3D Sweets

A sweet retailer is coming to intu Metrocentre which will launch the world’s first 3D printer for gummy sweets. Katjes Magic Candy Factory will create several new jobs when it opens in the Blue Mall within the shopping and leisure complex on November 29, bringing to the high street the first ever food certified 3D printer for gelatine-free sweets. The 3D printer can produce customers’ selfies in sweet form within minutes, and can also 3D print an edible shape, message, or hand drawn design in one of eight flavours as customers watch in less than five minutes. The company is opening units in seven shopping centres across the UK in the next few weeks, where managers are expecting a rush on Christmas orders for their unique, vegan sweets.

Magic Candy Factory

Work Starts at 9:06am

There aren't many companies that insist staff start work every day at such an oddly specific time as Pivotal Software. Employees at the US firm's 20 global offices all have to be at work and ready to go at exactly 9.06am. At that precise time a cowbell is rung, or a gong is hit, and all workers gather for a brief stand-up meeting that lasts for between five and 10 minutes. Then the firm's programmers hit their computers, with no other meetings or distractions for the rest of the day. Pivotal's founder and chief executive Rob Mee says it is all about making the working day as efficient as possible. But why 9.06am? "We thought that if we made it 9am, developers psyching themselves up for the day would think, 'well if it is 9am I'll be late,'" says Mr Mee. "So then we thought, 'why don't we make it 9.05am,' but that is too precise, as programmers don't like over-optimising, so we went with 9.06am. Then it became something fun." And at the end of the day everyone has to leave the office at 6pm sharp because staff aren't allowed to work into the evening.

9:06am

Heinz Advert Canned

Beans may be good for the heart, but empty tin cans are not so good for hands or fingers - so says the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which on Wednesday banned a Heinz TV ad for encouraging people to beat out a song using empty cans - but Heinz is not alone.The Heinz TV ad, using the catchline "Learn the #CanSong", shows a group of people tapping and twirling empty cans to drum out rhythms.Three people complained that the TV advert encouraged unsafe behaviour, while six more said it could be dangerous if children tried to copy the music. Heinz denied the ad posed a safety risk, but the ASA upheld both complaints, saying it might result in "hands or fingers being inserted into an open tin". TV is the most complained-about advertising medium, with 11,611 complaints about 3,920 different commercials made to the watchdog in 2015.

Heinz Advert Banned

Business Live!

Business Live returns again this Thursday in the library where you will get the opportunity to hear from Julie who is the owner of Olives at the Station and also head of the Whitley Bay Chamber of Trade. There will be juice and biscuits available plus you will also get a chance to ask Julie some questions. Come and pick up your free tickets and we hope to see lots of you there.   

Olives at the Station!

Don't Rush for Black Friday!

Half of Black Friday deals were actually cheaper before and after the event, a watchdog has found. The consumer group, Which? warned shoppers to “do your research” after it found just 8 per cent of offers were exclusive to the day, while four in 10 could be picked up cheaper after the event and one in 10 items cost less in the months before. Which? tracked 178 deals on 20 popular gadgets and appliances at Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys and John Lewis every day for three months before and two months after Black Friday last year. t found that only 90 out of the 178 deals were cheapest on Black Friday. AO and Currys may also have broken advertising rules after Which? found “numerous” examples of offers that appeared to exaggerate the apparent discount by using an artificially high “was” price. Rules say the “was” price should be the most recent price the item was sold at, for at least 28 consecutive days.

Black Friday Deals

Shrinkflation

Maltesers, billed as the “lighter way to enjoy chocolate”, have become another treat to shrink in size.In another chocolate tragedy it appears that Mars, which owns the Maltesers brand, reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. “Like all chocolate manufacturers, we have seen the cost of raw materials rise and, while we try to absorb these pressures as much as possible, sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to reduce the size of some of our products so our consumers can continue to enjoy an affordable treat,” the company said in a statement. Price of cocoa butter and other milk chocolate ingredients has jumped almost 40 per cent this year causing difficult decisions for chocolate manufacturers. 

Shrinkflation

World's Most Expensive Crisp

A Swedish microbrewery has created exclusive crisps that are made from some of the fanciest ingredients around. But, would you be willing to fork out £46 for just five?St Erik’s have joined the posh crisp battleground with an offering of a premium snack to match their premium beer. A la M&S, these aren’t just any ordinary crisps though, oh no, these ones are prepared by the talented chefs of the Swedish National Culinary Team and use some of the most exclusive ingredients available in the Nordics. They’re made from fine Ammarnas potatoes, Matsutake mushroom, truffle seaweed, dill, leksand onion and India pale ale but of course, for the best taste experience, they should be enjoyed with a pint of St Eriks’ artisanal standard beer. The five crisps are served in a classy black box and cost a steep £46.

Expensive Crisps