According to this article Marks and Spencer are now selling more British cheeses than they are French cheeses. They are now selling two British cheeses for every French one with sales of British cheese increasing by 30%. The figures were considerably different five years ago with French cheese being much more popular. It appears the rise in popularity may be down to the fact that during the recession consumers are more inclined to buy British to support British businesses and farmers. However, British cheeses such as cheddar and stilton are also becoming more popular abroad with Neal’s Yard Dairy now exporting about 35 tons of cheese every year to France.

According to this article 65% of supermarket chickens contains a bug called campylobacter. The bacteria causes around 55,000 people a year to fall ill every year and causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, cramping and stomach pain which usually last for about a week. People with weakened immune symptoms can be at risk of the bacteria spreading to the bloodstream and causing a life threatening infection. The illness can however, be prevented by properly cooking food. Surprisingly Free range and organic chicken are actually more likely to carry the bug than battery birds.

According to this article sales of quality beers are on the rise and it is claimed that beer could be the new wine. It appears that sales of quality bottled beer are up as is keg and cask beer. One brewery Hepworth and Co has seen an 18% rise in sales on last year. If the article is to believed beer especially the quality varieties is also becoming more popular with women. If this is the case and beer is experiencing something of a revival I wonder why so many pubs are closing down. Personally I like beer but prefer to sample real ales rather than drinking lager which is many peoples first impression of beer and perhaps what puts them off trying others.

If this article is correct then consumers will soon have less choice when they choose a credit card. Natwest and HSBC have recently decided to offer credit cards to existing customers only. To qualify for a credit card with them you will now need to also have a current account with the bank. The move obviously cuts down on the risk to the bank but if other banks start to follow suit then it looks as though people are going to be quite restricted when choosing a credit card in the future.

According to this article the Jaffa Cake could be changing shape. For the first time is also available in an oblong shape rather than the traditional round one. The makers claim that the new shape is better because of its edge to edge filling. The new shape is on sale alongside the round ones so its up to you which you prefer. Personally I can’t bring myself to eat Jaffa Cakes after an incident when I ate too many and was very sick.

If this article is to believed then jellyfish could soon be appearing on the menu at some restaurants. Carme Ruscalleda wants to add them to menu of her restaurant Sant Pol del Mar. Jellyfish are eaten in Japan and China but most Europeans seem reluctant to try it. It is, however, meant to have many health benefits such as improving the cardio vascular system and balancing blood pressure. Before she is allowed to serve the jellyfish she must first prove that the local variety is safe to eat. It seems she has eaten jellyfish many times with no ill effects and compares it to fresh squid. Would you fancy eating jellyfish?

According to this article some high street chains are starting to see an increase in sales and profits. Four of Britain’s largest retailers have seen rising earnings suggesting that consumer spending night be starting to improve. Sports Direct, House of Fraser, Laura Ashley and Thorntons have all seen and increase in half year sales. Industry experts are still cautious about the outlook for Christmas and the new year due to the VAT rise in January and rising unemployment but perhaps we are starting to see those elusive “green shoots”.

Waitrose has come to the rescue of the Duchy Originals brand which has been struggling during the recession. The brand which was founded by Prince Charles in 1990 to promote organic food and farming has seen a slump in profits during the last two years. It is thought that customers have been put off buying the brand due its high prices. Waitrose is the biggest stockist of the brand and have now struck a new licensing agreement which will give them the exclusive right to make and distribute the product across its 214 branches. Waitrose will also sell the products wholesale but will only allow independent stores and restaurants to stock them. They also have plans to extend the range from 200 to 500 products.