Category Archives: Food

RecipeTin Eats cook upset her beef wellington recipe ‘entangled’ in Erin Patterson murder case

Posted on by

Convicted murderer told trial she made multiple changes to Nagi Maehashi’s recipe in preparing the fatal lunch two years ago

Nagi Maehashi, the cook behind RecipeTin Eats, says it is “upsetting” to have become “entangled in a tragic situation” after Erin Patterson told her triple murder trial she used the beef wellington recipe for the fateful lunch.

In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, Maehashi requested that journalists of Australia “please stop calling and emailing and texting and DM’ing me about the Erin Patterson case”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Liverpool mobile greengrocer to reach ‘food deserts’ with aid of mapping tool

Posted on by

Exclusive: Government-funded pilot in areas where it’s ‘easier to buy a vape than an apple’ may be extended across UK

A mobile greengrocer will deliver fresh fruit and vegetables in areas of Liverpool where it is “easier to buy a vape than an apple” as part of a new government scheme to tackle food inequality.

Families in social housing will receive visits from the Queen of Greens, a mobile greengrocer in the city, which will be directed to the areas of highest need.

Continue reading...

Lobster bisque and onion soup on ISS menu for French astronaut

Posted on by

Chef with 10 Michelin stars has designed meals for Sophie Adenot’s trip to International Space Station next year

When the French astronaut Sophie Adenot travels to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, she will be heading for the stars – not quite in celestial but certainly in gastronomic terms.

Adenot will dine on not just freeze-dried space food staples but also French classics such as lobster bisque, foie gras and onion soup prepared specially for her by a chef with 10 Michelin stars, the European Space Agency (Esa) announced on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

From mochi ice cream to strawberry sandos, Japanese sweet treats are tickling UK tastebuds

Posted on by

These small, joyful indulgences are ‘an antidote to life’s uncertainties’, food trend watchers say

If you said to a friend that you fancied Japanese food this weekend, they might be forgiven for thinking you meant sushi. But lately a new culinary export from Japan is catching up with fish and rice in the hearts and tastebuds of British foodies.

Soft, sweet and full of character, Japanese-style desserts – from mochi ice cream to matcha cookies – have been steadily gaining ground on UK shelves.

Continue reading...

Employees at firm that supplied grape-pickers for champagne on trial for human trafficking

Posted on by

Police found 57 people allegedly held in fetid conditions in case known as ‘grape harvest of shame’

Three employees of a firm that provided workers to pick grapes for champagne has gone on trial for human trafficking, in one of the biggest labour scandals to hit France’s exclusive sparkling wine industry.

The employees of the firm supplying grape pickers for the champagne harvest in 2023 were charged with human trafficking and exploiting seasonal workers, submitting vulnerable people to undignified housing conditions, and employing foreign nationals without authorisation. The firm itself was also on trial for moral responsibility in the case.

Continue reading...

Deadly US listeria outbreak linked to chicken dishes at Kroger and Walmart

Posted on by

Food poisoning outbreak has killed three and resulted in one pregnancy loss across 13 states over past year

A listeria food poisoning outbreak that has killed three people and led to one pregnancy loss is linked to newly recalled heat-and-eat chicken fettuccine Alfredo products sold at Kroger and Walmart stores, federal health officials said late on Tuesday.

The outbreak, which includes at least 17 people in 13 states, began last July, officials said. At least 16 people have been hospitalized.

32.8oz trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of 27 June or earlier.

12.3oz trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of 26 June or earlier.

12.5oz trays of Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan Cheese, with best-by dates of 19 June or earlier.

Continue reading...

Kenya tells tea factories to cut ties with Rainforest Alliance due to costs

Posted on by

Government says ethical certification is adding financial strain on smallholders rather than being paid by customers

The Kenyan government has told its tea factories to stop working with the Rainforest Alliance because it says the costs involved in securing the ethical label don’t add up for farmers.

The non-profit organisation is one of the world’s most recognisable certification schemes with its green frog seal on food packaging a sign consumers “can feel confident that these products support a better world”.

Continue reading...

Butter madness: New Zealanders turn to churning as price of dairy staple soars

Posted on by

Dairy is the country’s largest export industry, but recent figures from Stats NZ show domestic butter prices have surged 65% and people are getting desperate

New Zealanders are driving cross-country for hours in pursuit of cheap butter while some are ordering it from Australia or even churning their own cream, as the country battles sky-high dairy prices.

Despite dairy being the country’s largest export industry, recent figures from Stats NZ show domestic butter prices surged 65% in the year to March, pushing the average price for 500g to $7.42 (£3.30) – that’s up about $3 from this time last year.

Continue reading...

AI tool trial could save equivalent of 1.5m meals in food waste

Posted on by

Nestlé is among UK companies taking part in project to ‘design out’ waste by redistributing surplus product

Millions of meals worth of wasted food could be redistributed thanks to an artificial intelligence tool being trialled by companies across the UK, including Nestlé.

The AI tool, which has already generated an 87% reduction in edible food waste at one of the Swiss conglomerate’s factories over its first two-week trial period, is intended to “design out” food waste by providing real-time monitoring, tracking and insights of wasted ingredients and products.

Continue reading...

KFC plans to invest £1.5bn in UK and Ireland, creating thousands of jobs

Posted on by

Fast-food chain’s plan on back of booming fried chicken market includes opening 500 new restaurants

KFC is to invest almost £1.5bn and create thousands of jobs in the UK and Ireland over the next five years, as the fast-food chain seeks to capitalise on the booming popularity of fried chicken.

The chain, which is celebrating its 60th year of operations in the UK, said it plans to invest £1.49bn to grow and upgrade its existing 1,000-outlet estate.

Continue reading...

EU’s ‘chocolate crisis’ worsened by climate breakdown, researchers warn

Posted on by

Cocoa one of six commodities vulnerable to environmental threats in ‘extremely worrying picture’ for food resilience

Climate breakdown and wildlife loss are deepening the EU’s “chocolate crisis”, a report has argued, with cocoa one of six key commodities to come mostly from countries vulnerable to environmental threats.

More than two-thirds of the cocoa, coffee, soy, rice, wheat and maize brought into the EU in 2023 came from countries that are not well prepared for climate change, according to the UK consultants Foresight Transitions.

Continue reading...

Japanese minister resigns after saying he doesn’t buy rice because he gets it free

Posted on by

Taku Etō’s remarks drew fury as cost of rice has nearly doubled in a year amid soaring food prices

Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned after saying he never buys rice because he gets it free, a remark that drew public fury in a country facing soaring food prices.

Taku Etō’s resignation has added to pressure on the prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, whose failure to rein in soaring rice prices and address a wider cost of living crisis has angered voters ahead of upper house elections in July.

Continue reading...

Runaway rice prices spell danger for Japan’s prime minister as elections loom

Posted on by

Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect amid a cost-of-living crisis

Japan’s government is battling record-low approval ratings as consumers voice anger at soaring rice prices just weeks before key national elections.

Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect, prompting calls for a reduction in the consumption (sales) tax to ease the cost-of-living crisis.

Continue reading...

‘Something a bit naughty’: British snackers fall for the posh crisp

Posted on by

Top chefs and brands transform once-humble snack with growing number of imaginative flavourings

When it comes to crisps, British appetites have traditionally been sated by a packet of Frazzles or a bag of Skips. But, according to chefs, supermarket insiders and social media, 2025 is gearing up to be the summer of the posh crisp.

Jay Ledwich, a crisp buyer at Waitrose, said demand for premium and unusual flavoured crisps was “soaring”. This week, the shop became the exclusive British supermarket stockist of what it is tipping to be the next viral hit in crisps – a fried-egg flavour from the Spanish specialist Torres. It follows other savoury sensations from the brand, including black truffle, caviar, and sparkling wine flavours.

Continue reading...

Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows

Posted on by

Fourth most important food crop in peril as Latin America and Caribbean suffer from slow-onset climate disaster

The climate crisis is threatening the future of the world’s most popular fruit, as almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing the fruit by 2080, new research has found.

Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate-related pests are pummeling banana-growing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and devastating rural communities across the region, according to Christian Aid’s new report, Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World’s Favourite Fruit.

Continue reading...

UK supermarkets suspend supplies from Lincolnshire pig farm over cruelty claims

Posted on by

Workers at farm owned by UK’s biggest pig meat producer Cranswick filmed killing piglets by banned ‘blunt force trauma’

• Warning: graphic content

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons have suspended supplies from a Lincolnshire pig farm linked to abuse against pigs.

Secretly filmed footage has shown farm workers at Northmoor Farm appearing to grab piglets by their hind legs and smashing them on to the hard floor – a banned method of killing known as blunt force trauma or “piglet thumping”.

Continue reading...

Trump tariffs to hit small farms in Maga heartlands hardest, analysis predicts

Posted on by

Major corporations are best placed to benefit from Trump polices at the expense of independent farmers

The winners and losers of Trump’s first tariff war strongly suggest that bankruptcies and farm consolidation could surge during his second term, with major corporations best placed to benefit from his polices at the expense of independent farmers.

New analysis by the non-profit research advocacy group Food and Water Watch (FWW), shared exclusively with the Guardian, shows that Trump’s first-term tariffs were particularly devastating for farmers in the Maga rural heartlands.

Continue reading...

RecipeTin Eats’ Nagi Maehashi beats Brooke Bellamy at publishing industry awards amid plagiarism allegations

Posted on by

Maehashi beat five finalists to take out prestigious prize after her second cookbook broke Australian records for first-week nonfiction title sales

Recipe book writer Nagi Maehashi has beaten cupcake queen Brooke Bellamy at the publishing industry’s annual awards, as Maehashi and other authors accuse Bellamy of plagiarism.

Maehashi won the illustrated book of the year a second time at the Australian book industry awards night in Melbourne on Wednesday for her most recent book, RecipeTin Eats: Tonight.

Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning

Continue reading...

UK falling behind on tackling microplastic pollution, scientists say

Posted on by

Researchers call for urgent action as fragments of plastic found in human brains and pollute food, water and air

The UK is falling behind on international efforts to tackle microplastics, scientists have said, as the pollutants continue to infiltrate food, ecosystems and human bodies.

The tiny fragments of plastic have been found in human testicles and brains, and they burrow into plants, inhibiting their ability to photosynthesise. The impact on human health is largely unknown, but they have been linked to strokes and heart attacks.

Continue reading...

UK sand eel fishing ban remains in place despite EU legal challenge

Posted on by

Creatures make up the bulk of seabirds’ diet but are fished for commercial pig food

A ban on fishing for sand eels in UK waters will remain in place despite a legal challenge from the EU.

The small, silvery eels make up the bulk of the diet of seabirds, but they are fished for commercial pig food. A lack of sand eels means seabirds such as puffins can starve to death.

Continue reading...