Calorie Count

Food packs should display how much exercise a person would need to take to burn off the calories contained in the product, UK researchers say. Appreciating it would take four hours to walk off the calories in a pizza or 22 minutes to run off a chocolate bar creates an awareness of the energy cost of food, they say. The labels would help people indulge less, exploratory studies suggest. The aim is to encourage healthier eating habits to fight obesity. Prof Daley said many people would be shocked to realise how much physical exercise would be required to burn off calories from certain snacks and treats. Tom Quinn, from the eating disorder charity Beat, said: "Although we recognise the importance of reducing obesity, labelling food in this way risks being incredibly triggering for those suffering from or vulnerable to eating disorders.

Calories On Packet

Game Changing Cardboard Box

Online orders account for billions of square metres of cardboard every year. Many objects packed very inefficiently, leading to waste. However, a new machine being trialled in Dijon, France, can customise cardboard boxes for specific objects. DS Smith's revolutionary Made2fit technology improves operational efficiency, eliminates void fill & lowers transportation costs. This innovation has been developed to specifically tackle the e-commerce challenge of void space, as shipping air is a waste of resources. Creating the right-sized pack lowers costs for e-tailers by reducing both operational and shipping costs: saving storage space, cutting labour costs and order administration, and significantly cutting assembly and packing times. It also significantly reduces product movement, helping to reduce damage.

Made 2 Fit

Mighty Pea Milk

A deliciously smooth and creamy dairy free alternative to milk made from Yellow Split-Peas! As two brothers from Yorkshire, we set out to create a dairy alternative made only from yellow split-peas that is Nutritious, Delicious & Sustainable. Our Pea Milk has sold over 66,000 units since launching in April 2019 with distribution in 2,000 individual stocking points across 5 countries including Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, Holland & Barrett and Whole Foods Market with additional retailer talks ongoing.  In 2019 we will be looking to launch a range of exciting new products in to various flavours and formats, helping us to expand The Mighty Society in our mission to become one of the UK's leading dairy alternative brands. As a business they crowdfunded over £300,000 to help the company with this expansion.

 Mighty Pea

General Election 2019

The UK is gearing up to hold a general election on Thursday. These national votes, to choose a government to run the country, are supposed to be held every five years. But this would be the third since 2015. In a general election, the UK's 46 million voters are invited to choose an MP for their area - one of 650 constituencies. Anyone aged 18 or over can vote, as long as they are registered and a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland. Detailed proposals for everything from the economy to defence and policing are set out before any general election in manifestos. The issues UK voters care most about have changed a lot, according to the polls. When the overall result is known, the leader of the winning party, if there is one, visits Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen for permission to form a new government.

General Election 2019

£100 Christmas Advert

A shop owner who has made a Christmas advert starring his two-year-old son wants it to encourage people to buy local. Hafod Hardware in Rhayader, Powys, has been making festive adverts for several years and this year's cost just £100 to produce. The advert sees Arthur setting up the shop along with members of his family. The store opened its doors in 1895 and Mr Jones has worked there for 10 years. More than two million people worldwide have viewed the film, and the phone has been ringing continuously with people keen to explain how much it touched them. Many have said the film captures the true spirit of Christmas more effectively than the multimillion-pound efforts that normally hit the headlines at this time of year. At a time when UK high streets are struggling, it is heartening that a simple film featuring a family hardware store in a small mid-Wales town (population: 2,000) can cause such as stir.

Hafod Hardware Christmas

Christmas Tinner

Tech retailer GAME has just released its vegan ‘Christmas Tinner’, a three-course festive meal packed right into a can. And they are not messing around. GAME first released Christmas Tinner in 2013 for ‘hardcore gamers that don’t want to leave their gaming chair on Christmas day.’ This meaty version, which is still available, includes turkey, potatoes, broccoli, bread sauce, sprouts, stuffing and mince pies. But this year, they are offering something for vegans and vegetarians too. Each cylindrical bad boy contains a full Christmas dinner for just £2. That’s 12 layers of plant-based takes on classic festive dishes. ‘Almost half of British gamers plan to spend the majority of Christmas Day testing out new games and consoles,’ a GAME spokesperson said.‘It’s the ultimate innovation for gamers across the nation who can’t tear themselves away from their new consoles and games on Christmas Day – the first all-in-one festive feast in a tin .’

Christmas Tinner

Black Friday

This year's Black Friday sale could break buying records in the UK, early figures suggest. At 10:00 GMT, Barclaycard said transaction volumes were up 12.5% from last year, and between 13:00 and 14:00 they were 9% higher. "The fact that records are continuing to be broken suggests that appetite for Black Friday sales is not abating," said Rob Cameron from Barclaycard. John Lewis said buyers were snapping up Apple iPads and Lego Star Wars toys. However, some of the most popular gifts are not being discounted, according to Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at Money.co.uk. The shopping spree has also suffered a backlash from campaigners concerned that it encourages wasteful impulse buying. Earlier this week, consumer group Which? warned that few real deals were available, with most goods cheaper or available for the same price at other times. It found that just four of 83 products they studied last year were cheaper during the Black Friday promotion.

Black Friday

Frasers

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct International, which has attracted criticism from politicians and investors over working conditions and its approach to business, has announced plans to rebrand itself as Frasers Group. The retail group, which has a market value of £1.8bn, said it was seeking to elevate its image beyond the sportswear through which the billionaire chief executive made his fortune. Shareholders will vote on the name change at a general meeting in London on 16 December. The company requires 75% of the votes cast at the meeting to change the name, but Ashley owns 65% of the shares. The unusual move for a FTSE 250 company comes after Ashley led a year-long buying spree of struggling retailers, most notably House of Fraser in a £90m deal. The Sports Direct chain of shops will not be renamed, but the move to change the group name to Frasers follows a string of scandals over working conditions at Sports Direct, as well the company’s unusual corporate governance arrangements.
Frasers Group

Netflix Opens a Cinema

Netflix has announced it has taken over the historic Paris cinema in New York. It's the first time the streaming giant - which has been accused of threatening the cinema experience - has taken a long-term lease to screen its films. It is 71 years since screen legend Marlene Dietrich cut the ribbon to open the Paris, which became one of America's most notable art house cinemas. It is New York's last single screen cinema and had closed in late August. There has been some animosity towards streaming services in recent years from those who champion traditional cinema. Netflix film Okja, starring Tilda Swinton, was booed by some journalists in 2017 when it played at the Cannes Film Festival.

Netflix Cinema

Cybertruck

Tesla has received almost 150,000 orders for its new pickup truck, boss Elon Musk has said, despite an embarrassing hiccup at its launch. Mr Musk was caught out on stage when the windows of the Cybertruck shattered during a demonstration supposed to show their durability. Tesla shares dived 6.1% after the event on Thursday and several bad reviews. With its distinct angular design, the electric truck was greeted with cheers but also bemusement. The demand had come despite "no advertising & no paid endorsement" for the truck, he said. No date has been given for the Cybertruck's release, but analysts said it would not be ready before the end of 2021 at the earliest. The pickup market represents a significant opportunity for Tesla as it improves its battery technology, meaning carrying heavier loads over long distances is now practical. Tesla's truck will be sold starting at $39,900 (£30,900), a model which has a range of 250 miles (402km), while the most expensive model, at $69,900, will have a range of 500 miles. The truck will seat up to six adults and haul a payload of 3,500lbs, Tesla said.

Cybertruck

Kylie Sells Stake

Kylie Jenner will sell the majority of her cosmetics company for $600 million (£463 million). The 22-year-old's brand, including Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, will be controlled by beauty giant Coty.  Kylie says she is building the brand into an "international beauty powerhouse". Forbes reported that she made $360 million in sales in 2018, making her the youngest self-made billionaire ever.  The chairman of Coty's board called Kylie a "modern-day icon, with an incredible sense of the beauty consumer". The reality TV star launched her brand in 2015 with a line of lipsticks, and has since then branched out into face make-up and skincare. Although she's the youngest, Kylie is the highest earner in the Kardashian family. She faced backlash after being named a "self-made" billionaire, but defended herself saying that none of her money has come from inheritance. She has more than 151 million followers on her personal Instagram account, as well as 22 million on her Kylie cosmetics account. Coty, which owns brands like Max Factor and Hugo Boss, will have a 51% stake in the company. It said the deal will be completed in 2020.

Kylie

Hotella Nutella

In early 2020, an official Nutella hotel is opening in the US. Hotella Nutella (of course) will be a pop-up getaway experience offered on the weekend of January 10-12. During the stay, guests will get to enjoy massive Nutella jars and themed décor including alarm clocks, furniture and bedding including fluffy croissant pillows. Iron Chef’s Geoffrey Zakarian will serve up Nutella-based meals for dinner, while professional chef Tanya Holland will create a Southern-style savoury brunch using a little spread we like to call… Nutella. ‘Hotella Nutella reimagines the joy of the hotel stay with a special breakfast experience that allows fans to enjoy Nutella in new and different ways,’ Todd Midura, vice president of marketing at Ferrero, said in a statement. Curiously enough, entry to Hotella Nutella is a bit of a Willy Wonka kind of deal, with the accommodation available to just three people and their guests. Unfortunately, the competition is only open to US residents. If you fit the bill, record a one-minute video showing how Nutella ‘makes your morning special’ and submit it at www.HotellaNutella.com. Applications close on Sunday 8 December 2019.

Hotella Nutella

Mars Goes Vegan

Mars is to launch a vegan version of its best-selling Galaxy bar in the UK, the first move by a large mainstream confectionery brand to offer consumers a plant-based alternative to milk chocolate. The new variant, certified by the Vegan Society, will be available in three flavours: smooth orange, caramel and sea salt and caramelised hazelnut. It will go on sale online and in store at Tesco, Ocado and Amazon from Monday, costing £3 for a 100g bar, double the price of the regular Galaxy. Mars, the UK’s second-largest confectionery brand, says it has taken more than six months to reformulate its best-selling chocolate bar, which has involved replacing dairy with hazelnut paste and rice syrup. The UK vegan confectionery market has grown to a record £10m but is dwarfed by the size of the overall confectionery market, which is now valued at £4bn. It is also Mars’ first UK confectionery product to be wrapped in compostable film packaging. It is made from wood fibre and breaks down in home composting in a few months while the outer card sleeve is widely recyclable.

Mars Vegan

Huawei Foldable Mate X

Huawei's foldable smartphone, the Mate X, has, briefly, gone on sale in China. The handset went on sale for a price of 16,999 yuan (£1,900) via Huawei's online store and reportedly sold out out "within minutes". Phone fans who did not manage to buy a Mate X on Friday will get another chance on 22 November when a second batch will go on sale. Anyone buying one of the folding devices also gets 50% off screen-related repairs and replacements. Huawei said the phone was available in "limited quantities" for the first sale but did not give a precise number on how many were sold. Growing numbers of phone-makers are starting to offer foldable devices. Samsung, Xiaomi and Motorola have both made flexible devices alongside smaller players such as Royole. Other phone-makers, including Apple and Google, are known to be experimenting with their own designs. The phone is currently available only in China but Huawei has said it will be available in other countries at some point.

Mate X

Lynx Car

Unilever’s male deodorant and shower brand Lynx has teamed up with Custom Accessories Europe Ltd (CAE) to launch a premium range of car air fresheners.Each one carries the Lynx logo for added stand-out and comes in some of the brand’s most popular scents, including: Africa; Dark Temptation; Ice Chilll; Black; and Gold. The launch of the car air fresheners will be supported by activity across online, PR and social media platforms to help maximise sales. Julie McCleave, global licensing director at Unilever UK & Ireland, commented: “Lynx is an iconic brand with fragrances loved by millions, so by partnering with CAE, who are experts in the car accessories category, we are delighted to bring consumers the fragrances they love in a new and exciting format.

Lynx Car

Google Buy Fitbit

Fitness device marker Fitbit is being bought by Google for $2.1bn (£1.6bn). The move allows Google to expand into the market for fitness trackers and smart watches. It comes at a time when loss-making Fitbit has been looking to expand into other areas.  "Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission," said James Park, co-founder and chief executive of Fitbit. The bid values Fitbit at $7.35 a share, a premium of about 19% to the stock's closing price on Thursday. The company, one of the first sellers of tech-enabled fitness trackers, was valued at more than $4bn at the time of its flotation in 2015.  It has sold more than 100 million devices, but has struggled with waning demand for its products as other companies enter the market. It put itself up for sale last month. The transaction is expected to be completed in 2020, pending approval by the board and regulators. Regulators in the US and abroad have been taking a closer look at acquisitions by the tech giants, amid growing concerns about monopoly power. Fitbit said its "health and wellness" data would not be used for Google adverts and pledged to maintain strong privacy protections. But analysts said the health data was key the deal. 

Google Fitbit

Ultimate Selection Box

Cadbury's has been slammed for its £45 Ultimate Selection box - that has just £27 worth of chocolate inside. The hamper of chocolates - marketed as "probably the World's biggest selection box" - includes everything from Flakes to Crunchies and Freddos. The description adds "Best of luck fitting this under the tree...." But the 75cm x 48cm box - containing 26 chocolate bars and weighing more than 2kgs - has come under fire for its whopping £45 price tag. In fact, when all the retail prices for the chocolates are added up, it only comes to £27.43. And shoppers were left outraged after doing the maths. One wrote online: "Could make it myself for £25 and even have chocolate left over to do a smaller one." However, some eagle-eyed shoppers said the box also included Cadbury World tickets inside. A Cadbury spokesperson said: "This year’s Cadbury Ultimate Selection Box is a chocolate lovers dream, not only including 26 of our most loved bars, but also two children’s tickets to the home of Cadbury chocolate – Cadbury World in Bourneville. "These tickets retail at £12.85 each, so we think at £45 the Ultimate Selection Box is great value for money and a fantastic festive gift to share with family and friends this Christmas."

Ultimate Selection Box

Pradidas

Italian fashion house Prada and German sportswear giant Adidas are joining forces to produce a limited edition trainer and sailing shoe.It's the first time two of the most famous names in retailing have combined in what they say is a long-term partnership. Prada's marketing department could probably do better, though, as they've already demonstrated peerless descriptive powers in the press release. "The aim of this partnership is to investigate the realms of heritage, technology and innovation - and to challenge conventional wisdom through unexpected strategies." These won't be any old trainers, as Prada is bringing an "iconicity" that "resides in the interplay between form and function, luxury and utility, and the ability to juxtapose different ideologies". Prada does not get involved in many collaborations, so a tie-up with Adidas was seen as a surprise among the fashionistas and a coup for the German company. As GQ magazine points out, the companies "sit in different fields".  Adidas has dipped its toe into the high-end fashion world before with collaborations with Stella McCartney, Rick Owens, and Kanye West's Yeezy line. The collection launches next month with two styles of trainer, and next year will see the release of sailing footwear under the Luna Rossa label. The limited-edition footwear will all be made at Prada's factory in Italy.

Pradidas

Mothercare Appoint Administrators

It was once the one-stop shop for all things baby-related, but Mothercare's 79 UK stores are not profitable and 2,500 jobs are at risk. Mothercare said its 79 UK stores were "not capable" of achieving a sufficient level of profitability and that so far it had failed to find a buyer. It said its stores would continue to trade as normal for the time being. Analysts said Mothercare had been slow to adapt to competition from rivals and the switch to online retailing.The firm said the decision to appoint administrators was "a necessary step in the restructuring and refinancing" of the group. In the financial year to March 2019, Mothercare's international business generated profits of £28.3m, whereas the UK retail operations lost £36.3m. In its heyday, Mothercare had hundreds of stores. It was the go-to place for new parents. But it failed to keep up with our changing shopping habits. Mothercare's UK arm has been loss-making for years. One big reason is there's so much more competition these days.  From Zara and H&M to the major supermarkets, there are no shortages of places to buy children's clothing and often at cheaper prices. And then there's online, with the likes of Amazon who are able to deliver basic kit to your doorstep within hours of ordering. It has all eaten into Mothercare's market share. Truth is, this is a business that's been losing money for a very long time. Mothercare ran out of time and money to try to revive its fortunes.

Mothercare

Hotel Hell

Britannia Hotels has been rated the worst hotel chain in the UK for the seventh year in a row, with guests repeatedly describing its rooms as “filthy” and complaining about mouldy bathrooms and peeling paintwork. EasyHotel and Ibis Budget also performed badly in an annual satisfaction survey by the consumer group Which?. At the other end of the scale, Wetherspoon Hotels was rated best for the first time. It shared the top spot with Premier Inn, Britain’s biggest hotel chain, which has come first for the last four years of the survey. Which? asked more than 8,000 hotel guests of 40 well-known chains to rate everything from bed comfort to value for money as well as the quality of food, customer service and overall cleanliness. Britannia, which has 61 hotels across the UK, received one star out of five in almost every category except customer service, for which it scored two stars. The chain received a total score of 39%, slightly above the 35% it had last year. Cleanliness proved to be a particular issue with guests repeatedly describing it as “filthy”, “dreadful” and “scruffy”. On average, guests were 10 times more likely to rate Britannia poorly in this category than across almost all the other hotel chains covered by the survey.

Worst Hotel

Save Our Planet

Vans has just released a Save Our Planet footwear collection, following in the footsteps of other fashion companies shining a spotlight on the environment. Famous for its footwear, it makes sense that the collection features a range of high-top and regular trainers. Every piece showcases a world map – be it in colour or in black and white – and has the slogan ‘Save Our Planet’ printed on it in a graffiti style. The streetwear brand has said it will donate up to £160,000 of the proceeds to Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii – a foundation that works to tackle coastal pollution – As part of this initiative to create awareness of how to care for our oceans for generations to come-because clean beaches start at home.

Green Vans

Cosmic Crisp

A new variety of apple is being launched with a multi-million dollar marketing campaign. It is starting to hit grocery shelves in the US, and then overseas early in 2020, is a new American-born apple that its backers are convinced will become the new global bestseller - the Cosmic Crisp. "The stars are aligning for this apple," says Kathryn Grandy, marketing director of US fruit firm Proprietary Variety Management (PVM), the company handling the $10m (£7.9m) launch of the new variety. A cross-breed between two existing apples - the Honeycrisp and the Enterprise - advocates of the Crisp describe it as some sort of apple holy grail. It is said to be sweet, crisp and juicy. But as importantly, it is said to have a previously unheralded shelf life, staying fresh for up to a year if kept chilled. The first apples are now on sale in the US for $5 per pound (per 454g), this is more than three times the cost of standard varieties. More than 467,000 40lb boxes are now projected to be shipped before the end of this year, rising to two million in 2020, and 5.6 million by 2021. The apple even has a trademarked slogan - "Imagine the possibilities".

Cosmic Crisp

HMV Vault

The world's largest HMV store has opened its doors to shoppers just months after the chain announced dozens of branch closures. Spanning 25,000 sq ft across one floor - almost the size of 12 tennis courts - HMV Vault in Birmingham promises to become a "nirvana for music and film fans" with dedicated spaces for vinyl, CDs and DVDs as well as a performance area for bands to take to the stage. But less than a year since the company called in administrators for the second time in a decade, and closed a raft of existing stores, can this ambitious new site help restore its fortunes in an age when digital purchases apparently rule? The move is all part of new owner Doug Putman's vision to "simplify the offer" for HMV's customers, combining "clicks and mortar" in time to mark the firm's centenary on the high street, in 2021. HMV said it would also stock an "unparalleled" range of specialist music titles, plus movies, books, posters, T-shirts and exclusive merchandise.

HMV Vault

Pizza Express Still Making Dough

In a quick piece of savvy marketing, the chain told customers: "We're still making dough", trying to reassure the legions of parents and savvy, voucher-wielding customers who had expressed concern that another family-friendly, mid-priced restaurant chain could disappear from the High Street. Pizza Express was responding to reports it had hired advisers to negotiate with lenders over a £1.1bn debt pile. The news saw the almost 55-year-old pizza chain become the latest High Street eatery to have its money troubles splashed across the financial pages. But what separates Pizza Express from the likes of Jamie's Italian, which went under in May, and Carluccio's and Prezzo, which have both closed dozens of restaurants, is its customers' response to news of the financial troubles. Pizza Express won a place in UK diners' hearts by managing to appeal to both adults and children. But more recently, it has gained popularity for its special offers, which are nearly always available. Some feel Pizza Express falls squarely into the "middle market" category of chains that have failed to differentiate themselves from their competitors. 

Pizza Express

Dyson Scraps Electric Car

Dyson, the technology company best known for its vacuum cleaners, has scrapped a project to build electric cars. The firm, headed by British inventor Sir James Dyson, said its engineers had developed a "fantastic electric car" but that it would not hit the roads because it was not "commercially viable". Dyson had planned to invest more than £2bn in developing a "radical and different" electric vehicle, a project it launched in 2016. It said the car would not be aimed at the mass market. Dyson wanted to make something revolutionary - but also needed to make it pay. And the sums simply didn't add up. Sales of electric cars are climbing rapidly. Yet they still cost more to make than conventional cars, and generate much lower profits - if any. Dyson has concluded it simply can't afford to play with the big boys - although its efforts to make a quantum leap in battery technology will continue. The first cars had already been developed and were being tested. But in an email on Thursday, Sir James revealed that Dyson was closing electric car facilities both in the UK and Singapore. The project employed 523 people, 500 of whom were in UK, and Sir James praised their "immense" achievements. "This is not a product failure, or a failure of the team, for whom this news will be hard to hear and digest," Sir James wrote.

Dyson Electric Car

£32.50 Fish & Chips

It might sound pricey, but £32.50 is reasonable for fish, chips and curry sauce if it is turbot caught that day and the finest quality potatoes individually hand-cut, the chef Tom Kerridge has insisted. But he said there was no comparison. “This was fresh dayboat turbot,” adding that if a diner had pan-roasted turbot with pomme puree and a sauce gribiche for £32.50, “no-one would question anything”. His chips were individually hand-cut from “incredibly expensive” potatoes, he said. “If you break it down, it is easily justifiable,” Kerridge said. “From my point of view, fish and chips is one of the greatest dishes in the world. There are Japanese three-Michelin star restaurants that are doing tempura, that are specialising in amazing pieces of fish that are deep fried and served and cost the earth. Would you pay the price?

Fish & Chips

Amazon Walk Out

Amazon warehouse workers in the US are protesting about their working conditions in the latest battle between the company and its workforce. The unrest follows allegations that the company terminated the employment of one worker who was in hospital with a dying relative and that it is suppressing working hours in order to prevent staff claiming for medical insurance. Staff in the company's Sacramento and Minnesota fulfilment centres - where orders are packaged and dispatched - walked out for short periods this week. According to their complaint, part-time staff are only permitted 10 days' unpaid leave a year - regardless of the reason for that leave - and if staff breach this limit by a single hour, they are fired. One worker said: "We are told this is only part-time work, but they are still hiring more. We need more hours. We have no value here, they treat us like we are not human beings. Tonight we stand together to say no more!"

Amazon Walkout

India Plastic Problem

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on the nation to work towards ending the use of plastic. It comes after India shelved a blanket ban on single-use plastics saying it was too disruptive during an economic slowdown - the proposal had already spooked businesses and manufacturers. India has a mammoth plastic waste problem and no easy way to dispose of the 9.4 million tonnes it generates each year.

India Plastic Problem

Fudge Tester Required

Yorkshire-based sweet subscription service STIRRD is recruiting a professional fudge taste-tester. The business is looking for someone to join them as their first Chief Chewing Operator (CCO) – yep, that’s the official job title. The role will involve taste-testing a number of sweet treats straight off the production line, to ensure they are of a high enough standard. So the right candidate will need to have an excellent palette and, of course, a sweet tooth. STIRRD says it’s ideally looking for ‘a passionate confectionery connoisseur with a sophisticated palette to join the team and aid the development of its good-for-the-soul flavours.’ The chosen candidate will collaborate with the development team on some of the company’s upcoming seasonal products, including salted maple and mince pie fudge.

Work For STIRRD

The Apprentice

The Apprentice is back this week with a new batch of ambitious entrepreneurs seeking to demonstrate their commercial insight and business sense to stay out of the firing line. There’s a £250,000 investment at stake and the chance to go into a business partnership with Lord Sugar. Over the course of 12 tough tasks, the 18 candidates will be whittled down until just one victor remains. And plenty of sparks are set to fly in the boardroom along the way! Each week the budding entrepreneurs will be divided into two teams - led by designated Project Managers - that lock horns under the watchful eyes of Lord Sugar's advisor Baroness Karren Brady and new aide Claude Littner. Follow the link to find out more about this years candidates. 

The Candidates

Spider Woman

A t-shirt designed to look like the spider brooch worn by Lady Hale at the Supreme Court on Tuesday has sold out in less than 24 hours. Balcony Shirts, a business based in Boris Johnson’s constituency of Uxbridge, replicated the outfit worn by Lady Hale when she delivered her unlawful verdict earlier this week. The business decided that they wanted to capture the popular enthusiasm for Lady Hale and raise some money for charity in the process. Their t-shirts, which went on sale on eBay, cost £10 and would donate 30% of the proceeds to housing and homelessness charity, Shelter. The item proved immensely popular and sold out in less than 24 hours. The brand owner, Scott, announced on Twitter they’d had to stop taking orders at 6,500 units because they were worried about not fulfilling the demand. That number of sales means they have raised a projected £18,000 for Shelter.

Spider T-Shirt

P.L.T

McDonald’s in Canada is launching a new plant-based burger. The PLT (Plant Lettuce Tomato) burger uses a Beyond Meat burger, served on a sesame seed bun with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo-style sauce, ketchup, mustard and a slice of processed cheddar cheese. Beyond Meat burgers are completely vegan patties made to look, cook and even bleed like beefburgers. Of course, including all the toppings on the PLT mean it’s not vegan as cheese contains dairy and mayo contains eggs – but the fast food restaurant says it can be customised. The burger is going on trial in Canada for the next month but nothing has been mentioned about it being brought to the UK yet.

PLT

Luxury Kit Kat

Bespoke KitKats are expected to be one of this year’s must-have Christmas presents after its owner, the food giant Nestlé, revealed the upmarket KitKat Chocolatory range. Either via a dedicated website, or by visiting a pop-up stall in John Lewis’s flagship London store, shoppers will be able to order a custom KitKat from nearly 1,500 possible flavour combinations. The ingredient choices include rose petals and cocoa nibs and there is the option to coat the fingers in ruby chocolate. It has also produced “special edition” flavours – a surprising line-up that includes marmalade, Earl Grey and “whisky & ginger”. But a luxury KitKat comes with a luxury price tag. The 150g eight-fingered bespoke bars – which will be made to order in Yorkshire – cost £14 (a 41.5g four-fingered KitKat usually costs 65p). The special editions start at £7.50.

Kit Kat

Thomas Cooked

Founded in Market Harborough in 1841 by businessman Thomas Cook, the fledgling company organised railway outings for members of the local temperance movement. Some 178 years later, it is a huge global travel group, with annual sales of £9bn, 19 million customers a year and 22,000 staff operating in 16 countries. However, just as the travel world has progressed from temperance day trips, so the modern business and leisure market is also changing, and at a far faster pace than in previous decades. The firm is being buffeted by a number of factors: financial, social and even meteorological. As well as weather issues, and stiff competition from online travel agents and low-cost airlines, there are other disruptive factors, including political unrest around the world.  The tour operator's financial difficulties have mounted over the past year, culminating in a refinancing plan in August led by its biggest shareholder, Chinese company Fosun. But banks now want the company to raise extra funds and it could fall into administration within days unless it finds £200m.

Thomas Cook

James Dyson Award

A biodegradable bioplastic made from red algae and waste products from the fishing industry has won the UK section of the 2019 James Dyson Award. Created by Lucy Hughes,  MarinaTex is a translucent and flexible sheet material made from all natural ingredients. It does not require special infrastructure to dispose of and can biodegrade naturally in 4-6 weeks. This makes it ideal for applications in packaging. To the touch, MarinaTex feels a lot like plastic, but the similarities end there. In fact, it is stronger, safer and much more sustainable than its doppelgänger. The material is relatively low tech and does not require much energy to produce. 

James Dyson Award

Robot Future

More than 100 fully autonomous cleaning robots are coming to Singapore this year, made by local manufacturer Lionsbot. Ella tells jokes as she cleans the floor in the island nation's National Gallery... but not everyone is convinced.  It has a $1k a month rental fee, only takes breaks to recharge every three hours, and never needs a sick day. It is hopefully going to help issues with labour shortages in Singapore this year. Is this the future of the workforce?

Robot Future

iPhone 11

Apple has unveiled its iPhone 11 range of handsets, which feature more cameras than before and a processor that has been updated to be faster while consuming less power. The company said the two Pro models would last between four to five hours longer than their XS predecessors. But it did not launch a 5G model, and some rumoured features were missing. Apple also revealed a new version of its smartwatch, which features an "always on" display for the first time. Apple currently accounts for 49% of the global smartwatch market, according to research firm IDC. It is also the UK's top-selling smartphone brand by a wide margin. Apple have however experienced a bigger drop in demand for new handsets than many of its rivals over the past year. At a time when consumers are holding onto their handsets for longer before upgrading, that could place a further constraint on sales - especially in countries where 5G networks have already launched, such as the UK.

iPhone 11

KFC Ditches Healthier Foods

KFC has abandoned its drive to introduce healthier baked chicken products on its menu because nobody wanted to eat them. A senior executive at the fast food chain revealed the move was a "disaster" and short-lived during a Public Health England conference. It followed disappointing sales of the Brazer grilled chicken sandwich launched in 2011, its 2012 Rancher sandwich and a pulled chicken product which came out in 2015."It didn't go brilliantly well. We tried and we failed to launch a non-fried product," said Jenny Packwood, head of brand engagement at KFC UK and Ireland. "We were unable to sustain sales. They were just not selling."It's no good launching a product which looks good nutritionally but then nobody buys. "It doesn't improve the health of the nation and in terms of sustainability it is a disaster."

KFC Healthy Foods

Deliveroo TV Advert Banned

A TV ad for Deliveroo has been banned for suggesting the food delivery firm could deliver anywhere in the UK. The ad, shown in March, showed various scenes of people using the Deliveroo app and having food delivered to them, all in unusual places or circumstances.  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it was "likely to mislead" because it wrongly implied delivery "was unrestricted throughout the UK". In the ad someone is shown receiving a delivery in a field after apparently tunnelling underground to escape from prison. An astronaut is also shown receiving a delivery in space. There were 22 complaints from people who, knowing that Deliveroo did not deliver to their areas, said that the ad was misleading.

Deliveroo Advert

Young E-Commerce Entrepreneur

The London schoolgirl running her own e-commerce business. After selling old Christmas presents and teaching herself how to code 14-year-old Cara set up an online retail business. She’s been running it from her bedroom in London for a year and has already paid for her parents to go on holiday – twice! Watch the clip to see how it she does it all!

E-Commerce Entrepreneur

More More More

Two exciting new Nestlé chocolate bars are coming to the UK and Ireland with the promise of ‘MORE’ for KitKat and Yorkie fans. The delicious new bars come with more fruit, nuts and cereal and more protein* and fibre* with both a ‘Raspberry & Hazelnut’ KitKat Chunky and an ‘Oats, Apple and Cinnamon’ Yorkie, forming the new ‘MORE’ range. Each bar is 30% less sugar*, contains real fruit and is source of protein. The new Yorkie MORE is also a source of fibre. The launch is another step in Nestlé’s ongoing work to innovate and develop its confectionery to provide better choices. Nestlé’s Global R&D Centre for Confectionery, based in York, has developed the new range which is just the latest in a long line of achievements that have come from Nestlé’s continued efforts to find new ways to improve confectionery and reduce sugar without compromising on taste and quality.

Nestle More

Pick & Cheese

The world’s first conveyor belt cheese restaurant launches this week in London. Pick & Cheese, at the new Kerb street food market in Covent Garden, allows diners to pluck Cornish Gouda and Renegade Monk from its milky carousel and sip interesting wines while doing so. There are 25 cheeses available at any one time, as well as a couple of hot dishes and plates of charcuterie.The restaurant is the work of Mathew Carver, who launched the Cheese Truck, famed for its toasties at festivals around the world, in 2014. The idea is to be accessible, too: prices start at £2.95 and generous cheese portions come on colour coded-plates; £5.25 is the most expensive.

Pick & Cheese

Camel Milk

Would you switch to drinking camel milk? Australia's growing number of camel farmers are hoping to persuade you. Camel milk production has become one of Australia's emerging agricultural industries, as demand for the product grows both locally and internationally. Australia's first camel dairies opened in 2014, and since then the industry has grown considerably, with dairies now operating in almost every state and territory. The Camel Milk Co Australia - have a herd of more than 300 camels, with around 60 currently being milked. The farm averages around six litres of milk per camel per day.While camel milk has been consumed by humans for more than 6,000 years, worldwide demand has grown markedly in recent years, despite its expensive nature. One litre of pasteurised camel milk retails for about A$15 ($10; £8) in Australia, making it 12 times more expensive than cow's milk.The recent increase in interest in camel milk has been led by consumers seeking the milk's supposed health benefits. On a nutritional level, camel milk is richer than cow's milk in vitamin C, vitamin B, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.In addition to milk, the sector is also starting to make cheeses, skincare products, and chocolate made with camel milk.

Camel Milk