Kellogg's announces 'Win a Year of Family Fun' promotion

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:39:46 GMT

Kellogg's has partnered with the Merlin Entertainments Group to offer consumers a huge family promotion this summer.

The 'Win a Year of Family Fun' promotion, coordinated by Iris Manchester, offers consumers the chance to win one of 500 Merlin Annual Passes to some of the UK's most popular family attractions.

But consumers don't need to be one of the lucky 500 to enjoy unrivalled added value. Every single one of the 30 million participating packs will feature a cut-out voucher allowing consumers to gain two-for-one access to over 35 of the best-loved attractions in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The two-for-one vouchers on each pack means that consumers can enjoy up to £41 in free tickets each time they purchase a participating Kellogg's cereal.

"As the category leaders, it's really important that we lead the way in terms of bringing fantastic added value to shoppers," said Sam Blunt, digital and consumer promotions controller at Kellogg's.

"The Win a Year of Family Fun promotion definitely delivers on value. We know that most UK families look for days out during the summer so two-for-one tickets will be a huge help financially and the Merlin Annual Passes will mean 500 families can enjoy unlimited days out completely free."

The promotion will run on all of Kellogg's most popular family cereals including Rice Krispies, Coco Pops and Corn Flakes.

Participating Merlin attractions include the Alton Towers Theme Park, Chessington World of Advertures Resort and Thorpe Park. There are 25 participating Merlin attractions in total across the UK and ROI and Rachel Kelly, global partnerships manager for Merlin believes the added value on offer will appeal to consumers.

Rachel added: "In these tough times, we are always looking at ways to provide additional value to consumers and provide families with memorable days out at our attractions. We are therefore delighted to be working with Kellogg's and their high quality brands."

About Kellogg's:
Since William Keith Kellogg filed the papers that officially incorporated the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flakes Company on 19th Feb 1906, the Kellogg Company has been driven by the philosophy that an improved, balanced diet, starting with a healthy breakfast, leads to improved health and healthy living.

Tesco Real Food reveals asparagus is the top selling aphrodisiac

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:22:01 GMT

Tesco has announced that asparagus has gained new cult status as the UK's top selling aphrodisiac.

Lovers recently created record demand for the vegetable - which is said to increase the libido - in the run up to Valentine's Day 2011 when sales across the UK doubled.

Now there's even more good news - the English variety grown in the UK's asparagus heartland in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire which is said by gourmets to be the tastiest in the world - is now going to be sold as Tesco.

Said Tesco asparagus buyer Harry Jones: "Our sales over the last few weeks leave us in no doubt that asparagus is fast gaining a new reputation as an aphrodisiac.

"We've always known about its reputed passion-increasing qualities but this is the first time we have marketed it, at point of sale, as a Valentine's Day food.

"Not only did demand double for that period - which set a new sales record - but we have seen a 35 per cent rise in demand since then that we can only put down to its new found reputation as a food of love."

The vegetable's aphrodisiac effect is credited as being a result of the plant's natural chemicals such as phytohormones or phytosteroids, which may evoke a steroid-like action in humans, and influence sex hormone receptors.

Asparagus is a good source of vitamin A, zinc, B vitamins and potassium which may help to enhance circulation, and in turn help boost sex drive. Vitamin E is also needed for the production of sex hormones, which contribute to a healthy sex life and increased sex drive.

The first English asparagus of the season traditionally first goes on sale at Tesco's Evesham store before going on wider sale.

As demand for the English variety far outstrips supply it will be sold alongside imported asparagus.

But Tesco has been working with growers to extend the UK growing season and this has already resulted in the traditional eight week May to June growing season doubling in length.

The move to extend the season has been good news for growers with volume sales of asparagus growing by 18 per cent in the last year. The market is now worth £64 million a year according to retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel (January 2011).

So popular has home-grown asparagus become that more and more vegetable growers are now starting to get in on the act as it is a useful cash crop.

In the last five years UK asparagus production has rocketed with a 160 per cent growth in tonnage and growers working to push the traditional mid-April start to as early as February.

Added Tesco's Harry Jones: "The arrival of the first English asparagus should also create another feel good factor - it is traditionally the first crop of the summer UK produce season.

"And it means that spring is not far away with the first Jersey Royals and strawberries just around the corner."

About Tesco Real Food:
The Tesco Real Food website is packed with thousands of healthy recipes to suit any occasion including pasta recipes and vegetarian recipes. Whether customers are looking for a quick mid-week meal for the family or something for a special event, visitors are sure to find exactly what they're looking for. In addition, a range of step-by-step cooking tips and videos to help improve kitchen skills can be found, as well as healthy eating and cooking with kids sections. To make shopping even easier, every recipe has a ready-made shopping list that can be used to add all the ingredients to the shopping basket in just a few clicks.

M&S Awarded 'Best Wine Supermarket' at the Wine Oscars

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:47:01 GMT

For the third year running Marks & Spencer has been awarded the coveted ‘Supermarket of the Year’ award at the International Wine Challenge Awards (IWC) held at the Hilton Park Lane in London.

The competition is the largest and one of the most well respected awards on the circuit, with 46 wine producing countries represented and over 9,000 wines judged.

M&S was also awarded two other prestigious trophies for its wines: the Champion White Wine Trophy went to its Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux 2007, Jean Pascal & Fils, meaning this wine was judged the best white wine out of all wines entered into the competition.

M&S also took home the IWC Great Value Champion Rosé for its Secano Rosé Pinot Noir 2009. The Great Value trophies are awarded to wines under £10 and so the 2009 Secano Estate Rosé is a well justified winner, and demonstrates M&S’s ability to produce quality wines which also represent amazing value.

The variety and quality of the M&S wine range impressed all the judges of the awards with Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the awards commenting; “There were many reasons for giving the Supermarket award to M&S, not least their success in the IWC. But it was their willingness to go out, sometimes to unexpected places, to source really good wines that clinched it. M&S present a really well-chosen array of interesting wines to their customers.”

As well as individual bottles M&S Wines are available by the case and form important contributions to their range of food and drink gift hampers.

Of the continuing success of the M&S wine category, Andrew Bird, Category Manager for Wine and Drinks at M&S said “To win this award for the third year is testament to the quality of our wine list, and credit for this must go to our fantastic wine team, including M&S Direct Online, who are continually sourcing and blending new wines exclusively for M&S. It is great to see that this continues to be recognised with these prestigious awards.”

As well as these impressive awards, M&S won a total of 83 medals at the IWC awards, including 5 gold medals for the Orpale Grand Cru 1998, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux 2008, Leitz Rudeshiemier Berg Roseneck Riesling 2008, Moscatel Rosada 2009 and the Vintage Port 1994. M&S also took home 20 silver medals, 24 bronze and 34 commended medals.

NSPCC and SPAR extend fundraising partnership for fifth year

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:10:22 GMT

The NSPCC and SPAR UK Ltd today (17 September) announced the extension of their fundraising partnership for a fifth year.
The children’s charity and retailer are hoping to raise £500,000 in 2010–11 through a number of fundraising activities. Money raised will go towards expanding the NSPCC Helpline.
Fundraising starts on Monday 20 September, through SPAR’s sponsorship of new Channel Five show ‘Meals in Moments’. For three weeks, chef Simon Rimmer will be joined by a different celebrity as they cook their favourite quick and easy dish. A recipe book of the series will go on sale at participating SPAR stores and online from Amazon, priced at £4.99. The NSPCC will receive 50 pence from each book sale.
Further fundraising activities include SPAR’s dedicated charity week between 11–18 October where SPAR staff will be encouraged to hold chef-themed fancy dress days. Customers will be invited to host their own dinner parties for friends and neighbours, asking guests for a suggested £5-£10 donation.
The NSPCC will benefit from fundraising in the run up to Christmas with special promotions on Christmas sandwiches. Stores will also be encouraged to hold ‘Stop 4 Christmas’ where customers can take a break from their Christmas shop and enjoy a mince pie and glass of mulled wine.
NSPCC head of corporate partnerships Tracy Griffin said: “The NSPCC is delighted to be extending its already very successful partnership with SPAR. A full programme of fundraising activities is in place to raise as much money as possible for the NSPCC Helpline.
“In 2009–10, the helpline received over 30,000 child welfare contacts from the public. The NSPCC desperately needs to recruit extra helpline counsellors in order to help save more children.”
SPAR UK Marketing Manager Rebecca Whitmore said: “SPAR UK are very happy to be moving into the fifth year of our partnership with the NSPCC and entering into this exciting time of new and innovative fundraising activities.
“As a business, we remain passionate about supporting the NSPCC, a charity whose work allows them to take incredible steps each day to protect thousands of children from harm and cruelty. The success of fundraising activities SPAR retailers have organised in stores around the country to date has been fantastic and we are confident that this success will continue,” she added.
SPAR is raising funds for CHILDREN 1ST in Scotland, with money going towards their Parentline service.

NSPCC, CHILDREN 1ST and SPAR beat £2 million fundraising target

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:20:27 GMT

The NSPCC, CHILDREN 1ST and SPAR UK Ltd today (19 July) announced they had beaten their ambitious £2 million fundraising target.

Despite the economic uncertainty of the last two years, SPAR convenience stores, retailers, wholesalers and their 50,000 employees have expanded fundraising and cause-related marketing activities.

NSPCC director of fundraising, Paul Amadi said: “The NSPCC’s partnership with SPAR has been a tremendous success. With a challenging economic backdrop, it’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of SPAR stores that so much money has been raised during this period.

“Working with SPAR over the past four years has also increased awareness of the NSPCC Helpline and ChildLine amongst thousands of employees and customers.”

Managing director of SPAR UK Ltd, Jerry Marwood said: “As a business we have been passionate about supporting the NSPCC and CHILDREN 1ST. Awareness of our fundraising activities in SPAR stores around the country has exceeded our expectations. Now more than ever, we are grateful to our customers who have given generously to the NSPCC and CHILDREN 1ST.”

“We are passionate about what we provide and aim to offer our customers better stores, better products and the services they want – locally. To this end, we are delighted that our stores have raised over £2 million to help protect children at immediate risk.”

Mafe Marwick, Director of Fundraising for CHILDREN 1ST, said: "The results of this campaign have exceeded all our expectations. The money raised will go towards helping the most vulnerable children in the UK and we are so grateful to SPAR and all their employees for their continuing fundraising efforts."

Since the partnership’s launch in 2006, fundraising activities have included Easter, Halloween and Christmas parties. Stop 4 Tea, which ran in May across selected stores, helped the partnership pass the £2 million target. SPAR stores have also run special promotions on selected sandwiches and confectionary.

Ends

Jumeirah Restaurants - The Noodle House - goes Down Under

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:30:08 GMT

Jumeirah Restaurants, the dedicated branded restaurant division within the Jumeirah Group, has signed a license agreement in Australia with Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), a subsidiary of the Emirates Group.

The agreement signed by Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman of Jumeirah Group, and Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata for Emirates Group, will see the expansion of The Noodle House brand in Australia, with the first outlet opening at Southbank in Melbourne, October 2009.

Already a popular choice for diners in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Riyadh, Kuwait and Doha, The Noodle House restaurant provides a unique combination of wholesome food and energetic ambience. Inspired by the food and nightlife of exciting South East Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Jakarta, The Noodle House offers Asian delicacies in an informal yet stylish setting.

Phil Broad, Managing Director of Jumeirah Restaurants, said: "We are excited to be working with ELR on the opening of The Noodle House in Australia. ELR are already our partners in Abu Dhabi and Muscat and it is a pleasure to continue our great business relations by entering a new and exciting part of the world."

Richard Hollands, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Leisure Retail LLC, said: "We are pleased with our plans to launch The Noodle House this year at Melbourne's premier entertainment precinct, Southbank. Our announcement today marks a new chapter with the Jumeirah Group that builds upon the successes of our partnerships in the UAE."

The signing follows the recent openings of The Noodle House outlets in Kuwait, Riyadh and Doha.

-ENDS-

Note to Editors:
About Jumeirah Restaurants
Jumeirah Restaurants is the dedicated branded restaurant division within the Jumeirah Group tasked to set up and license innovative and successful dining restaurant concepts to partners worldwide. The first restaurant brand to be developed under the division was The Noodle House, a vibrant casual dining restaurant where chefs prepare aromatic South East Asian dishes within minutes over an open flame and in full view of the guests.

In just three years, Jumeirah Restaurants has rapidly expanded, with The Noodle House, Sana Bonta and Bytes restaurants being developed in a total of eleven countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Cyprus.