Please see below our roundup of the weekend newspapers:
Underage drinking linked to number of nearby off-licences
The amount of alcohol drunk by children varies according to how many off-licences are in the area where they live, according to research by Alcohol Concern. Areas with more off-licences have proportionately more children admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions. Recent research suggests that 35 under-18s are admitted to hospital with such conditions every day in England. In 2009 there were more than 49,000 off-licences in England and Wales – an increase of more than 25% over the past 35 years. Off-licence sales are the main direct and indirect source of alcohol for young people. The general availability of alcohol increases the availability of alcohol in the home, as well as allowing more opportunities to shoulder-tap - ask someone to buy alcohol for them. Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said: “The increase in alcohol admissions among young drinkers is a real concern and it is particularly worrying that the increased number and concentration of off-licences may be contributing to this. Local areas must have the ability to decide for themselves how many licensed premises they allow, rather than be obliged to grant new licences, as is the current system.”
The Independent on Sunday
McDonald’s to display calorie counts from this week
McDonald’s is to begin to display calorie counts on its wall-mounted menus at 1,200 British restaurants from this week as part of a responsibility deal with the government to tackle obesity. The Wimpy and the Harvester chain, owned by Mitchells & Butlers, are already displaying calorie information. Starbucks, Burger King and Greggs will follow suit early next year. The McDonald’s boards will also point out that women need just 2,000 calories a day and that men require 2,500 calories a day. A Big Mac (490kcal), a medium-sized serving of fries (330kcal) and a medium-sized milkshake (390kcal) add up to 1,210kcal, which is 60% of a woman’s daily recommended amount. A Starbucks full-fat milk latte in venti, the chain’s largest size, contains 289kcal, just 12% fewer than McDonald’s fries. By the end of this year, 5,000 high street restaurants will print the calorie counts of their dishes. KFC is among others already displaying information and Pizza Hut will include the information from next month.
The Sunday Times
Planet Organic in profit
Planet Organic, the £20m turnover café and supermarket chain has turned a profit this year and is planning to open new stores across London. Its chief executive Peter Marsh joined in 2008 to turn the business around and it has now made its first profit in five years. The chain opened its fifth shop last week in the City of London and is eyeing up new sites in Hampstead, Kilburn, Clapham and Battersea.
The Independent on Sunday
Heineken boss plans introduction of the “schooner”
Heineken UK boss Stefan Orlowski, who is an Australian who has been living in the UK for the past two years, will introduce the schooner size of glass next month. A new law that allows this two-thirds of a pint sized glass comes into force next month. The glasses will also have alcohol units on them. “It’s about making sure people have the right information – it’s the nudge effect. We recognise also that people hate being told what to do.” Orlowski is also a fan of the British pub. “When I get the time, I love to travel around with the family trying to get a feel for where I am, and we usually find a great pub to stay in. Britain has got some fantastic pubs. What we brew is a social product. Having a drink after work is probably one of the most enjoyable moments of people’s days and it’s fantastic to be part of that.” But Orlowski argues that the government is over-taxing beer. “The Chancellor is being very aggressive in terms of the increase in excise for this industry. The industry is important for the economy. Heineken UK alone is 0.57% of the country’s GDP. We give something like £1 billion in tax to the Chancellor – and we are getting to a point where it’s going too far and that’s not necessarily the right direction. If the rate continues, we’re going to see a much more challenged industry, which has consequences for the Exchequer.”
The Mail on Sunday
The Good Food Guide bans the expression “gastropub”
The Good Food Guide will ban the use of the expression gastropub from its forthcoming edition and future editions because the word is “unpalatable” in tough economic conditions. Consultant editor for the guide Elizabeth Carter says: “Our feeling with the gastropub was that it was a bit of a bandwagon that a lot of people have jumped on to. I think customers are getting bored with it. Pubs have to be socially diverse, they have to offer many things whether you pop in for a drink and snack or you want a proper meal.” Simon Goodman, head chef and co-owner of the Duke of Cumberland Arms, West Sussex, named as Pub of the Year in the latest guide, says: “To keep the drinkers happy is as much of a mission for me as keeping the restaurant full.” Carter believes the future involves pubs returning to older ways. “Pubs realise that your local business is very important, as is hospitality. It’s getting away from being like a restaurant and going back to being a pub.”
Independent on Sunday
Salmon displaces cod as UK’s favourite seafood
Salmon has moved ahead of cod as the UK’s favourite seafood with tuna in third, haddock in fourth and prawns fifth. Salmon has risen because it is seen as more fashionable and because the price of cod is rising. Almost a third of people eat fish three or four times a week, with the average household tucking in at least twice. One in 20 have stayed loyal to the traditional Friday night supper of fish and chips. Kevin Steppe, of Spirit’s Chef & Brewer chain, said: “Cod and chips is an iconic British meal. It will always remain a favourite, but it is refreshing to hear that families are experimenting with different kinds of seafood. Dishes like smoked salmon and sushi have always had an upmarket image but they are increasingly commonplace.”
The Daily Mail
Alcohol “does not cause bad behaviour”
Alcohol does not cause bad behaviour, it simply stops us feeling embarrassed, scientists says. Researchers used detailed brain scans that show that drunk people are still aware that they are making mistakes or embarrassing themselves. However, alcohol reduces “alarm signals” in the brain that tell us to worry about it. It explains why normally quiet people may find themselves telling others what they think of them, or becoming the life and soul of the party after a couple of drinks.
The Daily Telegraph
Greeting card tycoon set to buy four Von Essen hotels
Greetings card tycoon Andrew Brownsword, who sold his eponymous business to Hallmark Cards in 1994 for £195m, has been chosen as preferred bidder for four hotels in the collapsed Von Essen chain. The four hotels are Ambereley Castle in West Sussex and three hotels in Gloucestershire – Buckland Manor, Lower Slaughter Manor and Washbourne Court. He’s believed to have offered around £30m. He already owns the Bath Priory Hotel, and co-owns Abode Hotels with the Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines. Agent Christie + Co said that 18 of the former Von Essen hotels were not on offer on a piecemeal basis to a mixture of “experienced operators and high net worth individuals”. The two biggest hotels, Cliveden in Buckinghamshire and the Royal Crescent, Bath, are being bought by the billionaire Livingstone brothers. The five-strong Luxury Family Hotels division, together with New Park Manor in The New Forest, are being sold to Nigel Chapman, the entrepreneur who sold LFH to Von Essen in 2005, with backing from Patron Capital.
The Times
Shocking levels of fat in takeaways
Chinese and Indian takeaways across the UK have been found to contain “shocking” levels of fat, sugar and salt, according to a report by the Local Government Regulation Board. A typical portion of chicken tikka masala was found to contain 116 per cent of a person’s recommended daily limit of saturated fat, and 92 per cent of the salt. Investigators found that one in five sauces - out of a sample of 25 – contained food colourings above legal limits. One in five Indian restaurants tested out of a total of 36 served nuts in a menu item – almonds or peanuts – despite being told by testers that they had a nut allergy. The report has called for the Food Standards Agency to make it a priority to carry out a more comprehensive study into the artificial colourings found in chicken tikka masala. The survey involved 30 local authorities, where food standards officers bought chicken tikka masala and pilau rice at 90 Indian restaurants and Cantonese sweet and sour chicken with Hong Kong style fried rice at 133 Chinese restaurants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Daily Mail
Innocent Drinks enters Spanish market
Innocent Drinks are to be stocked in 73 Starbucks outlets and 25 convenience stores owned by Grupo Vips, a Spanish restaurant and retail operator, after successful trial in the country’s major cities and airports. International sales will contribute around £35m to a projected turnover of £165m this year with the company expected to break even after three consecutive years of losses. Coca Cola acquired a 58% stake in the business last year for £60m. Founder Richard Reed said the company was a third of the way through a 30-year plan. “I’d have to be dragged out kicking and screaming. I want to be involved for as long as the company is around.”
The Sunday Telegraph
ASA sees complaints jump by a third this year
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has seen complaints rise by a third this year after extending its remit to the web. Last year, the ASA received more than 25,000 complaints about an estimated 13,000 advertisements in print, on TV and online.
The Financial Times
