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The crunch bunch: More worthy wine lists

In the US it's time to party like it's 1933
]]> In selected watering holes across America, it's party time tonight. In Washington, the festivities will centre on the venerable City Tavern in Georgetown; for $90 (£61), you can taste the cocktail offerings of the capital's most expert bartenders (or "mixologists" as they like to term themselves), listen to a jazz band and, in the words of the invitation, "party like it's 1933".
Margaret Fulton: Australia's culinary pioneer
]]> In 1968, two years before Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch was published, an equally formidable Australian brought out her first book. While Greer inspired women to get out of the kitchen, Margaret Fulton extolled cookery as a joyful and liberating activity.
Auntie Mary's Crusted Slow-Cooked Pie

Get into the spirit: Train your tastebuds and learn to love whisky
]]> Single malt whiskies have always held a treasured place in my heart. Ever since illicitly cracking open my father's musty wooden drinks cabinet, at an age when I shouldn't have been drinking anything stronger than a weak shandy, to decanter some of his prized Scotch, I've been fascinated by their smoky aromas and fierce taste. 
Asian super-bean to gain roots in Britain
]]> They have been touted as a super-food and credited with everything from staving off heart disease and cancer to maintaining Victoria Beckham's super-slim figure. Now the Asian edamame bean is being grown commercially on British soil for the first time, allowing shoppers to satisfy oriental tastes while still "buying British".
Ikea under fire for selling reindeer meat
]]> Ikea has been accused of condoning cruelty to animals by selling salami made from Santa's four-legged sleigh-pullers, reindeer.
Chinese chef is first to win Michelin three stars
]]> Once upon a time, every Chinese carried a Little Red Book, which provided a recipe for uniformity, dullness and oppression. Another red book, a Big Red Book – the Michelin Guide – exploded its own reputation for culinary parochialism today and promoted a Chinese chef and a Chinese restaurant into the pantheon of international cuisine for the first time. 
Bites: The key to seduction: a good soufflé
While Gordon Ramsay ponders the fall-out from his latest brush with the red-tops, TV world ushers in a new chef du jour. Eric Lanlard, the expletive-free protégé of Albert Roux, who's baked for the Beckhams and Madonna, has just bagged his first series, Glamour Puds (on Discovery), where he lures the ladies with gingerbread soufflés. 
All shook up: Cocktail expert Simon Difford reveals his yuletide recipes
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Marcus Wareing's festive surprise: Britain's hottest chef serves up his simple recipe for a Michelin-starred feast
]]> On Christmas morning, I'll no doubt be woken while it's still dark by my two super-excited boys, Jake, seven, and Archie, four, who will gallop downstairs to see what's inside the parcels under the tree. Soon, they will be followed by their little sister, Jessie, who's only one, but after they've all opened their presents, I'll be heading out into the blissfully deserted streets of London on my way to The Berkeley, where I'll be cooking a tasting menu, including the dishes on these pages.
Cured salmon with crème fraîche pastry crisps
]]> We're serving this at the restaurant with caviar for even more luxury – but you can omit it if you like. The salmon needs to be cured for 24 hours and it's really worth it – but the same garnish works well with smoked salmon or gravadlax from your fishmonger if you don't have the time. 
Blackberry and lemon trifles
]]> You can make one large trifle with this recipe or, as we shall in the restaurant, individual ones, served in shot glasses as a pre-dessert before Christmas pudding. Simple but elegant, they will impress family and guests. Also, in the shot glasses, they're just a small mouthful that will leave people wanting more. Prepare at least three hours before serving.
No one cooks pheasant, grouse and pigeon like Richard Corrigan. And now he's got a place of his own to prove it
]]> Why did they do it? Sob. Why did they kill Bambi's mum, thereby traumatising generations of children? Some have never gotten over it and still run screaming from the room whenever they are confronted with a plate of venison, pheasant or rabbit. The rest of us have never gotten over it either, but now run screaming into any room that offers roe venison in pastry with pickled cabbage, butter-poached pheasant with chestnut, bacon and cabbage, grouse pie with ceps, and mallard à l'orange. 
Spice-dusted halibut with fennel, cauliflower and a caper and raisin purée
]]> Halibut is not traditional at Christmas, but I wanted to include an alternative flavour and break the mould a little. You don't just want the same old thing year in, year out.
Roasted turkey breasts with sage and pine nut-stuffed legs
]]> By taking off the legs and breasts and cooking them on top of the bones, which will be used to make your gravy, you've almost got a one-pot meal. So simple. The pine nuts in the stuffing add a little bite; I don't like hazelnuts or walnuts in dishes such as this – they're too hard– but these add just the right amount of crunch and a lovely flavour.
Creamed Jerusalem artichokes with duck livers and chanterelles
]]> Jerusalem artichokes are another ugly-looking root with a subtle, earthy flavour which suits meat, fish and offal – and they tastes great on their own, too. I've used them here to create a base for the duck livers and mushrooms – and if you felt so inclined, you could also thrown in a few duck's hearts, too. Wild mushrooms were in short supply this year; you could also use cultivated oyster mushrooms.
A casserole of winter vegetables with rosemary
]]> A great vegetarian dish on its own, or simply serve as a wintry pot of vegetables in the middle of the table with a roast. 
Grilled herring with soused root vegetables
]]> Herring is a good choice of fish – alongside fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon – to eat in the winter as they contain plenty of healthy essential oils. 
Celeriac soup with scallops and bacon
]]> Celeriac has such a great flavour but often just gets left on the greengrocer's shelves.
Back to your roots: Mark Hix makes the most of our seasonal vegetables
]]> Cooking with roots can be just as interesting as cooking with any other seasonal vegetables – just because most of them look a bit on the ugly side doesn't mean that what lies beneath the skin isn't appealing! In fact, it's quite the opposite; most root vegetables have their own totally unique flavour and can easily be matched to the job in hand. Look at parsnips, for example: they are in a league of their own and when roasted alongside a joint of beef they are very hard to better, in fact I would go as far to say that in winter, a roast beef lunch just wouldn't be complete without an accompanying dish of roast parsnips. 
Anthony Rose: 'It's impressive the way the wine trade has turned internet shopping into such a painless process
In the face of falling champagne sales, the online wine merchant From Vineyards Direct displayed a mischievously British sense of humour, delivering a sample with a copy of Charles Dickens' Hard Times. Still, according to something called the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, £24m worth of alcohol is forecast to be bought online in the UK during the first week of December. 
Wine: Something for the weekend?

Corrigan's Mayfair, 28 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1
]]> It's the stuff of a publicist's nightmares. Your client opens a plush new restaurant, serving poshed-up rustic food, in one of Mayfair's grandest streets. Then, weeks before the launch, a group of teenage anarchists moves into the mansion over the road, rigs up a giant black flag and tells the press they're feeding themselves by rummaging in local bins. 
Blumenthal sprinkles a little good taste on roadside cuisine
]]> His sense of humour once extended to telling a newspaper interviewer that his parents had named him after enjoying trips to Heston Services on the M4. Now Heston Blumenthal is once again trying to associate pleasure with roadside meals, but this time the chef credited with inventing "molecular gastronomy" is serious. 
Comfort cuisine: Seek solace in some stodgy childhood favourites
]]> Hot sausage and mustard; cold jelly and custard: Oliver!'s vision of "Food, Glorious Food" seems horribly dated by today's standards – today, Lionel Bart might be expected to rhyme "fresh tuna sashimi" with "smoked salmon blini" – but as tightening purse strings force shoppers to think twice before splashing out on high-end nosh, nostalgia has set in. From cottage pie to apple crumble, our cupboards are filling up with the kind of comfort food that would have Oliver Twist drooling into his cap.
The Life Kitchen: Jungle curry of country chicken with fresh fenugreek

What makes the perfect kitchen?
]]> Anyone who has ever thought about redoing or designing their own kitchen will know that it's probably easier, less expensive and less traumatic just to move to a house that already has a kitchen you like. The number of different components – sink, oven, seating, surfaces, drawers, kettles, storage – and the mind-boggling range of choice within all those separate components would reduce even a decisive person to a twitching, nervous wreck. 
All Starbucks' coffee to be Fairtrade
]]> Starbucks is to make every cappuccino, mocha and latte it sells in Britain Fairtrade in an attempt to reverse a sales slump that has hit its global expansion.
<a href="http://sanjidaoconnel.livejournal.com/605.html">Sanjida O'Connell: Live to Chop - How to make raw food taste good</a>
 Saf restaurant has branded itself as ‘botanical cuisine’, which is an up-market way of saying it sells raw vegan food. Last week I went on a raw food course for the Independent run by executive chef, Chad Sarno. 
<a href="http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/11/spending-power-time-to-save-7500-pubs.html">Spending Power: 7,500 pubs at risk</a>
 How seriously should we take CAMRA's warning that 7,500 pubs will shut by 2012? 
Bites: Now for some comforting news...
Head chefs at London's top hotel restaurants are fleeing in droves – well, in pairs at least. Last week, Nick Bell left Aspley's SW1 at the Lanesborough after just six months in the job (because of several not-too-complimentary reviews?). Meanwhile, the Dorchester's Aiden Byrne is rediscovering his roots with a gastropub in Liverpool. If only they'd known about the opening of the capital's new David Collins-designed brasserie, Bob Bob Ricard. Just the ticket for chefs with anti-social hours, BBR will serve posh "English comfort food" from James Walker, former head chef at Pont de la Tour, from 7am-3am. 
Spanish crisp cauliflower
]]> I was staying with [Moro co-founder] Jake Hodges at his mum's house in Spain and going through her old cookery books. In one was the idea of blanching then frying cauliflower. If you can't find gram (chickpea) flour, use plain white – though it won't have quite the same nutty flavour.
Spiced celeriac with lemon
]]> Celeriac is often drenched in cream and butter, but here the delicate spices give it a Middle Eastern flavour. This goes well with chicken, lamb-leg steaks or fish – especially if using North African spices.
Leek and Roquefort pizza bread
]]> I can't take credit for this one as I first had it in a fantastic restaurant in Queensland, Australia, called Harvest. It's important to roll the dough as thinly as possible for a good, crisp base.
We are what we eat
]]> The typical Briton is giving up fish and chips in favour of Thai takeaways and choosing locally grown food over expensive organic produce, but still failing to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, The Independent on Sunday reveals today.
Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and Devon Blue
]]> The secret to winter salads is having a good selection of leaves. We're using all sorts here at moment – from pak choi and raddiccio to mustard leaf and dandelion – but because a lot of these leaves are bitter you need a reasonably sweet dressing; here the pears do the trick. The spiced pecans are so delicious you could serve them on their own, with drinks.
Flash puts the 'temporary' into contemporary dining. But will anyone miss it when it disappears next year?
]]> The Flash restaurant may have only opened at the beginning of November but I guarantee it will be dead, gone and dust by January. It's not that I'm the Kiss of Death, it's just that it is a short-term, flash-in-the-pan, pop-up restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts and it really will be gone by January. That leaves only one question: is it a shame it has so short a life or is it just as well? Or is that two questions?
Kale and hearty: Warming winter vegetable recipes
]]> You can get quite bored with cauliflower and leeks all the time – and that's what makes us experiment," says Jane Baxter, head chef at the Field Café in south Devon, aka the restaurant of organic vegetable box delivery pioneers Riverford Farm.
The crunch brunch: Galleries with cool cafes

Cod bits with butter beans and bacon
]]> Those bits and bobs of cod that normally get thrown away can be turned into something special. You should have left the tongue, cheeks and collar. 
Never mind the pollacks: Mark Hix cooks cod
]]> I must say that I'm slightly bored of scratching around for sustainable species of fish that I know are going to be so over-promoted that they're probably going to become unsustainable themselves – just as hoki did a few years back. Menus and food columns are all "pollack this" and "pollack that" these days and I realise that I'm probably one of the guilty parties because I was one of the people writing about the species years ago.
The Mansion, 255 Gipsy Road, Dulwich, London
]]> The Mansion is a fantastic sight on the road from Dulwich to Crystal Palace. It's a great bulky lump of Victorian architecture, as solid as a fortress, and dominates the landscape. Once it was merely a boozer called The Paxton but, since it was bought by Ben Sowton (the guy responsible for the terrifically groovy White House in Clapham), it's been transformed. The ground floor's painted black outside, the first floor's all brickwork with black trim. 
Roast cod with cockles, cider and parsley
]]> A nice chunk of cod cooked on the bone is a comforting thing, and we seem to have moved away from good old-fashioned cod steaks or cutlets to nicely trimmed cod 
Salt cod fritters
]]> Depending how much fillet you have left will obviously decide how many fritters you can make. Either way, this is a great way to use up tail ends, etc, for tasty little snacks. You can even mould these with a teaspoon and make little canapé-sized nibbles to have with drinks.
Wine: Scents and sensibility
Proof that New Zealand is not just all about sauvignon blanc comes in the form of pinot noir. Its rise in popularity has been so rapid over barely more than a decade that it's not fanciful to imagine that within a generation, we'll be talking about Kiwi pinot in the same breath as we now speak of Burgundy's fabled red wine villages of Nuits Saint Georges, Gevrey Chambertin and Clos Vougeot. Without the protective ring-fence of a tried and tested appellation contrôlée system, the Kiwi outline may still be a little hazy compared to its centuries-old burgundian counterpart. But as the vines and their human masters mature, a critical mass of pinot noir plantings has started to shape an identity and with it an expectation of premier cru quality today, grand cru tomorrow. 
Wine: Something for the weekend?

Cod, potato and leek soup
]]> This is a delicious, fishy winter warmer and it costs virtually nothing. You will be amazed how much meat you can get from the head once it's been cooked and the gelatinous stock gives the soup a lovely velvety texture.
Burger chains agree to health-drive revolution
]]> Some of Britain's biggest fast-food outlets including McDonald's and KFC have agreed to a historic deal with the Government to make their food more healthy as part of a campaign to cut heart disease and obesity.
Gender and genes affect food choices
Scientists used to say "you are what you eat". Then they said, "you are what your mother ate". Now, they have concluded that "you eat what you are"; genes play a key role in shaping our dietary preferences. 
Help - my husband thinks he's a superchef!
]]> That men are chefs and women merely cooks has long been the received wisdom of grandest reaches of haute cuisine. In 1950, Fernand Point, the inventor of nouvelle cuisine, was asked why he had never agreed to accept a woman as a student. Point responded that, "only men have the technique, discipline and passion that makes cooking consistently an art". A modern chef such as Gordon Ramsay performs on the world's television screens and to his salivating, wealthy customers, but he is happy to leave the everyday feeding of his family and friends to his wife, Tana, because "home cooking" is obviously so far removed from the male-dominated and army-like world of professional cooking. Tana may have turned the tables a little by writing her own cookbook (which Gordon says he has never read) and having a TV show in the US, but she appears to have chosen to ignore her other half's famous remark that "women can't cook to save their lives" and has just got on with feeding the family. 
Cool beans: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has her finger on the pulse with her low-cost feast
]]> As the clouds of recession blow our way, it is time to turn to those basic, ancient foods that kept (and still keep) folk alive through real hard times. These staples have been eaten by humans for more than 4,000 years and are described in Sanskrit and ancient Egyptian texts. I speak of pulses – dependable, nourishing, still amazingly cheap, resistant, long lasting and not boring, not if you know them as well as many of us do. 
Slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with flageolet beans

Scotland's 'aggressive' Punk beer faces ban
An "aggressive" beer sold under the name Punk IPA faces being banned after a ruling that it would promote irresponsible drinking.
It's all about taste: Redesigning the River Café
]]> Stuart Forbes was Richard Rogers's project architect for the Millennium Dome, and he was a senior designer on Heathrow's Interminable Five building. That means he's operated at the very top of his profession. What, then, is he doing eating slivers of prosciutti di Parma and talking about the hots? The only dome in view here is the white clay bulge of a Valoriani wood-burning oven.
Poles savour British flavours
Polish nationals working in Britain in the past few years have picked up more than their wages – with many developing a taste for British brands of food and drink.
The crunch bunch: Super southern Italians

The future may be uncertain for his City clientele, but for the head chef at L'Anima, it's looking very rosy indeed
]]> Out there, it's the City – bleak, cold and windy. Men hurry home with news of cancelled bonuses and stock options, the biting wind a stark reminder of how cold the immediate future could be. Inside, all is warm and light. Jackets are off, yellow ties loosened, blue shirtsleeves rolled up, red braces tweaked, Château Latour poured. It's Thursday night in the City, and the bonhomie volume is turned up in defiance.
Parmesan biscuits
]]> These savoury little treats take only minutes to make and are perfect to have with drinks before dinner. 
Grate expectations: Skye Gyngell serves up her favourite Parmesan recipes
]]> The one thing I always have in the fridge (and if I'm honest, sometimes I have very little), is good-quality Parmesan cheese, because I know that, even if there is nothing in the larder other than olive oil, some dried pasta and chilli flakes, I can make myself a meal fit for a queen. 
Bites: The joy of cupcakes on ice
 There's more than skating on offer at the annual Somerset House Ice Rink which opens on Wednesday: Tate Catering's rinkside café has a locally sourced, comfort food menu including Neal's Yard Dairy cheeses, while the chic Tiffany Tuck Shop will sell gingerbread men and cupcakes. 
Pounded walnuts and Parmesan paste
]]> Walnuts are beautiful at this time of year; creamy and sweet. I use them as often as I can, in tarts, cakes, salads and in this creamy delicious paste. I like it best on toast – it's a favourite snack of mine. All nuts spoil easily, so it is best to buy them in small quantities, in their shells, and then shell them as and when you need them.
Puntarelle with aged Parmesan
]]> Puntarelle is a member of the chicory family that's a favourite in Italy. If you cannot find it, the white heart of celery finely sliced is a lovely substitute.
Roast tomato sauce with black olives, Parmesan and polenta
]]> Polenta is one of the most comforting foodstuffs I know – I often yearn for it when the weather turns cooler. It works beautifully with the sweet flavour of roasted tomatoes.
Fine art of cooking: Leading artists cook up a storm
]]> Art and food go hand in hand and have always done so. In European cities many well-known restaurants and shops have a history of building up great collections of art by allowing artists free food and drink in exchange for a piece of their work. I remember going to see the late Lionel Poilâne at his famous bakery in Paris, and the room behind the shop was packed full of drawings and paintings from great Parisian artists, including a fantastic chandelier sculpture made from bread. When the artists couldn't afford to pay their weekly bread bill, they would offer a piece of their work instead. It's amazing how even a humble loaf of bread can be bartered for a piece of art. (Mind you, Poilâne makes probably the most expensive sourdough loaf in the world, so perhaps it's not so humble after all.) 
Bake that and party: The season's most festive cupcakes
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New sensations: Our critics nominate their favourite restaurants of the year
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Local heroes: Mark Hix reveals his Britain's finest independent producers
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Trade secrets: Top chefs reveal their guilty pleasures
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Case studies: The perfect wines to get you through the party season

The Ten Best New World Red Wines
]]> You'll be the toast of the town with one of these scrumptious wines. 
Chicken tagine with olives and pickled lemon
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More bang to your bangers: A masterclass in stuffing and sizzling
]]> Sausages are one of this country's delicacies. Many are the meals that have been spiced up with great British bangers. But while most people tend to buy their sausages off the shelf, rather than make their own, one food expert strongly believes we should reverse that trend.
Revenge of the waitresses: The women serving customers up as satire
]]> Next time you want to complain in a restaurant, stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and do it with a little grace. You might think you have carte blanche to behave as you wish if you're dropping a considerable wedge of cash in an upmarket restaurant, but the waiting staff will be watching your every move. 
Ugly fruit and veg make a comeback
]]> Wonky cucumbers and comedy carrots are staging a comeback thanks to a European Union decision to scrap stringent rules which stipulate that only the most perfect-looking produce adorns supermarket shelves.
Mis-shapen fruit and veg laws set to be scrapped
]]> Curvy cucumbers and nobbly carrots will be back on sale in the shops from next July if, as expected, more than two dozen laws banning imperfect-looking fruit and veg are scrapped today. 
Happy hours to be banned in alcohol 'problem areas'
]]> Happy hours and supermarket deals would be banned in areas plagued by binge drinking and alcohol-related crime under a plan being considered by ministers. Three government departments are in talks over the proposed scheme to tackle binge drinking "hot spots", The Independent has learnt. 
Bites: The truffles or the testicles, sir?
 Credit crunch? What credit crunch? Bury your head in the sand for a night at Zafferano, the Michelin-starred Italian in Knightsbridge, for its annual "truffle menu", which features gloriously extravagant comfort-food dishes, including cheese fondue, risotto and sweet zabaglione, all made with white truffle. 
What's a chef gotta do to get a show around here?
]]> Have you noticed that they're not making cooking programmes any more? I haven't taken leave of my senses. I realise that the schedules are groaning with shows vaguely food-related; I'm talking about straightforward, instructive programmes made by enthusiastic experts for people who already know a little about cooking.
Weighty matters: The best of this season's cookbooks
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Culture: How to impress your dinner guests
As Christmas approaches, various publishers are hoping that their stocking-fillers will become the Eats, Shoots & Leaves of 2008. This is a prize that only one book can claim – the winner will outsell its nearest rival by hundreds of thousands of copies – and the next few weeks will see dozens of competitors enter the fray.
Big chef, little chef: What does it take to become a kitchen star?
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Jonathan Meades: 'I have saucisson issues'
]]> Jonathan Meades' view has changed. Two years ago the writer, gastronome and TV auteur lived on London's Bermondsey Street, between Zandra Rhodes' textile museum and the deep grey Thames. Now he looks out over his own tranche of south-western France, as the oaks turn perceptibly to orange ("It's not every day the colours change, so much as every hour"), the mists condense over the lake and the giant guinea pigs shuffle down the banks to drink... Giant what? "Coypu or ragondin. They were introduced here in the 1920s when there was a rather recondite craze for them as pets. They're sweet creatures" – Meades reaches for the pair of binoculars he keeps by his armchair – "and served locally as rillettes, although that is a dish we have yet to try."
A tonic for the troops: the spirit of the G&T endures
There's not all that much that George Washington, Denis Thatcher and Mrs Slocombe of Are You Being Served? have in common, but one thing binds them together as closely as if they were blood relations: the love of a good gin and tonic. And so, were they still with us, they would this weekend be marking, no doubt with due solemnity and reverence, the drink's 150th anniversary. 
Hurrah for the credit munch
]]> Such had been the extent of its decline that the term "lunch box" had come to be associated more with a certain 100m sprinter than with carrying midday meals. But as food prices remain sky high and disposable income shrinks fast, the packed lunch is enjoying an unlikely renaissance.
It's time for The Terrys!
]]> Are restaurants the butterflies of the business world, or the cockroaches? The first to go, or the last to survive? The year isn't quite over yet, but at this point, they are doing a good job of both disappearing and thriving. Look at the empire-building Tom Aikens, who earlier this year expanded his Chelsea portfolio with a shiny new eco-chippy, Tom's Place, only to see it close six months later. His other two restaurants went into administration last month. They have since been bought by a new investor, but it has made everybody jittery. 
Spiced squash chutney
]]> Sometimes those big squashes and pumpkins that we see so much of around this time of year don't get used up and a chutney is a perfect way to preserve a good harvest of unwanted squashes through the winter months. You can adapt the spices according to your taste. If you want, you can dry the squash seeds out in a low oven overnight and chop them into the chutney for a bit of texture.
Blackberry jam
]]> There seem to be still plenty of blackberries on the bushes despite the rather erratic weather we've been having. There isn't too much rocket science involved in jam-making, except that you need to make sure that you use enough sugar to preserve the fruit. I quite like to add the fruit in two stages so you are left with some good chunks to spread on your toast or dollop on your rice pudding. 
A bit of a pickle: Mark Hix's preservation orders
]]> Tucking into Simon Kelner's homemade chutney made with his Blenheim orange apples at The Independent Woodstock Literary Festival reminded me that now is a great time to preserve vegetables and fruits for Christmas and the winter months.
Pickled shallots in cider vinegar
]]> Pickled onions or shallots are always a handy thing to have in the larder, especially at Christmas time. You can normally crack these open after about 6-8 weeks or keep them up to a year. I've got some that are a couple of years old now and they are still pretty good, though not quite as crunchy as before. 
Wine: Something for the weekend?

Wine: Odds-on favourite
At the dawn of the swinging Sixties, Ahmed Pochee, an anti-establishment maverick who delighted in getting up the nose of the stuffy wine trade, set up a new kind of off-licence. It was called Oddbins and it suffered from neither the dead hand of the breweries nor the pin-striped pomposity of the St James's wine merchants of the era. With his extensive contacts, Pochee was able to sell top Bordeaux châteaux, like Beychevelle and Cos d'Estournel, for 19 shillings and 11 pence (99p) a bottle. The new spirit of irreverence that changed the high street for good lasted till Oddbins was put into receivership in 1973. In stepped a young man called Nick Baile who maintained the tradition until Oddbins was taken over, first by Seagram, who surprisingly gave its buyers carte blanche, and then by Castel Frères, parent of the Nicolas chain, who just didn't get Oddbins.
Pickled winter vegetables
]]> Root vegetables are perfect for pickling as a little winter nibble or accompaniment to cold meats or cheese. You can use a selection of root vegetables or single ones and add some shallots or button onions or even halved Brussels sprouts.
The Hambrough, Hambrough Road, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Success for chefs, as for movie stars, is all about making the right choices. There's a prescribed path to the top, and picking the right projects can separate the greats, such as Robert de Niro, from the should-have-beens, like Mickey Rourke.
<a href="http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/11/eat-the-new-bur.html">Eat: The new burger king?</a>
 There is life beyond the Big Mac and the Whopper. 
The Ten Best Toasters
]]> Stay cool with one of these delightful toasters. 
Potato crêpes with a trio of smoked fish

Matt Skinner reveals how to sniff out the best cellars
]]> Instead of heading straight for the surf when he turned 18, Australian Matt Skinner got a job in a wine shop. His stock rocketed when he became the sommelier at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, and he has been leading an evangelising mission to bring wine to the masses ever since. We meet for a crash course at The East Room in London's Shoreditch, a members' club where Skinner holds the grand title of director of wine. The club is supposed to be an affront to stuffy old-school societies. Inside, I find something of a New World wine bazaar – the walls are lines with contraptions from which members help themselves to wine using a pre-paid card, which means they can sample from the extensive list without having to splurge on a whole bottle.
Oliver warns of obesity 'horror show'
]]> Britain will face an obesity "horror show" unless action is taken to tackle it over the next 10 years, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver warned today.

Below, you'll find extensive information on leading conagra foods articles and products to help you on your way to success.

Break For Lunch
By Rachel Lukasavige
I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of the bad habit of eating lunch at my desk. I bring my lunch to work everyday and it is easier to sit at my desk and get a little bit of work done than it is to trek down to the cafeteria. Eating lunch (or any meal, for that matter) at your desk is not a healthy habit.

According to the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation, some 70% of Americans eat lunch at their desks several times a week. One of the biggest problems with doing so is that it leads to mindless eating. When we eat at our desk we are usually distracted by emails, phone calls, or projects and do not pay attention to what we are putting in our mouths. This can lead to overeating.

To make matters worse, our desks are breeding grounds for bacteria. “The desk, in terms of bacteria, is 400 times dirtier than your toilet seat,” says Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. This is because we rarely take the time to clean our areas with disinfectant. To see just how dirty your desk is, try shaking your keyboard upside down and notice how much falls out of it.

Staying put at your desk also prevents you from getting up and taking a break. By leaving our work behind, for at least a little bit of time throughout the day, we get our creative juices flowing and free ourselves from ruts we may be in. We will return to our work feeling refreshed and hopefully with some new ideas.

There are simple tips to follow if you find that you have no other choice but to eat at your desk. Invite a colleague over to eat with you. By doing so, you will be more focused on your and more aware of how much

Asda reveals strong November sales
Asda has said it has delivered another strong month of sales in November with core food categories all performing well.
Interest rate slashed to 2%
The Bank of England has cut the interest rate by 1 percentage point to 2 per cent in a move that will bring some respite to retailers.
Morrisons to buy 38 Co-op stores as sales soar
Morrisons has revealed like-for-like sales excluding fuel climbed 8.1 per cent in the 13 weeks to November 2, and said it has entered into a conditional agreement with Co-operative Group to buy 38 of its stores.
Retailers ramp up pre-Christmas Sales
Retailers have stepped up their discounting dramatically in recent weeks, with three quarters of the UK's leading chains offering discounts in the run-up to Christmas.
M&S confirms second one-day Sale Marks & Spencer has confirmed it will hold a second one-day Sale on Thursday. http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/ms_confirms_second_oneday_sale.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/ms_confirms_second_oneday_sale.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA JenniferCreevy@emap.com

M&S’s One Day Christmas Spectacular will offer shoppers 20 per cent off all clothing, home and wine, both in store and online. In addition, shoppers will also receive 20 per cent off Christmas cakes and puddings.

The discount offers will also be on top of the recent reduction in VAT on all applicable items.

The move follows M&S’ first one-day Sale on November 20.

M&S chairman Sir Stuart Rose said: “Our last One Day Christmas Spectacular went down really well with customers. We know that people are feeling the pinch and we want to give them a helping hand in the run up to Christmas”.

Many M&S stores across the UK will be opening early and extending their opening hours until midnight to give as many customers the opportunity to take advantage of the offer.

Debenhams today began a three-day Sale which is expected to be extended through the whole weekend.

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/M%26SDEC08Sale_resized_70_tcm14-1929537.jpg M&S confirms second one-day Sale </a> Marks & Spencer has confirmed it will hold a second one-day Sale on Thursday. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/online/2008/12/whittard_relaunches_site_as_it_pursues_online_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Whittard relaunches site as it pursues online sales Whittard of Chelsea has gone live with a replacement transactional web site following a soft launch in October. http://www.retail-week.com:80/online/2008/12/whittard_relaunches_site_as_it_pursues_online_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/online/2008/12/whittard_relaunches_site_as_it_pursues_online_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA Joanna.perry@emap.com

The retailer wanted to get a more robust site up and running in time for Christmas peak trading and has been adding extra functionality in the weeks since.

Online accounts for about 3 per cent of Whittard’s sales at present. It wants to increase this to 10 per cent as quickly as possible, with the aim of reaching £5 million in online sales within the next three years.

Changes to the site include better search facilities and improved discount functionality. Existing customers can also re-order tea and coffee with a single click and multiple delivery addresses can be handled within a single order.

The site has been developed by the retailer’s own technical team with the help of design agency Checkland Kindleysides, which has focused on replicating the in-store experience online.

It is targeting two particular groups – seasonal gift buyers and tea and coffee connoisseurs – and has improved navigation from the home page as well as adding more educational information on products.

More additions to the web site are likely to appear in the near future.

Whittard of Chelsea head of home shopping Heidi Thompson said: “We want to constantly improve our service and web site, so it’s an ongoing development. That’s one of the major benefits of developing the site internally. It also allows us to respond to customer feedback more quickly and more cost effectively.”

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/whittardgrab_resized_70_tcm14-1940220.jpg Whittard relaunches site as it pursues online sales</a> Whittard of Chelsea has gone live with a replacement transactional web site following a soft launch in October. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/12/waitrose_rethinks_staff_scheduling.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Waitrose rethinks staff scheduling</a> Waitrose is to replace its staff planning system to maximise customer service. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/tesco_disounter_range_impacts_uk_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Tesco Discounter range hits UK sales Tesco has reported UK sales growth halved in its third quarter as its Discounter range hit its performance. http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/tesco_disounter_range_impacts_uk_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/tesco_disounter_range_impacts_uk_sales.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA amy.shields@retail-week.com

The leading grocer's like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose by 2 per cent in the 13 weeks to November 22. The figure represents a decline on the 4 per cent reported in the previous quarter.

The newly-launched Discounter range and other low-price products – which together account for 5 per cent of food and grocery sales - lowered sales by between 2 and 3 percentage points, according to Tesco.

However, the retailer said the proposition attracted 300,000 more customers each week and that volume growth was improving in its food categories.

However, it was revealed today that Tesco customers are defecting to rivals Asda, Morrisons and value operators.

The Times today reported previously unpublished data from TNS Worldpanel revealing that in the 12 weeks to November 2, about £22 million of spending was switched directly from Tesco to Asda.

Just over £10 million went from Tesco to Aldi and almost as much again to Morrisons, according to the newspaper.

Non-food sales 'steady'

Non-food sales, helped by Tesco Direct, were “holding steady”, the retailer reported. Despite a “small decline” on a like-for-like basis, the category outperformed the market as a whole.

"We are also beginning to see strongly improving sales volumes - this is an important change, as inflation begins to subside across the industry," said Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.

He said that the UK business made “solid progress in sales and profits” over the third quarter but was cautious about the wider outlook.

"We are pleased with our progress, but we are also realistic - the current economic climate, and the strain this is putting on consumers everywhere, is something that all businesses are feeling, including ours," said Leahy.

Total group sales increased 11.7 per cent in the third quarter. Total UK sales growth was 5.9 per cent.

International sales grow

International sales grew 14.6 per cent at constant exchange rates, led by a strong performance in Asia where sales rose by 29.4 per cent. Growth in Tesco's European markets slowed to 6 per cent at constant exchange rates.

Tesco said that its US Fresh & Easy stores achieved like-for-like growth and it will open 0.5 million sq ft for the fascia during the second half.

The retailer is expected to complete its acquisition of the remaining 50 per cent of Tesco Personal Finance in the next few weeks.

Cost savings in the UK have exceeded £90 million so far and it intends to reduce capital expenditure next year to below £4 billion, in light of the economic climate.

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/Tesco%205FDS9856_resized_70_tcm14-1896674.jpg Tesco Discounter range hits UK sales</a> Tesco has reported UK sales growth halved in its third quarter as its Discounter range hit its performance. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/park_group_pretax_losses_narrow.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Park Group pre-tax losses narrow </a> Christmas hamper specialist Park Group has reduced its pre-tax losses by 17 per cent to £3.2 million in the six months to September 30. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/12/tesco_to_report_lowest_uk_sales_figures_for_a_decade.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Tesco expected to report lowest UK sales growth for a decade Tesco is set to reveal its worst UK sales results in more than a decade, as the slowdown continues to take its toll on retailers. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/12/tesco_to_report_lowest_uk_sales_figures_for_a_decade.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/12/tesco_to_report_lowest_uk_sales_figures_for_a_decade.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA JenniferCreevy@emap.com

According to analysts polled by the Daily Telegraph, the grocer’s third-quarter results tomorrow will show UK like-for-like sales growth, excluding fuel, likely to be just 1.9 per cent. This figure would be its worst performance since its annual results in 1992 to 1993, and would be a significant slowdown since the second quarter, when growth was at 4 per cent.

Tesco has suffered at the hands of the discount operators Aldi and Lidl, and it recently launched its own discount range in response. It has also been fiercely price cutting alongside competitors Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.

Dresdner Kleinwort said its estimates of 2.5 per cent growth for Tesco in the UK during 2009 to 2010 “look particularly vulnerable”.

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/Tesco%205FDS9856_resized_70_tcm14-1896674.jpg Tesco expected to report lowest UK sales growth for a decade</a> Tesco is set to reveal its worst UK sales results in more than a decade, as the slowdown continues to take its toll on retailers. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/what_the_sunday_papers_said_011208.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Retail round-up: What the Sunday papers said, November 30, 2008 Most of the newspapers this weekend were dominated by stories on potential bidders for Woolworths, which include Ryman’s owner and Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, Tony Page, who runs the Woolworths' store divisions and Leeds-based investor Endless. A raft of retailers are also said to be vying for Woolworths' stores including Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Primark. http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/what_the_sunday_papers_said_011208.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/News/2008/12/what_the_sunday_papers_said_011208.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA

The Sunday Times reported some rare good news this weekend saying that trading profits for Selfridges soared 30 per cent in the year to last January. Sales for the year rose 10 per cent to £655 million.

It also reports that Baugur has put its tea and coffee chain Whittard of Chelsea up for sale. Sources suggest that Hilco and US-based Gordon Brothers were interested in the retailer.

The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Express both ran stories on the VAT cuts with The Express reporting that toy retailer The Entertainer and home shopping specialist Boden are running campaigns offering to pay all the VAT on customers’ purchases to boost sales.

The Mail on Sunday also reported that Christmas hamper specialist Park Group is expected to report this week a rise in customers attracted to its savings plan this year.

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/PaphitisTheo_resized_70_tcm14-120060.jpg Retail round-up: What the Sunday papers said, November 30, 2008</a> Most of the newspapers this weekend were dominated by stories on potential bidders for Woolworths, which include Ryman’s owner and Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, Tony Page, who runs the Woolworths' store divisions and Leeds-based investor Endless. A raft of retailers are also said to be vying for Woolworths' stores including Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Primark. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/12/more_than_1000_retail_businesses_collapsed_in_the_last_a_year.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Retail failures up 17 per cent More than a thousand retail businesses have hit the buffers in the past year, with more failures expected due to poor Christmas trading. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/12/more_than_1000_retail_businesses_collapsed_in_the_last_a_year.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/12/more_than_1000_retail_businesses_collapsed_in_the_last_a_year.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA nicola.harrison@emap.com

In the 12 months to November 30, 1,087 non-food retailers have collapsed, a 17 per cent increase on last year’s figures, according to research company Experian.

The figures include the administrations of Woolworths and MFI last week.

Experian chief economist Matthew Sherwood said there was “little relief in sight” for struggling retailers.

“This downturn has much further to run and UK shoppers will be watching their pennies in the year ahead,” said Sherwood.

Last week John Lewis said the collapse of MFI and Woolworths hit consumer confidence and affected sales, which were down 13 per cent in the week to November 29 compared to the same period last year.

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/Generic_shoppers_resized_70_tcm14-1908043.jpg Retail failures up 17 per cent</a> More than a thousand retail businesses have hit the buffers in the past year, with more failures expected due to poor Christmas trading. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/retailers_fear_dire_christmas.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>CBI survey: Retailers fear dire Christmas Retailers are expecting a lacklustre Christmas after reporting a decline in high street sales in November, according to the CBI's Distributive Trades Survey. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/retailers_fear_dire_christmas.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/retailers_fear_dire_christmas.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA amy.shields@retail-week.com

16 per cent of retailers said sales were higher in the first half of November compared with a year ago, while 62 per cent said they were lower - a negative balance of 46 per cent.

The figure marks a deterioration on October's balance of -27 per cent and was worse than expected by retailers.

A balance of -40 per cent expect a fall in year-on-year sales volumes during the crucial month of December and retailers' confidence in the sector remains weak.

A balance of 37 per cent expect the sector to deteriorate over the next three months. A net 57 per cent plan to cut expenditure, the weakest figure since the survey began in 1983. A net 16 per cent of retailers reported that they had slashed head count.

While sectors linked to the housing market continued to suffer there was a decline in sales volumes at the grocers, ending two years of growth. The only sector to report sales growth was footwear and leather.

CBI Distributive Trades Panel chairman and Asda retail director Andy Clarke said: “Christmas is going to be extremely tough this year, with retailers having to work harder than ever to keep the tills ringing.

“The added pressure of changing millions of prices to reflect the cut in VAT will be an unwelcome and costly burden.”

To comment on this story post a response below or e-mail Retail Week.

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/Generic_shoppers_resized_70_tcm14-1908043.jpg CBI survey: Retailers fear dire Christmas</a> Retailers are expecting a lacklustre Christmas after reporting a decline in high street sales in November, according to the CBI's Distributive Trades Survey. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/opportunity_knocks.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Woolworths' fall is an opportunity for grocers The supermarkets' move into general merchandise played a role in accelerating Woolworths' downfall. They are also sure to play a big part in what happens next. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/opportunity_knocks.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/opportunity_knocks.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA tim.danaher@retail-week.com

Today's Retail Week reveals that Tesco is interested in as many as 20 more Woolworths stores, in addition to the nine it acquired before the administration.

Waitrose has already taken four, and reports today suggest Asda and Iceland also want some, although Asda sources played this prospect down earlier in the week, pointing out that it has closed its in-town George stores. The hard discounters Aldi and Lidl will inevitably be sniffing around as they accelerate their rush for space.

The stores won't be for everyone. Morrisons is unlikely to be a big player in the break-up, as the stores don't generally suit its format, and Sainsbury's, although keen to expand its convenience offering, has yet to show its hand.

The Woolworths store portfolio is disadvantaged in that it has received a lack of investment for years. I understand the reopening of the store in Islington as a Waitrose has been delayed by months because of the poor condition of the store. Technical issues such as installing sufficient power for refrigeration are likely to complicate conversions.

But fundamentally it represents a one-off opportunity for the grocers to get hold of stores with significant floorplates in town centre locations, generally without planning complications. Many are at the centre of their towns - often affluent market towns where decent-sized stores are in short supply.

Many aren't, of course, and there will be a pretty unappealing rump that the discount general merchandisers will be likely to mop up. But even so, and even with the retail market being weak, the Woolworths' collapse represents a golden opportunity for retailers that are keen and able to expand. Right now, that means the supermarkets.

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/DanaherTim_resized_70_tcm14-1894524.jpg Woolworths' fall is an opportunity for grocers</a> The supermarkets' move into general merchandise played a role in accelerating Woolworths' downfall. They are also sure to play a big part in what happens next. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/potential_buyers_flood_in_for_woolworths.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Woolworths circled by potential buyers Potential buyers have come flooding in for both Woolworths' stores and for the business as a whole. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/potential_buyers_flood_in_for_woolworths.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/potential_buyers_flood_in_for_woolworths.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA lisa.berwin@retail-week.com

Deloitte administrator Neville Kahn said: “With both the retail and EUK we've been flooded with inquiries. We've got people who want to buy the business as a business and we've got people who want to buy stores. We're talking both to financial players but also to people in the retail trade as well.”

Supermarket groups including Asda and Iceland have said they would be interested in individual stores. Tesco is understood to be interested in up to 20 Woolworths shops. Other retailers such as Poundland, Primark and Wilkinson are also probable contenders to acquire sites. Private equity players including head of Alchemy Partners Jon Moulton are also expected to show interest in the chain.

Iceland chief executive Malcolm Walker, who looked into buying Woolworths earlier this year, has cancelled himself out of the race for the retailer. “To run Woolies as Woolies, which is what we wanted to do, is now a lost opportunity,” he said.

Meanwhile supermarkets that use the group's wholesale arm EUK to supply its DVDs and CDs are scrambling to find new suppliers to ensure they have enough stock in the run-up to Christmas.

This morning film and distributor business Metrodome put an announcement out to its shareholders warning that it may not be able to recover £320,000 owed to it by EUK.

To comment on this story post a response below or e-mail Retail Week.

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/Woolworths%20fascia_resized_70_tcm14-1934500.jpg Woolworths circled by potential buyers</a> Potential buyers have come flooding in for both Woolworths' stores and for the business as a whole. <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/prechristmas_discounting_can_you_cut_it.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Pre-Christmas discounting: Can you cut it? High street retailers are slashing prices in the Christmas run-up, but is it the answer to their problems, asks Charlotte Hardie http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/prechristmas_discounting_can_you_cut_it.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Fashion/2008/11/prechristmas_discounting_can_you_cut_it.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA

It is not yet December but retailers are brandishing red pens like there is no tomorrow. You can barely see through shop windows for Sale signs plastered on glass.

Discount fever attracted particular attention last week when Retail Week revealed Marks & Spencer was to go head-to-head with a Debenhams three-day Sale Spectacular and run a 20 per cent discount day – its biggest pre-Christmas promotion for four years.

The media pounced. Headlines implied that M&S’s sales must have gone into meltdown and that the event was a desperate, panicked attempt to shift rapidly accumulating piles of stock. Regardless, it worked – so much so that executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose described consumer response as “a riot”.

M&S was not the only retailer to go down the discount event route. Dorothy Perkins ran a two-day Sale last week and House of Fraser – which, like Debenhams, is an old hand at running discount days – is offering 40 per cent off its own-brand merchandise and 25 per cent off branded goods as part of a two-day event.

All of this coincides with the barrage of e-mailed discount offers from retailers as diverse as Selfridges, Peacocks, Habitat, Threshers, Oasis, Karen Millen, Wallis, Gap and Bhs that are landing in the inboxes of “friends and family”. There are so many deals that consumers might struggle to pay full price for anything even if they tried.

The surge of shoppers to both M&S and Debenhams last week was proof that widely promoted discount days do boost footfall. But what is the significance of these promotions?

Ernst & Young retail team director Jason Gordon believes M&S’s action has been over-hyped by the media. “It’s been an overreaction. Times are tough and M&S is perfectly aware its customers are under pressure. This makes perfect sense and it is being responsive to what customers want,” he says.

Mosaic Fashions deputy chief executive Mike Shearwood agrees that people are reading too much into the level of discounting taking place on the high street. “People are overreacting to all this,” he says. “Everyone would obviously like to sell everything at full price, but if certain lines aren’t selling you still need to clear the stock and make space for new stock.”

He adds that a 20 per cent markdown is a worthwhile incentive for customers and one that will drive traffic online and into stores. Also, it will not have a disastrous effect on margin. “You make a pretty good margin even at 50 per cent. It’s only when you start to get to 70 per cent that it gets difficult,” he says.

While some interpret widespread discounting as a symptom of panic in retail boardrooms, many more believe it is a shrewd strategy – providing it has been factored into the bottom line.

Singer Capital Markets analyst Matthew McEachran says that from a City perspective, discounting comes as no surprise. “Some appear to be more of a direct response to terrible sales, but it’s a sensible approach,” he maintains. “The markdown problem will be far less severe than it would if they delayed discounting until the new year,” he says.

Unless some product is discounted now, retailers may not be able to shift it at all. By the time January comes, the party is over and the Christmas hangovers have set in. Who wants to buy a party dress in the new year Sales? Those businesses with a cleaner stock profile by the end of the Sale period in January will be in a far better position to begin trading in what will be a difficult year.

Big promotional events often require significant preparation too, so the view that they are a knee-jerk reaction to a sudden drop in weekly sales figures is often unjustified. M&S is certainly keen to rebut that view. A spokeswoman says: “We need to get the product into stores, everyone has to be notified, adverts have to be booked. If we hadn’t planned it, it wouldn’t have been a success.”

Discounts and friends and family offers are not a new phenomenon. All the retailers involved have run them before. What is more, they work. They not only drive footfall and sales, but generate PR. Mark Pearson, chief executive of the deal, discount and special offer web site Myvouchercodes.co.uk says: “They get a lot of coverage in the press and everyone wants a piece of the action. It gets your brand in front of people, gets people through the door and they’ll probably end up spending more than they would have done once they’re there.”

Risks and rewards
That said, there are potential – and major – pitfalls. One is the risk that customers will start to view 20 per cent discounts as a little paltry.
Viral marketing campaigns, for instance, started life in the US, where retailers always ensured they were tightly controlled. To begin with they really were only for friends and family, and even when expanded to the wider public retailers ensured discounts did not go beyond 20 per cent.
But there are signs that retailers are taking it several steps further. Gap’s e-mailed discount campaign offers 30 per cent off for friends and family, while Habitat is running a 30 per cent friends and family four-day offer from Thursday December 4 to Sunday December 9. Meanwhile, Threshers has revived its 40 per cent friends and family deal.

There are also signs they are running for longer. Peacocks is offering a nine-day 40 per cent-off event for friends and family, which ends on Sunday.
So where is the end of the road? Retailers run the risk of having to keep slashing prices as consumers come to expect bigger bargains. There is a need to shift stock, but if stores develop a price-cutting addiction, before they know it they will have driven top-line sales entirely at the expense of their margin.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street is sceptical about the value of early discounting. He argues: “Consumers are feeling bewildered and bombarded by messages about discounting. This can definitely drive sales on one day but is a short-term approach that can ultimately lead to mistrust in the brand as customers expect prices to be competitive at all times, not just sporadically.”
There is also a debate as to whether extensive Sale events do anything to foster customer loyalty in the long term. Pearson says more retailers need to ensure they are taking customer details and capturing data that can be used to help build customer relationships and keep them informed about future offers.

House of Fraser does just that. Brand director Matt Chambers says its main promotion has been that offered through its House of Fraser store card, which is 20 per cent off for card holders for six weeks until December 12. He says: “In our view it’s much more likely to drive loyalty and we will reap the benefits of that right through until spring.” But, he adds: “That doesn’t mean we haven’t done extremely well on special days, because we have.”

Discounts are only one way to lure shoppers in this difficult, competitive climate where everyone is fighting for every sale. The product range and customer service needs to be right, too. And that, says Shearwood, is one of the risks of in-store discount events.
“They drive sales hard for a limited period, so in a store that means you’re getting increased footfall but you’re also getting massive queues.” Customers have a different service, he says. “They end up buying a lot of product without trying it on, then decide they don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, and you have to fork out for refunds.”

Success depends on the level of planning. Just as retailers must anticipate and factor in surges in traffic both online and in stores, they need to prepare for the post-promotional dip. Critical in making these events a success is ensuring optimum staffing levels, maintaining a focus on customer service and making sure web sites can cope with increased online traffic. Debenhams’ web site went down temporarily last Friday for this very reason.

In such an environment retailers need to come up with something to tempt customers and price and promotions are an obvious way to do that. However, if the overall offer is not up to scratch, knocking 20 per cent off the asking price will be of little use.

There is also a danger that discount days and e-mailed offers end up becoming perpetual or too cyclical. Retailers need to avoid predictability. Gordon points to two US retailers, for instance, that stuck to rigid markdown plans based on discounting at 20 per cent for a set length of time, then 50 per cent and so on. “If something is that rules-based, customers are not stupid, they’ll wait for it. The key is mixing it up,” he says.
Despite the risks, retailers have very little choice at the moment other than to slash prices across the board. They are playing a logical game and taking no chances.

Nevertheless, it is widely expected to be one of the worst Christmases that most retail chief executives have experienced. This discounting frenzy is not the answer to their problems. As Gordon says: “The challenges facing the high street are so large it’s a bit like putting a Band-Aid over a huge wound.”

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 http://www.retail-week.com:80/images/debenhams_resized_70_tcm14-1935860.jpg Pre-Christmas discounting: Can you cut it?</a> High street retailers are slashing prices in the Christmas run-up, but is it the answer to their problems, asks Charlotte Hardie <a target=_blank href ='http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/asda_in_good_company.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA'\>Asda: In good company Celebrating long-serving staff is great for morale and keeping staff turnover down. Jennifer Creevy finds out how they do it at Asda. http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/asda_in_good_company.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA http://www.retail-week.com:80/Food/2008/11/asda_in_good_company.html;jsessionid=09D3DC70DA4A03B7FEE155C985A5D7AA JenniferCreevy@emap.com

Asda chief executive Andy Bond often talks about how the success of the business is down to the staff – or colleagues, as they call each other. And once a year, Asda says thank you to the most loyal members of its workforce. Namely, those who have been with the business for 25 years or more.

While many retailers might send a letter to long-serving staff when they hit a certain milestone, Asda uses the occasion to get them together for a good old-fashioned knees-up.

This year’s Asda Big Anniversary was held at the Harrogate Pavilions last week and 422 staff were invited. Coaches, cars and even a few stretch limousines brought employees from all across the UK to the Yorkshire spa town to collect their prizes over lunch and entertainment.

“Not all retailers would bother to host an event to celebrate loyalty, but this is exactly what Asda is about,” Bond told Retail Week. “And what’s surprising is the number of long-standing colleagues we have. We’ve even got one colleague here today who has worked with Asda for 40 years.”

The number of loyal staff at Asda has grown so large that the grocer has had to change the event’s format. People director David Smith explains the event was originally held in the boardroom at the grocer’s Leeds head office, Asda House. All staff serving 25 years or more were invited.
“The event got so big we moved out of Asda House and then had to limit the numbers to those who reached the big milestones of 25, 30, 35 or 40,” says Smith. “And next year we’ll have to have a buffet instead of a formal lunch as we’ll have more than 800 colleagues celebrating. But it’s a nice problem to have.”

Asda’s staff retention is “industry leading”, says Bond. Staff turnover is 23 per cent at the Wal-Mart-owned grocer, while the retail average is 40 per cent, he says.

Why then does Asda inspire such loyalty? “It’s simple,” says Bond. “We are all colleagues and one team.”

Bond’s answer may sound cheesy to anyone outside Asda, but he doesn’t care as long as his staff remain motivated. And he is convinced that events such as the Asda Big Anniversary – which the entire Asda executive board attends – do just that.

Even in the tough times that the industry is facing, Bond says it is important to reward staff. “Some companies are having to make tough decisions, but even if you have to cut costs it’s still important to reward loyalty,” he says.

Those colleagues celebrating 25 years of service this year joined in 1983 – when Margaret Thatcher won her second landslide election, Michael Jackson’s Thriller was the top-selling album and petrol was 74p a litre.

Service record
Some staff never planned to stay so long at Asda. Two of those celebrating 25 years of service from Merthyr Tydfil, for instance, joined Asda as temporary Christmas staff and never left.

“It’s the culture and the people that makes Asda a great place to work,” says one colleague who started out in stores and now works in customer service at Asda House. “Retailing gets into your blood and while it’s often long, unsocial hours, Asda gives you the chance to try different things, suggest ideas and be rewarded for hard work. There are no barriers.”

The staff all refer to Bond as “Andy” and while hitting 25 years’ service gets them a monetary gift of £300 tax-free, plus a silver clock and a bunch of flowers, it’s the event they most talk about.

One colleague from Hinckley in Leicestershire was celebrating 30 years of service and explained it was the effort Asda put into the day that made it memorable. “I have a picture of me and David [Smith] when I collected my 25 years’ prize, which my Mum has on her mantelpiece,” she enthuses.

She says it’s flexibility that led her to stay with Asda. Having moved around stores in various roles and had a stint at head office, she says she never felt the need to move elsewhere. “Asda encourages you to do what you want,” she says. “And I’ve seen so much change from the distribution to the uniforms to the Sunday trading, that there is always something new