Promoted: Visitor registration has opened for IFE, International Food & Drink Event, as the event prepares to return to ExCeL London on 20-22 March.

British cultivated meat company, Ivy Farm Technologies, has partnered with Dennis Group to develop engineering plans and designs for its first manufacturing plant. Ivy Farm grows pork muscle fat from stem cells in fermentation tanks. The state-of-the-art facility is expected to feature fermentation tanks with a 200,000-litre capacity that produce at least 12,000 tons of cultivated meat annually. Global design-build firm, Dennis Group, specialises in food processing facilities and has worked with companies such as Danone and Kerry Group. The partnership will initially involve Dennis Group providing engineering plans and designs for the proposed manufacturing facility. Once the plans are approved, the next step will involve identifying a suitable location for the plant. In a statement, Ivy Farm said that as part of this process it “will be considering markets such as the USA and countries within Asia and the Middle East, where there are clear regulatory pathways for cultivated meat”. Ivy Farm's CEO, Rich Dillon, said: “Dennis Group understands the scale and ambition of our company…and we look forward to them scaling up our pilot plant design and engineering this innovative large-scale facility. We believe by focusing on a launch market with a more favourable regulatory environment, such as the USA and Singapore, we’ll be able to make the biggest difference in the most efficient way. He added: "The UK will remain a key operational area for us, where we’ll continue to apply some of the smartest science and tech out there, to refine and develop our products". The company’s streamlined manufacturing technologies and end-to-end processes are said to be cost-effective and scalable. Its research and development will remain in Oxford, UK, where it opened what it claims to be Europe’s largest working pilot plant facility in August 2022.

Magic Hour, a maker of hand-crafted premium teas, has launched its newest line, the Wanderlust Tea Collection. Each month this year, Magic Hour will release a new tea flavour from the founders' travels and sourcing from small farmers in various regions. Zhena Muzyka, CEO of Magic Hour, said: "As founder and master tea blender at Magic Hour, I have been blessed to experience the magic of exploring the world's most storied locations to source our organic, regenerative botanicals and teas from small farmers. She continued: “Through 25 years studying folkloric medicinal teas and deeply nourishing local cuisines, I am honoured to share the culmination of our world's finest healing blends with the Wanderlust Collection." The Wanderlust Tea Collection will feature Tulum Horchata Chai, Turkish grown teas and herbs with Turkish Delights, Thai Temple Tea and more throughout the year. Each tea will include a regional artisan tea towel, tasting notes regional art postcard with artwork and educational materials from each region. The line will be available in a variety of sizes including the Apothecary Jar, $49.00, Luxe Pouch, $33.00, Traveler Jar, $17.00 and Sampler Pouch, $13.

UK-based alcohol-free beer brand, Lucky Saint, has secured over £10 million in a Series A funding round led by venture capital companies Beringea and JamJar Investments. Other participants included Warburtons chairman, Jonathan Warburton, and Wahaca CEO and co-founder, Mark Selby, among others. According to Lucky Saint, the round marks the first time in Europe that an alcohol-free beer brand has raised such a large amount. The investment will strengthen Lucky Saint's position as the UK’s largest independent alcohol-free beer, accelerating the distribution of its draught offering and initiating the company's planned expansion into other parts of Europe, as well as growing its team. Luke Boase, founder and CEO of Lucky Saint, said: “This latest investment will ensure further success for the company in the UK and help us build a globally recognised alcohol-free brand. We all know JamJar's track record in supporting and driving great consumer brands, and with Innocent as their story, we know we've got an exceptional team behind us." He continued: "Over half of the UK want to moderate their alcohol consumption. More people than ever before are looking for a great-tasting alcohol-free beer. We've become the category leader, and the UK's largest independent alcohol-free brand, because we've been totally focused on quality. It will remain at the heart of everything we do as we continue our very ambitious growth plans." "We feel we've just scratched the surface of this opportunity. This investment will kickstart our launch into European markets and put more Lucky Saint in pubs up and down the UK. And with one in three pub visits now alcohol-free, we are unbelievably excited that our own pub and brand HQ is launching in central London, where it all began four years ago.”

Royal Unibrew has entered into an agreement to acquire Danish microbrewery Nørrebro Bryghus. Nørrebro Bryghus was founded in Nørrebro, a district of Copenhagen, in 2003. Through the acquisition, Royal Unibrew says it expects to increase its presence in Copenhagen and strengthen its portfolio of craft beers. Director of Royal Unibrew Denmark, Kasper Ryttersgaard Jacobsen, said: “Royal Unibrew has been given the opportunity to take over and develop a strong, locally based brand with a significant market in Copenhagen. It is a beacon in the Danish beer culture..." He continued: “We look forward to building good partnerships with Nørrebro Bryghus' existing customers and offering Royal Unibrew's customers an even larger and more diverse range of beers”. Managing director and co-owner of Nørrebro Bryghus, Martin Thomsen, added: “We have found a new owner, who we believe can continue the Nørrebro Bryghus brand...we have built up over two decades. Unibrew will fit well into the brand they have historically created with other iconic, local brands. We are proud of the chapter we have written. It is sad, but nevertheless the right decision.” Royal Unibrew says that it also sees opportunities for the microbrewery outside of Copenhagen, where its "strong distribution platform” will support the brand's distribution in other parts of Denmark. Terms and details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Chobani, a producer of yogurts, oat milk, dairy, plant-based creamers and probiotic drinks, has unveiled new products aimed at reducing sugar and increasing protein to add to its portfolio. Chobani Complete Cookies and Cream is a lactose-free yogurt drink with 20g of protein, 3g prebiotic fibre and no added sugar, retailed at an SRP of $2,79 per 10oz bottle. Meanwhile, Chobani with Zero Sugar joins its existing line of yogurts, available in 11 different single-serve flavours including Salted Caramel, featuring warm caramel notes with a buttery finish and a hint of salt, Milk & Cookies, Toasted Coconut Vanilla and more. Consumers can buy a 5.3oz 4-pack of Toasted Coconut Vanilla for an of SRP $5.79 and a 5.3oz 4-pack of Strawberry for an SRP $5.79. All products listed are available for purchase in selected US retailers.

New York-based speciality food importer, Forever Cheese, has acquired ‘substantially the assets’ of WA Imports. Forever Cheese imports cheese, nuts, cured meats and other gourmet products. WA Imports is headquartered in Hebron, Illinois, and is an importer and manufacturer of premium Japanese food products and ingredients including Haku Mizunara Whisky, CalPac Black Garlic Molasses and Yakami Orchards Yuzu Marmalade. Tyler Hawes, CEO of Forever Cheese, said: “WA Imports shares with Forever Cheese an incredibly high standard of quality, strong producer relationships and a passion for artisan products. The acquisition of WA Imports establishes Forever Cheese as a leading cheese and speciality food platform.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Reese’s has launched a new line of frozen treat varieties in tubs, bars, sandwiches and cones. Ian Norton, senior director of Reese's brand, said: "At Reese's we are always inventing new ways for fans to enjoy our iconic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. The new Reese's frozen treats are the ultimate sweet and salty, chocolate and peanut butter experience.” The new products are Reese's Peanut Butter Sandwich, Reese's Peanut Butter Light Ice Cream, Reese's Chocolate Frozen Dairy Dessert, Reese's Mini Pieces Light Ice Cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Frozen Dairy Dessert Bar, Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cones and Reese's Peanut Butter Frozen Dessert Cup. The new frozen line is the latest addition to Unilever Ice Cream’s portfolio and partnership with The Hershey Company.

Coffee machine manufacturer Animo has expanded its OptiBean range with the introduction of OptiBean X. The machine produces freshly ground coffee and brews two cups at a time. OptiBean X features a new X-press brewer, a high-quality grind and brew, and adjustable tamping pressure, as well as dispensing bigger cups. Animo said: "Freshly ground coffee beans deserve to be treated with respect, and that’s all in the extraction: the combination of the amount of coffee, grinding degree, contact pressure, and temperature". "OptiBean’s new X-press precision brewer perfectly aligns these conditions to match any taste."

Coffee-alternative maker, Rasa, has launched two new mixes, Classic Rasa and Café Rasa, with adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms instead of caffeine. Classic Rasa is made with roasted chicory and burdock root and date seed to create a dark, rich, sweet blend, with adaptogens: red asian ginseng, cordyceps, rhodiola, gynostemma, shatavari, and maca. Rasa CEO and founder, Lopa van der Mersch, said: “We believe Classic Rasa is the most coffee-like coffee alternative out there. I’m excited to see us enabling more use occasions, and these two new mixes open new channels of distribution and opportunity for everyone to drink Rasa.” Café Rasa blends freeze-fried coffee from Chiapas, Mexico, with adaptogens that are said to soften coffee's downsides whilst supplementing caffeine's fatigue-fighting abilities. Co-founder, Ben LeVine, added: “It took us years of development to crack the code on the trifecta of flavour, function and form. Our process includes brewing the herbs over several hours like a standard decoction – a process used for millennia – then drying it and granulating it to produce a supremely delicious, dissolvable, and bioavailable mix. There’s nothing like it in the industry.”

Benson Hill has entered into an agreement to divest its Fresh business in a two-part transaction for an aggregate purchase price of $21 million. The divestiture will enable the food tech company to focus on global opportunities across its ingredients segment and to meet growing demand for its soybean product portfolio. Benson Hill’s CFO, Dean Freeman, commented: “We believe there is tremendous opportunity to grow our proprietary ingredients portfolio in the food, oil and aquaculture markets. Selling the Fresh business enhances our focus and further enables disciplined capital allocation in support of our strategic growth objectives.” A statement from Benson Hill said it “intends to use proceeds from the divestiture to supplement its plans to fully fund the business, inclusive of debt repayments, and execute its previously announced strategic initiatives”. In December, Benson Hill closed the first part of the transaction through the divestiture of its Vero Beach, Florida, facility, real estate, and packhouse to Florida-based diversified agribusiness, IMG Enterprises, for a purchase price of $18 million. Timothee Sallin, co-CEO of IMG Enterprises, said: “The acquisition of these assets and business is a perfect fit for our future growth plans…The cold storage and distribution facility in Vero Beach is ideally located for us to expand our operations and more efficiently service customers in the Southeast United States. The additional farmland will allow for further crop diversification and expansion of our core products.” During Q2 of 2023, the remaining Fresh business is expected to be sold to IMG Enterprises for $3 million, in accordance with a stock purchase agreement and subject to customary adjustments.

Local Bounti, a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company, has announced plans to construct and operate a new state-of-the-art indoor facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas. The company will begin constructing a six-acre facility to leverage its stack & flow technology and grow and sell its indoor-grown line of leafy greens. Varieties include spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine crisp, green leaf and additional blends. Nathan Tafoya, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation, said: "Mount Pleasant is thrilled to welcome Local Bounti to the region. With its innovative and proprietary controlled-environment agriculture approach, Local Bounti adds a much-desired agri-tech ingredient to Mount Pleasant's rich history in food production.” He added: “We've already begun integrating workforce training and partnership conversations with our college's Ag program. As Local Bounti's chosen Texas location for a multimillion-dollar investment, and multiple planned phases, Mount Pleasant looks forward to growing with Local Bounti for many years to come." The new CEA facility is expected to support Local Bounti's distribution in markets across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. It is also designed to provide additional capacity to meet existing demand from the company’s direct relationships with blue-chip retailers and distributors throughout the region. Craig Hurlbert, co-founder and co-CEO of Local Bounti, said: "Local Bounti is excited to call Mount Pleasant home to our latest facility in a rapidly expanding national footprint. Future local operations will help us answer existing customer demand within the Lone Star State and adjacent markets." He continued: "Today's announcement comes at a time when demand is surging across the country for our sustainable produce, and we are excited to establish a new regional base of operations where we can continue to reduce food miles." The construction phase will begin immediately and is expected to generate 50 direct jobs in the area. Once the facility is operational, Local Bounti expects to generate approximately 200 jobs throughout Titus County. The facility is expected to begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2023.