UK wine and spirits merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, has purchased a minority stake in Cotswolds Distillery, a producer of premium spirits based in Stourton, Warwickshire. The investment was part of the distillery’s recent funding round as it looks to increase production and sales of its Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky. It recently opened a second distillery on its 14-acre site dedicated to malt whisky production, which makes it the largest producer of English Whisky, the company stated. Cotswolds Distiller has listings in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Majestic, Amazon and Ocado, among others in the UK, and it is distributed in over 35 countries. Berry Bros & Rudd’s investment will also fund the distillery’s development plans to boost its sustainability plans with the building of a bio-diverse wetlands ecological treatment system and related landscaping works. Cotswolds Distillery founder, Daniel Szor, said, “We could not be more delighted with the results of our funding round, in particular, our new partnership with Berry Brothers, who like us stand for excellence in fine spirits, as we further build our brand through increased national and international distribution”. Emma Fox, CEO of Berry Bros & Rudd, who will join the board of Cotswold Distillery, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Cotswolds Distillery. Their impressive growth has seen them become the best-selling English Whisky and a leading light in the fast-growing premium single malt category. We look forward to supporting and accelerating their international expansion and helping them maximise the growing global opportunity in New World Whisky.” She added: “We’re also delighted that our investment will help boost their sustainability plans as this is an important part of our role in the industry to ensure we’re building a resilient and sustainable future for generations to come”. Financial details of the minority stake were not disclosed.

Barry Callebaut has appointed Peter Feld as its new chief executive officer with immediate effect, as Peter Boone steps down for personal reasons. Patrick De Maeseneire, chairman of Barry Callebaut's board, thanked Boone for his more than ten years of service, noting that he is now setting up life closer to home "to spend more time with his family". Most recently, Feld held the CEO post at investment company Jacobs Holding, which according to Reuters, is Barry Callebaut’s biggest shareholder. He also previously served as chief executive at WMF Group, a premium cookware and professional coffee machine maker. De Maeseneire said: "We are delighted that Peter Feld, a seasoned leader with over 30 years’ experience at top global consumer goods and services companies, is joining Barry Callebaut. His track record with international brands is exceptional. In addition, he has many years of experience in the food industry. This unique combination makes him the ideal person to further develop Barry Callebaut successfully with a focus on sustainable growth." Feld commented: "It is a great honour to assume responsibility as CEO of Barry Callebaut. Chocolate is a life-long passion, even more so as I started my career in the food industry. I am very much looking forward to bringing my leadership experience to Barry Callebaut and am excited about writing the next chapter of our success story together with the entire team."

Packaging manufacturer Mondi has collaborated with Swiss converter ATS-Tanner to create a paper band to hold products or bundles, reducing unnecessary plastic. ATS-Tanner uses Mondi’s kraft paper Advantage MF SpringPack and converts it into a band by adding a functional barrier on each side of the paper. The paper is sealed using ultrasound which eradicates the need for adhesive, ensuring that products are secured with minimum packaging, reducing waste and delivering cost-efficiency. ATS-Tanner markets the coated bands under the brand name TruePaper. Carsten Breiter, international key account manager of speciality kraft paper at Mondi, said: “By combining world-leading expertise in sustainable packaging with ATS-Tanner’s machinery and skills, we have together created a system that offers great product protection while reducing unnecessary plastic”. The strength of Mondi’s kraft paper means it can gold weights of up to 20kg, suiting the band for fruit and vegetable bundles as well as multipacks of bottles and other consumer goods. The paper is made from renewable, responsibly sourced and certified materials and is recyclable. Serge Tanner, owner and CEO of ATS-Tanner, commented: “We trialled various paper grades and Mondi’s kraft paper offers the required strength to substitute plastic packaging with this paper band. TruePaper is a resource efficient solution that can – depending on the banding machine used – wrap products measuring up to 1300 x 500 mm and is convenient to store.” He continued: “Using paper instead of plastic is not the only advantage: an ultrasonic banding machine from ATS-Tanner consumes 98% less energy than it would take to pack a like-sized delivery using a shrink wrapping machine”. The new paper band is the latest innovation by Mondi, following the company's collaboration with Fresh!Packing in December, to create a recyclable cooler bag. In September Mondi launched Hug&Hold, a recyclable, paper-based sustainable drinks packaging.

Diageo has introduced drones in a bid to drive farming efficiency and environmental benefits across its tequila farming in Mexico. The producer of Don Julio and Casamigos tequilas has extended its use of drones on its agave farms in Jalisco, Mexico, following a successful pilot conducted in 2022. The drones work in partnership to collect data on agave plants to drive better farming decisions, reduce water and fertiliser use and decrease the use of vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. They can identify when the crops need support and dispense the required amount of a unique water fertiliser mix. Working in pairs, one drone identifies the agave plants that need attention and collects data on their growth, and the other dispenses the unique liquid mix where needed at night when the stomata is open. Wellington Pauperio, director for supply tequila and mezcal at Diageo, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be pioneering the use of drones across our agave farming, to improve efficiency in our agriculture operations while leading our industry innovation and technology adoption. This initiative also brings additional capabilities for our team, new opportunities for personnel in the communities we operate, and contributes to a more sustainable world by reducing the use of resources including water mix across our plantations.” The data collection has helped the agave planters to make better decisions on resource use. It has also shown the best time of day to water the plants – the early hours when it is cooler, when the plant is more receptive to water, and when there is less wind to reduce water loss. Ewan Andrew, chief sustainability officer at Diageo, said: “As the demand for tequila continues to grow, we want to be able to increase our farming efficiency, but in a way that is also kind to the planet. This initiative is a perfect example of the two coming together. It’s an exciting way in which we’re using technological innovation to boost production, upskill our famers, and help us to meet our 2030 sustainability goals.” Diageo says that this precision agriculture has resulted in water use dropping by an expected two thirds. Additionally, as the drones fly over Diageo’s agave fields, fewer tractors are needed to be driven across the farmland, which provides the secondary benefit of reducing carbon emissions. The use of drones has enabled agave planters to spend time planting and nurturing new agave – in its half-year results released in January, Diageo reported that its tequila business grew 28%. The efficiency and precision agriculture efforts resulting from drone use contribute to Diageo’s 2030 ESG action plan, within which the company has committed to reduce its water use in water-stressed areas by 40% by 2030, and by 30% in all other areas. You may also like to read: Diageo CEO Sir Ivan Menezes to retire Diageo to acquire Don Papa Rum for initial €260m Diageo announces $500m investment in tequila production

Campbell Soup Company-owned brand SpaghettiOs has launched a new spicy ring-shaped pasta pieces made with Frank's RedHot sauce. SpaghettiOs' Spicy Original features a mild-medium heat level, meeting consumers' demand for spicy food. "SpaghettiOs and Frank's RedHot each have an undeniable fandom," said Mieka Burns, VP of meals and sauces at Campbell. "Through this collaboration, we're excited to put a hot, more mature twist on a classic offering that our adult consumers grew up enjoying." Spicy Original is available at retailers nationwide for an SRP of $1.59 per can.

The A2 Milk Company, a premium milk brand in the US, has expanded into grass-fed milk in the with two new products. The A2 Milk Grassfed Whole Milk and A2 Milk Grassfed 2% Reduced Fat Milk recently launched into major US retailers and are among the first grass-fed products in the A2 protein category. Blake Waltrip, CEO of The A2 Milk Company US, commented: “As consumer interest in the A2 Milk brand continues to grow, adding a grass-fed version is a natural progression that meets rising demand in this premium segment”. Waltrip added: “Combining the digestive benefits that some people experience with A2 Milk with the growing popularity of grass-fed milk provides a compelling new dairy option for health-conscious consumers that will also help us continue to build our brand.” The new grass-fed milk comes from cows that naturally produce only the A2 protein rather than the combination of A1 and A2 proteins contained in most dairy products. According to the company, published research suggests A2 milk that naturally contains the A2 protein may help avoid stomach discomfort. The A2 Milk Grassfed products are milked from cows that are on pasture all year.

Spanish agri-food company Cerealto Siro Foods has named Bosco Fonts as its new chief executive, succeeding Rut Aranda. Cerealto produces bakery products such as biscuits, breakfast cereal and snacks, as well as pasta. With over 30 years of experience in the agri-food industry, Fonts has held various leadership positions at PepsiCo, Galletas LU, Danone and United Biscuits, among others. Fonts helped to spearhead the merger of Berlys and Bellsolà, resulting in the creation of Monbake, a frozen bakery company with a turnover of €300 million. Aranda, who will gradually transfer her responsibilities to Fonts over the course of this month, will join Cerealto's board on 1 May. Cerealto's executive chairman, Cem Karakaş, has expressed his “welcome and support to Bosco Fonts, wishing him much success in this new stage of Cerealto," as well as his “gratitude to Rut Aranda for her two decades of commitment to Cerealto and, in particular, for her transformational leadership during the last year". In addition, Cerealto has revealed plans to invest more than €40 million over the next three years to expand its manufacturing capacity and strengthen innovation.

Cerea Partners, an independent fund management company, has entered into negotiations with Seventure Partners to acquire a majority stake in Polaris. Founded in 1994, Polaris is a French company that specialises in the purification and concentration of omega-3 oils from microalgae and fish sources. The company, which has a turnover of €30 million, serves the food supplement, nutraceutical and infant nutrition markets. Seventure Partners – a Paris-based venture capital firm that finances biotech, foodtech and microbiome companies – invested in Polaris in 2009 through its FCPI Retails fund, then again in 2021 as a majority investor with its Health for Life Capital II fund. By doing so, Polaris was able to transition from a distributor to a manufacturer model. With Cerea Partners as the new majority shareholder, Polaris will strengthen its knowledge in microalgae oils, pursue international development, particularly in North America and Asia, and develop new applications – specifically in infant nutrition and food – which could be accompanied by targeted external growth. Dominique Taret, CEO of Polaris, said that “Cerea and Seventure share the same vision and strategy for Polaris," adding that the unity of the investors’ thinking for Polaris is "extremely important for the company’s ambition to consolidate its leadership in the omega-3 microalgae bases processes market”. Isabelle de Crémoux, CEO and managing partner of Seventure Partners, commented: “Polaris has all the ingredients for success: premium products recognised by hundreds of customers which allow us to preserve health capital and take advantage of a wide range of applications of the microbiota while having a positive environmental impact, as well as a new management team that has demonstrated it can deliver its vision". Antoine Peyronnet, managing partner at Cerea Partners, added: “The company has developed a distinctive know-how, recognised in its market while maintaining a sustainable development model throughout its value chain (sustainable sourcing, enzyme chemistry, waste recycling…). Omega-3 has become essential element for our health. The development of a sustainable omega-3 offer from microalgae is part of new consumption habits and is at the heart of the Cerea Capital III fund’s investment strategy as well as the firm’s social corporate responsibility approach.” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Saputo Dairy Australia has entered into a definitive agreement to sell two fresh milk processing facilities to Coles Group, an Australian public company operating several retail chains. The facilities, based in Victoria and New South Wales, each have the capacity to process around 225 million litres of fresh milk a year and are predominantly used to process Coles’ branded 2l and 3l formats. The acquisition will enable the supermarket to become a milk processor for the first time. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2023, is valued at AUD 105 million (approx. $72.4 million) and is subject to customary conditions, including clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Lino Saputo, president and CEO of Saputo, said: “We’re continually working to ensure we have the right manufacturing footprint and product offering to enhance our position as a high-quality, low-cost processor”. He added: “This marks an important step in executing our long-term vision for success in Australia as we maintain a sharp focus on efficiency to ensure we maximise the return on every litre of milk”. The divestiture will enable Saputo to further streamline its operating model, adjust its manufacturing network to strengthen its position in the market and reinvest in areas of the business that will result in more value creation opportunities. Coles’ CEO Steven Cain said in a statement: “These facilities are state-of-the-art, delivering exceptional production efficiency and quality through highly automated processes. While improving security of our milk supply and our supply chain resilience in the dairy sector, these facilities also have sufficient capacity to facilitate further growth opportunities through new product innovation.” Coles confirmed that employees based at both facilities will be offered employment contracts with Coles.

CSM Ingredients has increased its efforts towards the research and innovation of the fats and oils segment, starting with a new innovation centre in Germany. As part of the newly implemented areas of research, CSM Ingredients is actively investing in identifying and delivering new solutions aimed at promoting sustainability and nutritional benefits to human health. The new innovation centre dedicated to fats, oils and emulsifiers, is located in Delmenhorst, Germany, with the primary objective to deliver solutions focusing on plant-based and sustainable food technologies. CSM Ingredients expects the new facility to attract collaborators ranging from specialised researchers to innovative start-ups working in the food sector. Aldo Uva, CSM Ingredients’ CEO, stated: “Our increased efforts in the fats and oils segment represent a fundamental aspect for elevating our research and innovation expertise, aiming at creating final products that feature excellent taste and quality”. He continued: “We believe our newly opened innovation centre in Delmenhorst will serve as a centre of excellence aimed at developing a new generation of innovative food ingredient solutions that will have a positive, sustainable impact on our planet and at the same time will improve human nutrition”. CSM Ingredients has increased efforts to uncover sustainable alternatives to animal products, such as oleogels to mimic fatty tissue in vegan meat analogues. The company is also focusing on discovering substitutes for plant-based oils that have a significant environmental impact during production – for example, the company is exploring new methods of obtaining microbial oils, which are produced by yeast or algae and can be grown using a variety of renewable feedstocks in various conditions. The company is also focused on finding healthier alternatives to saturated fats and is looking for solutions to texturise unsaturated, liquid oils to make food products healthier, while still delivering functionality and indulgence. CSM Ingredients states that its investments in research and innovation support a transition towards healthier and more sustainable products – the latest step in its journey to becoming a “net-positive ingredient tech platform”. You may also like to read: CSM partners with Urika to open Tel Aviv innovation hub CSM Ingredients announces partnership with Allozymes CSM Ingredients purchases Italian ingredients firm Hi-Food

Under its Tanqueray gin brand, Diageo has launched an alcohol-free variant of its popular orange-flavoured spirit, Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0%. Inspired by Charles Tanqueray’s original recipe from 1830, the new Flor de Sevilla 0.0% alcohol-free spirit offers a bold, bittersweet taste inspired by the Mediterranean with balanced, zesty flavours of Sevilla orange, orange blossom and Tanqueray London Dry’s core botanicals. Lucy Barrett, marketing manager of alcohol-free spirits at Diageo GB, said: “With 38% of consumers looking to moderate, it is more important than ever to provide a range of alcohol-free drink options for consumers to enjoy. For those looking to moderate without compromising on quality, Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0% is the perfect alcohol-free alternative and ideal for those relaxed early evening moments.” She continued: “The original Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla is popular all year round and is associated with a wide range of occasions. The lead serve – Sevilla and tonic – in particular, is known for its light, refreshing taste, making it ideal for summer socialising. The new Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0% will complement our existing portfolio offering in these moments by providing an alcohol-free choice.” This latest innovation follows the launch of Tanqueray 0.0% in 2021, which was the brand's first step into the alcohol-free market. Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0% is available to purchase for an RRP of £17 in select online retailers now and will be stocked in Sainsbury’s stores later in the month. Further rollout is expected later in the year.

Signature Wafer & Chocolate Co has teamed up with the Skippy peanut butter brand to create new snack wafer bars. Skippy peanut butter wafer bars feature creamy peanut butter combinations of either chocolate fudge or grape jelly. The range is available in three flavours: natural peanut butter spread and chocolate fudge, creamy peanut butter & chocolate fudge and P.B. & J peanut butter & grape jelly coated. All three varieties include 6g of protein per bar and contain no high fructose corn syrup. Russ Asaro, COO at Signature Wafer & Chocolate Co, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the makers of Skippy peanut butter to combine our over 50 years of wafer-making expertise with its iconic creamy peanut butter to create a one-of-a-kind snacking innovation. As the leading wafer manufacturer in the US, we strive to produce high-quality products that not only taste great but also meet consumer snacking needs, and there’s no better way to do that than to partner with the ultimate snack brand.” Skippy peanut butter wafer bars are available at Costco stores.