Consumers News

We provide a free news dissemination service for Happerley Network members and organisations. Please email [email protected] with the subject heading "Happerley News In" and your Membership number. Please supply at least one image with each release.

Gloucestershire Farm Jess’s Ladies Organic Dairy wins 15 Great Taste Awards

Jess’s Ladies Organic Farm Milk Dairy in Hardwicke has won an incredible 15 stars at Great Taste Awards 2016.   Jess’s family have been farming at Hardwicke Farm in Gloucestershire for three generations. They have a herd of 80 organic cows that they know all the names of and milk by hand themselves everyday.  The milk is as natural as it comes, they...

Goat Meat Found to be Sheep Meat

A wholesaler has been found guilty and subsequently fined £8000 for supplying goat meat which turned out to be sheep. Eight out of 11 DNA samples of what was described as goat were found to actually be sheep meat. The Trading Standards inspectors involved in the case went undercover after a tip off from a customer who believed that the goat meat he had bought was actually...

Organic sector expected to exceed £2bn despite 'Brexit uncertainty'

The Soil Association expects the organic market to exceed £2bn with a boost from its Organic September campaign reports FG Insight.  Growth of organic sales through supermarkets in the 52 weeks to June 18 increased over five per cent (Nielsen Data).   Growth continued through the first half of 2016 and is now 5.2 per cent compared to 3.2 per cent at the en...

Dunkertons Cider Join Happerley

We are delighted to announce that we have signed up our first drinks producer to the Happerley network. Dunkertons Cider are a Soil Association certified organic producer currently based in Pembridge, Herefordshire relocating to Gloucestershire in September.   Dunkertons Cider have been making organic cider and perry since 1980. The business was started by Ivor and S...

Food Made Good Awards 2016

The countdown to the Food Made Good Awards 2016 continues with nominations for the People’s Favourite pouring in. A number of Members have seized the opportunity to remind their customers about the great things they’re doing and are encouraging them to nominate. Remember nominations for this category close this Sunday 7 February, so if you haven’t tw...

Organic market growth continues in Scotland and across UK

The Soil Association’s 2016 Organic Market Report - launched today, 23 February - reveals that the organic market continued steady growth of 4.9% in 2015. This is the third year of consecutive growth for the organic sector in Scotland and across the UK, now worth £1.95 billion. A total of 36% of Scottish independent retailers say sales have increased over the last 1...

Chicken in the UK: A snapshot

On the heels of a very public campaign by animal rights group Wakker Dier, leading Dutch supermarkets have decided to stop selling the most intensive types of factory farmed chicken. The move will have a radical impact, halving the amount of meat from super-fast growing breeds on Dutch supermarket shelves, with a knock-on effect to production and farming. So as the Neth...

Why family farms must be protected

A recent open meeting of the Family Farmers’ Association (FFA), held at Westminster, brought together a core group of individuals, organisations and policymakers to discuss ways to support and protect smaller farms. With the UK rapidly losing its traditional farming culture, groups like the FFA and the Land Workers Alliance (LWA) see protecting smaller f...

New Study Finds Clear Nutritional Differences Between Organic and Non Organic Meat

A new study published today, 16 February 2016, in the British Journal of Nutrition shows organic meat and milk contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic. It also revealed that organic meat had slightly lower concentrations of two saturated fats linked to heart disease.  The study is the largest systematic review of its kind and led by N...

Natural & Organic Products Europe previews new products for 2016

With all exhibition space now sold for the biggest ever edition of Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show, organiser Diversified Communications UK has released its first preview of new products being showcased on 17-18 April at ExCeL London. Whether it’s down to changes in lifestyle, personal ethics, health or environmental concerns, the natural and organic...