UK tea brand Typhoo has named Dave McNulty, former CEO of Burts Snacks, as its new chief executive.
McNulty steps into the role at a crucial time for Typhoo, as the company navigates a period of significant transformation. He replaces Andrew Reardon, who will transition to a non-executive director role.
McNulty brings a wealth of experience, having held key positions at SHS Group and within Coca-Cola’s system before his time at Burts Snacks, where he led the company for four years, first as Managing Director and then as CEO. His leadership at Burts coincided with the UK crisp maker's acquisition by Europe Snacks last year.
Before joining Burt Snacks, McNulty held senior roles at Coca-Cola Enterprises, including director of marketing for energy drinks and trading director for the out-of-home channel. He was managing director at SHS Drinks for three years.
In a statement, McNulty expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, noting that he had joined Typhoo at a "pivotal moment" in its evolution.
McNulty said: "Tea is undeniably a cornerstone of British culture. But what happens behind the scenes is largely unknown. We want to empower consumers, providing them with the tools to make informed choices when purchasing their tea. I’m really looking forward to working with such a brilliant team, and really making an impact."
Typhoo has made changes to its recipe and "overhauled" its supply chain to raise awareness of sexual exploitation on tea plantations. The group says the changes in its supply chain "guarantee greater control over the quality and taste of the final blend".
Typhoo Tea’s Chair, Mike Brehme, welcomed McNulty’s appointment, commenting, "We are thrilled to have Dave on board as we begin this important journey. His track record speaks for itself, and we look forward to seeing the progress under his leadership."
The leadership change comes during a challenging period for Typhoo, as the company reported pre-tax losses of £37.9m for the year ended September 2023, a sharp increase from the £9.6m loss reported the previous year. Revenue also fell from £33.6m to £25.3m over the same period. The company attributed these figures to exceptional costs, including one-off expenses tied to its transformation plan, which aims to address significant legacy and structural issues within the business.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed need for a March 2025 deadline for compensating Post Office Horizon scandal victim, saying "an arbitrary cut-off date could result in some claimants missing the deadline".
In a response to Sir Alan Bates' call for a March 2025 deadline, Sir Keir Starmer's spokesperson today (5) stated that there would not be a deadline imposed.
"What we don't want to do is set an arbitrary cut-off date which could result in some claimants missing the deadline," the spokesperson said. "We obviously don't want to put pressure on claimants and put them off contesting their claim."
However, victims involved in a landmark case against the Post Office that ended in 2019 "should receive substantial redress by the end of March and we are doing everything we can to achieve that goal", the spokesperson added.
Earlier today (5), Sir Alan was giving evidence to the Business Select Committee when he told MPs that he has twice written to the Prime Minister in the past month to say "it needs to be finished by the end of March 2025".
"I never received a response," Sir Alan said, adding, "Deadlines do need to be set. People have been waiting far too long."
Sir Alan first wrote to the PM on Oct 2 and again a few days ago, urging him to make sure victims get full financial redress by March next year.
“People have been waiting far too long, over 20-odd years, there’s over 70 that have died along the way in the GLO group. There are people well into their 80s now that are still suffering. They’re still having to put up with this as well. They shouldn’t. They really shouldn’t," he said.
Bates himself has twice declined compensation this year, saying the first offer in January was "cruel" and "derisory", and about a sixth of what he had claimed.
When asked today by Liam Byrne, the committee chair, whether he would consider crowdfunding to return to court, Sir Alan said, “I would never say never.”
Legal action was one of several options his campaign group was planning to discuss at a meeting in the coming weeks, he said.
“I know that if we decide to go down that route we are going to halt the current scheme, and it’s going to be at least six, 12 or 24 months before it moves forward in that direction," Sir Alan said, adding: "That might be a choice people are prepared to take."
More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their shops.
Appearing alongside Sir Alan were former subpostmaster Dewi Lewis, who was jailed for four months after being wrongfully convicted of theft from his branch, and Jill Donnison, a claimant who worked in her late mother’s branch.
Donnison criticised some of the questions she had been expected to answer as part of her efforts to seek compensation as “long-winded and impossible to answer”.
She said claimants were expected to know how much they had lost even though key data was missing from the records, with documents provided by the Post Office “practically illegible”.
Convenience store body has expressed concern over licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland under Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced in the Parliament today (5), saying that the licensing scheme has been outlined without any consultation with the retailers who will be most affected by it.
The Bill confirms the Government’s intention to create a "smoke free generation" by phasing out the sale of tobacco products to anyone currently aged 15 or younger. The generational ban will come into force in 2027, meaning that there will be a single date that retailers have to reference for age restricted sales on tobacco – rather than checking if a customer is over the age of 18.
The Bill will also include powers to introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and will introduce on the spot fines of £200 to retailers found to be selling these products to people underage. The licensing scheme, which has been outlined without any consultation with the retailers that will be most affected by it, includes the potential to limit the number of businesses in an area based on their proximity to other retailers in the area as well as other conditions determined by local authorities.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said, “A licensing scheme has the potential to help tackle the illicit market and punish those who sell to children, but unless properly structured it could also prevent legitimate traders from operating based on the presence of other outlets in the area, or the specifics of where that store is located. This requires detailed consultation with local shops and other stakeholders, and none of this has taken place. We now need proper discussion of the detail as regulations are drafted, or we fear that this legislation will significantly impact investment, growth and service provision in our sector.”
Other measures in the Bill include a ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes, as well as other nicotine products.
The Bill follows confirmation last month that the Government is planning to go ahead with a ban on disposable vaping products, which will come into force on June 1st 2025.
Lowman continued: “The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will require retailers to make significant changes in their businesses, both on age restricted sales processes and the way that their stores are stocked and managed. It is essential that the Government provides retailers with clear guidance on the rules, and communicates the changes not just with retailers, but with the public as well.
“The introduction of £200 fines to act as a deterrent for retailers selling products to underage customers is welcome, but we are concerned that there is not enough enforcement right now to deal with the rogue operators in the tobacco and vaping market. Trading Standards need significantly more funding to be able to make a difference through targeted local enforcement, not just against those selling to young people, but also those who sell illicit products.”
Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of retail-chain Primark, today (5) issued a buoyant trading update for the 16 weeks up to 6 January.
The group's grocery arm clocked in a revenue of £1,414 million for the period, with ingredients coming in at £698 million. Revenue from agriculture for the same 16 weeks raked in £572 million while sugar added its own sweetness to the figures with a revenue of £825 million.
The group's grocery unit’s sales grew 4 per cent, reflecting “good demand” across a number of its international brands and regionally-focused businesses. Its international brand businesses, which include Twinings, Ovaltine, Blue Dragon, Patak’s, Jordans and Mazzetti, accounted for approximately a third of total grocery sales.
Twinings saw “strong” sales momentum led by volume growth across its largest markets, the UK, US and France. The group noted that this reflected increased distribution, particularly in the US, strong commercial execution to strengthen in-store visibility and a significant increase in investment and focus on marketing.
Growth also benefitted from recent product launches, as ABF continued to expand its presence in the wellness category, including a growing portfolio of herbal and infusion teas.
Meanwhile, its UK-focused businesses, which accounted for approximately a quarter of grocery sales, also performed relatively well.
Allied Bakeries had a “much-reduced” operating loss compared to 2023 as a result of improved sales and operational performance. Silver Spoon delivered “strong” growth, benefitting from lower pricing and a brand refresh. The group’s Ryvita brand also made good progress, supported by recent product launches and advertising.
Adjusted operating profit margin for the Grocery segment improved to 12.1 per cent overall, driving adjusted operating profit up 17 per cent to £511m. ABF noted that the margin improvement reflected an easing in input cost pressures, strong performance in its US-focused businesses, and reduced losses in Allied Bakeries, partially offset by an increase in marketing investment.
The grocery arm was boosted easing input costs, increased investment in marketing, and new product launches. Retail, however, surpassed all the other departments by taking a whopping £3,376 million in revenue. Primark saw sales inching up 7.9 per cent in the 16 weeks, with the retail chain increasing its market share to a new high of 7.1 per cent in the 12 weeks leading up to 10 December.
Looking ahead, ABF said: "We continue to look forward to a year of meaningful progress in both profitability and cash generation, with the profitability improvement being driven by a recovery in Primark margin, a marked improvement in British Sugar profitability, and by reduced losses at Vivergo.
"We also feel more confident in the delivery of the Primark adjusted operating margin in this financial year, driven by a further improvement in product gross margin. This should insulate us well against potential additional costs of supply due to the disruption in the Red Sea, should they arise."
A generational smoking ban, as proposed in Labour’s updated Tobacco and Vapes Bill, would spell chaos for small businesses and retailers, according to JTI.
A generational smoking ban aims to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the UK by increasing the legal age of sale by one year. This means individuals born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to legally be sold tobacco products.
The burden of enforcing a generational ban will fall squarely on retailers, and disproportionately on smaller, independent retailers. Recent British Retail Consortium data revealed 1,300 instances of shop workers being verbally or physically assaulted every day in 2024, with a significant proportion of these attacks following a request for age verification.
The proposed generational ban and subsequent increase in ID checks will put retail workers at even greater risk, particularly in small and independent businesses that have no security staff or additional protections. The physical and mental impact on victims is estimated to cost UK retailers £3.3 billion annually – further highlighting the inconsistent approach from a Government that has just announced, as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s budget, to "stop shoplifting in its tracks", removing legislation which means thefts worth less than £200 are subject to less serious punishments and promising more funding to crack down on organised crime gangs.
JTI is urging the Government to focus on evidence-based, effective solutions, and implement a minimum age of sale of 21 instead.
Government modelling shows that raising the minimum age of sale to 21 could achieve an equivalent fall in youth smoking as a generational ban, when “The majority of smokers start before the age of 20” according to the Government press release today.
Not only would increasing the age of sale to 21 help deliver the same health outcomes, it is simpler and less burdensome for retailers, and removes serious challenges pertaining to the legality of a generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland announced in May that it would raise the minimum age for sale of tobacco from 18 to 21, stating “[p]reliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a ‘smokefree generation’ policy as has been suggested in other jurisdictions due to the EU’s Single Market rules and Tobacco Products Directive”. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland follows these same EU provisions which would prevent the introduction of a generational smoking ban in this part of the UK.
An age of sale of 21 would therefore not only be consistent with the UK’s international obligations, but also ensure a consistent approach across the Isles between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
The legislation to increase the age of sale to 21 in the Republic of Ireland is expected to pass this week
Sugro UK member and Brand Factory Ltd board director Tony Cox has been awarded The King’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade 2024, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in global trade.
The prestigious award was presented during an on-site ceremony held recently at their Aylesbury location, honouring all 84 staff members who have contributed to the company's success. The presentation was made by Countess Howe, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, and received by Tony Cox and Dilip Vithlani on behalf of the Brand Factory team.
Also in attendance were notable local and national figures, including Councillor Alan Sherell, Mayor of Aylesbury, Laura Kyrke-Smith, MP for Aylesbury, Councillor Mimi Harker, and Carl Wood, National Trade Director of NatWest Bank.
The King’s Award for Enterprise is a highly respected accolade, considered by a committee chaired by His Majesty, The King. The award recognises companies that demonstrate exceptional achievement in international trade, underpinned by a strong, value-led ethos and commitment to ensuring that all employees can contribute and succeed.
Companies that achieve the award must demonstrate sustained growth relative to their size and market sector. Brand Factory Ltd, a leading player in the FMCG market, was acknowledged for its role as a global market leader and trusted partner across numerous international markets. As a recipient of The King’s Award, Brand Factory Ltd now has the privilege of using The King’s emblem on its business documentation for the next five years, further enhancing its reputation within the industry.
Commenting on the award, Cox said, “We are extremely honoured with this fantastic achievement and incredibly thankful for recognising our excellence in International Trade. On receiving this prestigious award, we would like to extend our immense gratitude to all our invaluable customers, suppliers, and dedicated employees for their contribution.
"Together, we have reached the new heights! We look forward to continuing our partnership and reaching even greater milestones together in the future.”
Brand Factory Ltd, known for their tagline “All Brands in One Place”, started trading in Watford in 2018 before relocating to Aston Clinton, Aylesbury in 2019. Since then, they have grown to become a significant force in the global FMCG sector, continuing to lead the way in international trade.