McNet Zero

A net zero carbon McDonald's has opened in what the company believes is a UK first. The wind turbine and solar panel-powered restaurant is in Market Drayton, Shropshire. Recycled IT equipment and household goods make up the building's cladding, signs are from used coffee beans and insulation is provided by sheep wool. The fast-food company said it would be used as a "blueprint" for other sites and work has started to roll it out. It is the first restaurant in the UK due to be verified as net zero emissions for construction using the UK Green Building Council's (UKGBC's) net zero carbon buildings framework. McDonald's and other fast food suppliers have previously come under fire from investors who signed a letter asking the firms to reduce the carbon footprint of their meat and dairy supply chains.Anna Jones, Greenpeace UK’s Head of Food and Forests, stated that any claims of carbon neutrality will be nothing more than’McGreenwash’ as long as meat and dairy remain key menu items. McDonald’s produces more than 53 million metric tonnes of carbon per year – that’s more emissions than Norway – and beef accounts for roughly a third of McDonald’s climate footprint.

 Net zero McDonald's

Hologram Future

 

With the coronavirus pandemic having put a stop to much global travel since March 2020, it has fuelled a growing interest in the use of holograms - 3D light projections of a person - as a more life-like, more immersive, more sensory alternative to video calls. Los-Angeles-based Portl is one of the firms at the forefront of the technology, and Mr Nussbaum says "we can't make our portals fast enough". Its portals are eight feet (2.5m) tall, glass-fronted, computerised boxes. Inside the booths a life-size hologram of a person appears. The portals have built-in speakers, so that the hologram's 'voice' can be heard. They also include cameras and microphones so that the user of the hologram can see and hear the people in front of his, or her, projection. The Portl system is aimed at business customers, and is currently also being used by other firms such as Netflix and T-Mobile. The portals cost from $60,000 (£45,000) each, so they are certainly expensive, although the company says they can be rented for considerably less. Portl's Mr Nussbaum says he is confident that hologram technology is going to replace standard video screens in video conferencing in "five years".

Portl

Spam Sales Up

Sales of the canned cooked meat Spam have hit a record high for the seventh year in a row, despite pandemic-related challenges. That helped Hormel, the company that makes the iconic brand, deliver record sales of $3.5bn (£2.65bn) in the three months to the end of October. The firm's boss said it will start work on expanding its range of Spam products next year. Outside the US, Spam has a large international market, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. It has been a household name in Hawaii since it was introduced in 1937. It can be found on menus across the islands, as Spam musubi - a sushi-like dish - Spam fried rice, and the popular breakfast - Spam, eggs, and rice. In South Korea, it was introduced by the US army during the Korean War, when food was scarce. Today, Spam is so much a part of South Korean culture, that it is the staple ingredient in one of the country's favourite dishes: budae jjigae, or army stew. Tins of Spam are even given as presents for the Lunar New Year, sometimes presented in gift-boxes as part of special promotion for the holiday. Hormel is based in the US state of Minnesota and operates in more than 80 countries worldwide. As well as Spam and Planters, its brands include Natural Choice and Applegate meat products and Skippy peanut butter.

 Spam Sales Up

Jack Dorsey Leaves Twitter

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is stepping down as chief executive of the company. He will be replaced by the current chief technical officer, Parag Agrawal, Twitter said. Mr Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006, has been serving as chief executive of both Twitter and payment firm Square. "It's finally time for me to leave" he wrote in a statement, saying the company was "ready to move on." Mr Dorsey challenged corporate conventions with his nose-ring, long beard, and a wellness regime including yoga and eating only one meal a day. But he came under pressure from investors, who felt Twitter was not getting the focus it needed while he was also running Square. The company said Dorsey would step down immediately but that Dorsey would remain on the board until Twitter’s stockholder meeting in 2022. “I’ve decided to leave Twitter because I believe the company is ready to move on from its founders. My trust in Parag as Twitter’s CEO is deep. His work over the past 10 years has been transformational. I’m deeply grateful for his skill, heart and soul. It’s his time to lead,” said Dorsey.

Selfridges Sale

Luxury department store group Selfridges is set to be sold to a Thai conglomerate for up to £4bn. The UK retailer owns 25 outlets, including a huge flagship store in London's Oxford Street, and branches in Dublin, the Netherlands and Canada. Selfridges' owner, the Weston family, agreed sale terms with Central Group in the last few days. Selfridges was founded in 1908 by US retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge. It has been owned by the billionaire Westons for 18 years. The Weston family put the chain up for sale in June, a few months after the death of Galen Weston, who oversaw the move to take the department store private in 2003. The family control Selfridges through Wittington Investments Ltd, in Canada, which is separate from the UK arm of the same name that owns a large stake in Primark-owner Associated British Foods. It is unclear why the family has decided to sell, although like many retailers the business has suffered during lockdown and the absence of high-end tourists in city centres. The business had sales of almost £2bn in the year to February 2020, but when more recent accounts are published they are likely to show a big fall.

Selfridges Sale

Mince Pie Crisps

 

Walkers has released another unusual flavour of crisps just in time for Christmas. The new limited-edition Marvellous Mince Pie crisps have fans divided on whether it’s a Christmas hit or a festive disaster. The festive flavour is only available in multipacks of five and you’ll only get them in Tesco, where they cost just £1. While you’re there, you can also pick up the other two flavours that make up the trio of new festive flavours. Walkers has also launched Sensational Smoked Pigs in Blankets and Ultimate Roast Potato flavours.

Mince Pie Crisps