37th Street Bakery has completed its acquisition and rebranding of Gold Standard Baking, a US manufacturer of croissants and dough-based, sweet baked goods. Gold Standard Baking is now known as 37th Street Bakery, which "represents a homage to its legacy bakery facility on 37th Street" in Chicago. The acquirer, 37th Street Bakery, was formed by a consortium of North American family offices to purchase the assets of Gold Standard Baking. "We are excited to complete the sale to a new ownership group that is committed to supporting our growth over the long term," said Haq Chaudary, who will continue as president and CEO of the company now known as 37th Street Bakery. "We enter this new chapter with a strong balance sheet, a committed and highly competent team and a tradition of producing delicious baked goods." "While we have a new name, we are grounded in a deep passion to produce the most delicious, buttery rich, flaky, golden croissants, sweet fruit-filled danish and aromatic cinnamon rolls."

Canadian aquaculture company Cooke has entered into a definitive agreement under which it will acquire (via a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary) all outstanding shares of Australian salmon producer Tassal. The outstanding shares will be bought for AUD 5.23 per share by way of a scheme implementation deed and will give Tassal an enterprise value of AUD 1.7 billion (approx. $1.2 billion). Tassal is the largest vertically integrated seafood producer and blue agri-tech business in Australia and employs over 1,700 people. The company distributes salmon and prawns through its De Costi Seafood business in Lidcombe, New South Wales, where it also manufactures a wide range of seafood. The deal will enable Cooke to access Tassal's salmon farms, which span five marine zones, four freshwater hatcheries and four processing facilities in Tasmania, as well as its fish and seafood processing businesses in New South Wales and Queensland. Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke, said: "Tassal is an excellent fit with Cooke, as we see many similarities between our two companies. Our people and communities are very comparable as well, with agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry prominently supporting export-driven economies." He added: "Our family-owned company is keen to have the opportunity to continue to grow Tassal from the strong base the employees, management and board have created...We have demonstrated acquisition history where Cooke has left operations management in place for continuity. We are highly impressed with the quality of Tassal’s infrastructure, people and culture." According to Reuters, the scheme is not subject to any financing or due diligence conditions, and Cooke has advised that it has already obtained Foreign Investment Review Board approval for the deal.

Eat Just has secured a $25 million investment from private equity firm C2 Capital Partners, as it looks to grow its business in China. The deal marks the first investment in the alternative protein sector for C2, which was established in 2018 to provide growth capital and operational support to companies looking to scale in China. The firm’s anchor investor is Alibaba Group. C2 is currently supporting Eat Just in areas including sales and branding, as well as with the plant-based egg maker’s go-to-market strategies and regulatory approach in the country. “We are grateful to partner with C2 to grow our business in China," said Eat Just co-founder and CEO, Josh Tetrick. “Their unique market insights and know-how include logistics, branding, marketing, omni-channel sales and distribution and last-mile delivery.” Eat Just’s Just Egg brand launched in the country on e-commerce platforms in 2019. The egg alternative is also available through a number of street vendors in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the company says that it has had preliminary conversations with Chinese officials regarding its cell-based Good Meat. C2 managing partner, Steve Lin, added: “We are excited to support alternative protein pioneer Eat Just’s mission and to accelerate the growth of their innovative products and technologies in China by leveraging the unique insights and resources of the C2/Alibaba ecosystem”.

Better-for-you cereal brand Three Wishes has added a new strawberry flavour to its portfolio in the US. Three Wishes is high in protein, low in sugar and gluten- and grain-free, as well as being packed with nutrients such as chickpeas, tapioca and pea protein. The new flavour joins the brand's existing line-up, which includes cocoa, cinnamon, fruity and frosted. The strawberry-flavoured cereal will be available at Sprouts stores for $6.99 per 245g box.

Yeo Valley Organic is set to expand its kefir 'Love Your Gut' yogurt range in the UK with the launch of kefir drinks. The kefir drinks will be available in three flavours: natural, mango and passionfruit, and cherry. It features a combination of 14 different culture strains, selected to work together to achieve "maximum gut flora diversity," said Yeo Valley. Justin Stanley-Duke, brand manager at Yeo Valley, said: “Consumers are looking for products that support their gut health and are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of kefir products, which is why we are excited to launch our new kefir drinks. They offer a convenient, affordable and sustainable option, whether at the start of your day or as a healthy gut-supporting snack.” The new drinks will roll out next month at Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado stores for an RRP of £2.25 per 550ml bottle. Last week, Yeo Valley introduced its first category outside of the dairy segment – two new ranges of soups and dips – which will also be available to buy from September.

Aldi has partnered with milk supplier Müller to trial clear milk bottle caps in an effort to further improve the recyclability of its products. The supermarket chain is scrapping the green caps from its British semi-skimmed standard milk products in favour of clear ones, which are easier to recycle. The trial will begin later this month in Aldi stores in Cheshire, Manchester and Liverpool. Richard Gorman, plastics and packaging director at Aldi, said: “We know it’s becoming increasingly important to our customers that their everyday products are environmentally-friendly, and we are constantly reviewing ways to become a more sustainable supermarket. By trialling clear milk caps, we are making our milk bottles easier to recycle, so they can be turned back into new packaging.” Aldi says that if the trial is successful, and rolled out to all Müller-supplied stores, an additional 60 tonnes of recycled high-density polythene could be turned back into food-grade packaging each year, as the colourless milk bottle caps can be reused to create new milk bottles.

Accolade Wines has reached an agreement to sell its Nannup winery to Western Australian company Fogarty Wine Group, for an undisclosed sum. Accolade Wines’ Houghton and Brookland Valley brands will continue to be produced at the Nannup winery – located southeast of Perth – and at Fogarty Wine Group's Margaret River sites. The agreement will also enable both companies to explore opportunities for further cooperation around Australia. Fogarty Wine Group's portfolio includes Dalwhinnie, Lake’s Folly, Deep Woods Estate and Evans & Tate. Accolade Wines CEO Robert Foye said: "Through our agreement, Accolade Wines will have access to the Fogarty Wine Group’s ultra-premium wineries and a broader suite of assets in Western Australia and nationally, delivering opportunities across our combined networks for our brands and businesses”. Peter Fogarty, Fogarty Wine Group founder and executive chairman, added: "We welcome the opportunity to create this long-term relationship with Accolade Wines as we both have strong brands in Western Australia and a growing presence in Tasmania". He continued: "Our businesses share a commitment to making some of the best-value wines alongside some of the very best ultra-premium cabernets and chardonnays that Margaret River and Australia produce. We see this new relationship as providing synergies in processing while further improving the quality of all our wines."

Carlsberg has reported a “strong business performance” for the first half of the year, and said that its results were "well ahead" of pre-pandemic levels. The Danish brewer posted organic revenue growth of 20.7% to DKK 35.45 billion (approx. $4.84 billion) for the first half. The company saw organic volume growth of 10.2% in Western Europe, and 13.2% in Asia. Meanwhile, the Central & Eastern Europe segment witnessed a moderate increase of 0.3% (+7% excluding Ukraine). Carlsberg CEO, Cees ’t Hart, said: “We’re very satisfied with the strong set of results for the first half year in light of the severe challenges stemming from the war in Ukraine, rising commodity prices and energy costs, and the pandemic. Despite these challenges, the Carlsberg Group’s half-year results are now well ahead of pre-pandemic levels." The company expects high-single-digit percentage organic operating profit growth for the full year. Cees ’t Hart continued: "Global uncertainty remains high, with the increasing input cost pressure a particular challenge for us in the coming quarters. In this environment, we’ll continue to seek the right balance between mitigating the short-term challenges and investing in the long-term opportunities behind our 'Sail’27' priorities to deliver on our ambitions for top- and bottom-line growth. Despite challenging market conditions, we’re staying the course."

Chamberlain Coffee, a coffee brand created by YouTube star Emma Chamberlain, has closed a $7 million Series A funding round. The round received participation from venture builder Blazar Capital and a range of e-commerce and food and beverage experts, such as the founders of Ole & Steen, Ole Kristoffersen and Steen Skallebaek, and marketing consultant Nik Sharma. Founded in 2019, Chamberlain Coffee offers a variety of products, including single-serve bags, instant sticks, and ground and unground options, made with organic coffee beans that have been sustainably sourced from around the world. The new funds will be used to help the brand expand into additional channels and develop new products. Chamberlain Coffee CEO, Christopher Gallant, said: "Chamberlain Coffee has grown exponentially since its inception, and this is only the beginning. In finding a group of investors for the brand who believe in and share our vision, we know Chamberlain Coffee will reach new heights and become the go-to coffee brand of this generation."

PepsiCo-owned brand Ruffles has partnered with American professional basketball player, A'ja Wilson, to launch a new product line, Ruffles Ridge Twists. Ruffles Ridge Twists is available in two flavours: Double Cheddar and Smoky BBQ. The range features a potato spiral form instead of the brand's classic chip format. Wilson said: "What's even better is Ruffles Ridge Twists Smoky BBQ isn't your average potato snack… it's the first to take the shape of a twist. And this new flavour is just the beginning. Ruffles and I have a lot of exciting things coming..." Ruffles Ridge Twists will roll out in stores nationwide and is currently available on snacks.com for $5.59 per 5.5oz bag and $2.29 per 1.75oz bag.

Better-for-you brand Alani Nu has unveiled a new beverage category within its portfolio with the release of Alani Coffee. Alani Coffee is a blend of cold-brewed coffee and cream and is available in four flavours – cappuccino, vanilla, maple donut and mocha. The ready-to-drink beverages are gluten-free, high in calcium, low in fat and cholesterol, and sweetened with only 6g of sugar. The drinks also offer 10g of protein and natural caffeine derived from coffee beans, with only 90 calories per 12oz bottle. Alani Coffee is now available in a 12-pack case on the Walmart website and is rolling into select US retail locations including Walmart, GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe.

Mondelēz International is expanding its confectionary portfolio with the release of a limited edition Toblerone Golden. Toblerone Golden features the classic Toblerone crunchy nougat with golden caramel chocolate, which is a golden blend of white chocolate newly developed for the UK & Ireland market. Claire Kamara, brand manager for Toblerone at Mondelēz International, said: "We are incredibly excited to combine the increasingly popular flavour of caramelised white chocolate with the iconic crunch of Toblerone in a proven consumer-favourite format". She continued: "We are confident that Toblerone Golden will help the brand to reach even more shoppers and allow retailers drive additional sales this year, given that the caramelised white flavour is 18% incremental to the chocolate category". The new offering will launch this August in retailers.