could push UK consumer inflation above 4% this year, the governor of the Bank of England has warned.
He was speaking after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.3% in May, up from 3% in April.
This is the fastest rate since the CPI measure began in 1997, the ONS said.
The wider Retail Prices Index measure of inflation rose to 4.3% from 4.2% the previous month.
The biggest contributor to consumer inflation was the rising price of food and non-alcoholic drinks, the ONS said.
This was mainly due to the increasing cost of meat products, particularly bacon, and vegetables.
Click Here for the full story.
"Source bbc.co.uk 17th June 2008"
03.06.2008
UN warns about higher food costs…
Higher food prices may be here to stay as demand from developing countries and production costs rise, says an influential report. A report by the UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the body for rich nations, the OECD, said prices will fall, but only gradually. It said the current price spike was higher than previous records, partly due to bad weather ruining crops. But factors, such as rising biofuel demand, will keep future costs high. The FAO said speculators were also to blame for volatile commodity markets. Soaring billsIn its annual Outlook report, the FAO predicted beef and pork prices might be 20% higher by 2017, wheat could be up to 60% more expensive and the cost of vegetable oils might rise by 80%.
...rising food bills have triggered protests, riots and panic buying in some developing countries.
(Source BBC.co.uk BBC News 29.5.08)
26.05.2008
Expansion of warehouse and chilled storage facilities...
Building work has finally begun in earnest on our main site in Falmouth, to extend our warehouse/goods storage facilities. The continued growth of our business in recent years has meant that our existing storage and goods handling facilities are in need of further development. The expansion of our premises includes the doubling of our current chilled storage capacity together with an overall increase in our warehouse capacity from 17,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet. This significant investment in our facilities will enable us to continue to develop the range of foodservice products available to our customers whilst further increasing the efficiency of our goods handling activity on site. We have a number of very exciting new product initiatives that will be implemented on completion of the works. We will of course be keeping you up to date with progress on this project.
