The Federation of Wholesale Distributors was quick out of the blocks to alert members and non-members about the Sudan 1 in Worcester Sauce emergency.

Booker has raised concerns with the British Retail Consortium director general Kevin Hawkins over his comments about the Sudan 1 crisis.

Fifty independent retailers, spread throughout the UK, will be coached to star in the media on National Independents’ Day (NID) on June 1.

The Office of Fair Trading has turned down an FWD request for a moratorium on major retailers taking over smaller chains, despite a report by Verdict last month which predicted Tesco would take the lead in neighbourhood retailing by the end of the year.

Senior wholesalers have united in tribute to Alan Toft after he announced he would retire from the post of director general of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors at the end of April. He has been in the role for 16 years.

Londis is set to cut prices on key lines, Musgrave Budgens-Londis managing director Mike Taylor has told ProWholesaler.

The UK grocery wholesaling market is set to grow for years ahead, according to a highly positive report on the sector by leading research body IGD.

Parfetts Cash & Carry has set up a campaign against a newly opened Tesco Extra store in Stockport, Cheshire, which has exceeded its permitted size by more than 18,000sq ft.

Palmer & Harvey McLane has been awarded ISO 14001 certification for its commitment to protection of the environment.

More than 140 stores have now completed Landmark’s Hot House retailer development programme following the national roll out last spring.

Booker has relaunched its Happy Shopper baby range after research that showed the baby category was a key distress purchase from convenience stores and consumers wanted a brand alternative.

3663 has released two new brochures tailored to the needs of specific groups of customers.

Following the recent merger of Waverley Group and The Beer Seller to form WaverleyTBS, the national drinks wholesaler has launched new branding on the side of its vehicles.

Confectionery specialist Hancocks Cash and Carry will be opening a new 15,000sq ft depot in Watford on March 13, and is promising to add more in the South East.

Today’s Group has gained another foodservice member after Oxford-based foodservice specialist Savona Provisions joined the Country Range Group.

A new 30,000sq ft cash and carry dedicated to the needs of caterers has opened in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The Today’s Group will make its support packages for retailers a key element of its strategy for 2005, managing director Rodney Hunt told its annual conference in Tenerife.

Brakes is aiming to help caterers take advantage of the increasing demand for healthier food by adding 20 new products to its Healthier Choices range, and is already working on developing more.

Booker’s Premier symbol group is advertising in the national press for the first time, to build consumer awareness and help members grow their businesses.

The Sterling Supergroup buying group has recruited two new members, Waterdene Foodservice and Worldman Wholesale, adding £7m to the £460m aggregate turnover of its members.

One of the new services launched by FWD in 2005 has been the Helpline which is open for wholesalers and manufacturers from now on. The Federation has resources to handle enquiries on every aspect of wholesaling – but just as importantly it can assist suppliers who need to know more about the cash and carry and delivered wholesaling culture.

Registrations are accelerating for the annual conference of the UK wholesale industry which takes place at The De Vere Belfry on April 18 and 19.

Plans are steaming ahead for National Independents’ Day on June 1 as part of the My Shop Is Your Shop campaign.

Drinksummit, the specific beers, wines and spirits conference presented annually by the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, will feature a unique session this year.

Today’s member Glasgow-based Compass Cash & Carry has recently become an entirely family-run business following a restructuring of its buying team.

Lloyd Maunder, which supplies meat and poultry to a wide range of customers including caterers and wholesalers, has bought the Dewhurst butchery chain.

Confectionery companies Chupa Chups and Perfetti van Melle have joined forces to create a new UK company following the collapse of Food Brokers.

Mobile computing specialist Eastern Data, which has supplied hand-held computers to a number of food distribution companies, has taken over the Irish computer company DSR Systems.

The takeover of Booker’s parent, Big Food Group, by Giant Bidco has been completed. Giant Bidco, a consortium including Icelandic company Baugur, plans to run Booker and Iceland as separate companies.

Scottish & Newcastle’s turnover for the year ending December 31 was up 1.7% to £4,992bn, and pre-tax profit rose by 11% to £373m.

Chilled distribution specialist Culina Logistics reported turnover up by 18% from £48.7m in 2003 to £57.9m in 2004, and deliveries topped 500,000 for the first time, an increase of 13% compared to 2003.

Shareholders have agreed to the merger of Molson and Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing, creating the world’s fifth largest brewer by volume.

Date that you joined the company:October 1996

Glasgow-based cash and carry business United Wholesale has expanded its trading and distribution teams following a 109% sales increase over the last two years.

Spar UK has strengthened its trading team with the recruitment of Rowan Winter as trading manager for non-foods and hot beverages.

Bellevue Cash & Carry has been crowned the best wholesale business in Scotland after claiming four awards, including Best Cash & Carry and the Champion of Champions accolade in Scottish Wholesale Achievers 2005. Managing director Graham Benson also received a further award for the Outstanding Individual Achiever.

Rugby World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson will be one of the star attractions at Palmer & Harvey McLane’s Pro-retail show next month.

Stockport was crowned Depot of the Year at the Bestway Performance Awards and Dinner, and Ian Pallet from the Gateshead depot was awarded Overall Manager of the Year.

Understanding. That was the response from the chattering classes when it was learned that Bill Grimsey had, after all, refused to take the leadership job in New Booker, provoking a statement expressing disappointment at his decision by Baugur, the new owners.

Harris International Marketing’s (HIM) annual Cash & Carry Programme has quickly established itself as the leading study into the business of independent retailers who use cash and carries as their supply source.

Plasma screens are being used in four Landmark Cash & Carry depots in a pilot scheme to see whether they boost sales of Nestlé Rowntree products.

A new safety device could save depot operators thousands of pounds in liability cases, according to its inventor Paul Wilson.

Cert Logistics is trying to prevent damage to items in transit with a new device for securing loose products to pallets.

The new owners of H&S Openshaw have ordered a software system as part of a bid to grow the company and extend its territory.

Anyone familiar with Booker’s recent history will not be surprised that just when there seemed grounds for some guarded optimism about the future, fate intervened to make an already cut throat business environment even tougher.

In the five years since Mike Taylor joined Budgens he has seen massive changes in the business, and he is now the man charged with driving through the final stage of the transformation from retailer to wholesaler.

The My Shop Is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign, initiated by the Federation of Wholesale Distributors and driven by the FWD PR Action Group (PRAG) is focusing on two areas for the run up to National Independents’ Day on June l.

Snacking is one of Britain’s most popular pastimes. But snack products are doing more than just satisfying the nation’s between meals hunger pangs. As the pace of everyday life increases, the snack, more often than not, becomes a meal for people on the move. Even children’s lunch boxes are crammed with snacks.

Nestlé Rowntree is aiming to give wholesalers and independent retailers a big slice of the action as it embarks on a major drive to develop Aero into a £100m brand by the end of the year.

Nestlé Rowntree is aiming to give wholesalers and independent retailers a big slice of the action as it embarks on a major drive to develop Aero into a £100m brand by the end of the year.

Pennine Spring is being launched into the cash and carry and the on-trade market by its new owner Britvic.

HwCg has launched a new French wine brand, targeted specifically at the house wine sector of the on-trade.

Twinings is looking to build on the success of its Green Tea for the in home market with two new varieties for its foodservice range.

United Biscuits UK is aiming to grow sales of its Hula Hoops and McCoy’s brands by a total of £47m during 2005 with a number of new products and by refocusing Hula Hoops.

GlaxoSmithKline is energising Lucozade Sport’s association with football with a new TV advertising campaign featuring the brand’s new face of football Steven Gerrard. The 30-second ad entitled ‘Engine’ will appear first on sports channels and will be rolled out on network TV later in the year.

Bernard Matthews Food Service has launched a new and bigger version of its children’s product, the Turkey Twizzler.

Wall’s is promising a £24m investment in its ice cream range and a number of new developments for 2005.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett has introduced a new innovation to the Easter confectionery market with the launch of Cadbury Easter Egg Delight.

Walkers is introducing a new Roasted Onion & Balsamic Vinegar flavour to its Sensations range and for a limited period it is also offering two new Sensations Selections four packs.

Two new additions have been made to Masterfoods’ ice cream portfolio extending its Mars and Maltesers ranges.

Haribo is launching a seven-month, multi-million pound campaign of TV advertising to drive awareness of its three biggest-selling lines – Starmix, Tangfastics and Kiddie’s SuperMix.

Grolsch is launching its first on-can promotion for nearly four years this month.

Unilever UK Home and Personal Care is aiming to grow the deodorants category with the addition of a new variety to its Dove range.

Nestlé Rowntree’s famous Smarties tube is being updated with the launch of the six-sided ‘Hexatube’, in the first change to the traditional Smarties tube since it was launched 67 years ago.

MONDAY