If this article is to be believed then there could be a shortage of Jersey Royal potatoes this year. The problem is down to the dry conditions the area has been experiencing following the worst drought on the Channel Islands in 34 years. It is expected the first yield of potatoes will be down as much as 50% as well as being two weeks late due to a recent sharp frost. With no rain predicted over the next few weeks it looks like we might paying a little more for our potatoes in the coming months. Although I have recently planted a bumper crop in garden so fingers crossed I see some results.

Argos and Walmsleys are among the retailers that will have to pay out up to £20 million to their customers over sofas containing harmful chemicals. Many of the customers who purchased the affected sofas suffered chemical burns, severe skin conditions and eye complaints. The sofas which were made by Chinese firms Linkwise and Eurosofa contained the chemical DMF which has since been banned. Following an agreement in the High Court victims are set to receive payouts of between £1,175 and £9,000. Around 1,650 customers will be due a refund, however, Land of Leather customers who were affected will not receive anything as the firm has since gone into administration.

An attempt by the EU to ban misshapen fruit and vegetables has failed because it would mean too much food is wasted. A group of Euro MPs were trying to bring in uniform standardisation parameters which would have meant oddly shaped fruit and vegetables could not go on sale in the supermarkets. The proposal was defeated in the European Parliament because around a fifth of produce would end up being wasted as it would not conform to the guidelines. I’m not entirely sure why people would want to try and force through such a silly motion. At a time when food prices are so high I really don’t mind whether my vegetables are a little on the wonky side.

According to this article prices of fruit and vegetables are soaring due to record rainfall in Spain. It seems that we import a large amount of our produce from Spain and so are likely to be paying higher prices in the supermarket. According to the article oranges are 25% more expensive than they were a year ago, avocados are 17% more expensive and cherry tomatoes are up 10%. The problem is down to the recent heavy rainfall in the Spanish growing region of Andalucia which has wiped out large areas of crops and hit exports. Prices are likely to remain high until British crops come into season later in the year.

McDonald’s will soon be offering a new work experience based qualification equivalent to a GCSE. Under the scheme the company will work with the exam board Edexcel to develop a BTec certificate to recognise the skills gained. The BTec course will be open to teenagers and will require them to complete a 10 day placement in a restaurant as well as completing work at school. The course is fully accredited and is equivalent to one GCSE at grade B or C. The placement adds up to a 80 hour study requirement and covers issues such as team working and communication skills. The qualification is designed to help prepare young people for the work place, helping to build their confidence and give them the edge when looking for employment.

Tesco are backing a new online estate agency. The agency called Spicerhaart is launching the website iSold.com. It will launch initially in the Bristol area and will be advertised to users of the Tesco website. The service offers a basic online selling service for a flat fee of £999 rather than charging a percentage of the selling price as is the norm. All dealings with buyers and sellers will be conducted over the phone and online and the business will be kept separate for the Spicerhaart high street outlets.

Wine lovers who thought they were investing in new age wine have been duped by a bogus scheme. They were offered what they thought was a chance to buy new age wine for £100 a bottle. The wine would then be kept for them for seven years whilst it matured and they would be sent regular updates on their purchase. In fact the scheme was completely fake and police have recently arrested six suspects who were running it from their homes in east London. Some would be investors are thought to have spent as much £100,000 on the scheme which targeted those on wine club marketing lists.

Weightwatchers have recently signed a deal which will see them promoting McDonalds meals. Under the deal a range of healthy meals will include the Weightwatchers logo. Meals that are included in the range are Chicken McNuggets, the Filet-O-Fish and the Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken wrap. The deal is part of an attempt to cultivate a healthier image for McDonald’s and show that they do have a number of healthy meals available.