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