April 2024 | AshtonsLegal.co.uk

Ashtons Legal outlines recent developments in the Food & Drink sector. Our legal and business expertise ranges from field to fork and includes growers, farmers, manufacturers, processors, distributors and retailers.

January delivered the tragic news of the death of Megan Lee, 15, who died on New Year’s Day after eating a takeaway curry from an Indian takeaway in Lancashire. The owners of the establishment were arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter due to gross negligence. Read more

It’s all in the weather and bad news for vampires

Fresh fruit and vegetables have become scarcer and therefore more expensive because of the continental freeze over December and January. For instance, tomatoes have doubled in value during the last week of January. Lettuce has tripled in value but no fear those onion lovers out there – onions are 66% cheaper! Read more

Aldi’s Unknown Substance

This week the Telegraph reported that a bottle of tomato juice bought from Aldi’s Bristol branch had been found to contain a mysterious substance which it believes to be mould. Who is responsible to the consumer? Who is ultimately responsible? How do you investigate such an issue? Read more

Industry News

To see the top mergers and acquisitions from the Food & Drink industry, please follow this link for more information.

Follow Ashtons Legal on social media:

To be removed from this newsletter or to update your subscription preference, please click the link in the blue strip at the bottom of this page.

Buy Local

Heroes Drinks Company, a company founded by a military veteran, which seeks to employ disadvantaged veterans nationwide in working on producing its drinks, has received a listing in 350 Asda stores for its vodka. 20% of profits will be donated to armed forces personnel.

Tea and Biscotti, The Great British Biscotti Co, founded by Paul Rostand, is making very British biscotti – they are designed to be dunked. Bring on the tea round. Find out more here.

Anna Mortenson
E: anna.mortenson@ashtonslegal.co.uk
T: 01223 431128

Brexit Corner

CAMRA and the Wine and Spirits Association are lobbying for a decrease in duty on beer, wines and spirits to help the industry cope with predicted inflation post triggering of Article 50.

CAMRA wants 1p to be taken off every pint, bringing duty down to 51p per pint, still a long way off Spain where it is only 5p.

WSTA would like to see a 2% reduction in duty on wines and spirits. Increasing support for both industries will put them in a good place when Brexit happens and the value of alcohol from Europe inevitably increases.

The growth of vineyards in the UK and the increasingly innovative craft beer industry sees a host of opportunity where there is adversity.

Colin Makin
E: colin.makin@ashtonslegal.co.uk
T: 01473 261346

Pass this information onto a friend

Ashtons Legal is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation authority (Recognised Body number 45826).

This email and its contents, together with any attachments, are confidential to the sender and the intended recipient(s) and may be covered by legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this email and its attachments (if any), you must take no action based upon them, nor must you copy them or show them to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received this email in error.

E-Mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. We cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions which arise as a result of transmission or for any damage that you sustain as a result of software cirus or other corruption accordingly.

Any articles or information contained in the E-bulletin is intended as a general review of the subjects featured and does not consitute legal or other professional advice. Detailed specialist advice should always be sought before taking or refraining from taking any action.