Latest news with #Pladis
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Beloved luxury chocolate brand RETURNS to supermarkets after five years with new viral bar
A LUXURY chocolate brand is marking its return to supermarkets with a limited edition flavour. Godiva, which is exclusively sold at high-end retailers like Harrods, will be flogging its Dubai-style chocolate bars at Tesco. Dubai-style chocolate features layers of rich pistachio cream and crunchy kadayif pastry, encased in smooth milk chocolate. The 100-year-old Belgian brand is now owned by Pladis, which also has McVities and Jacob's in its repertoire. It was quick to jump on the Dubai chocolate bandwagon and in 2024, Pladis Türkiye launched it's own range which sold 3,000 tones in the first four months of launching. Godiva goodies haven't been available to the masses for five years and were only available in Harrods, Selfridges, and its Covent Garden flagship store. A Godiva spokesperson, said: 'Global influences are increasingly reshaping the snacking industry, as consumers seek more adventurous and authentic culinary experiences. "The popularity of Dubai-style chocolate is a clear example of how international flavours are crossing borders and becoming mainstream." Godiva's Dubai-inspired chocolate bar will be £10 or £7.95 for Clubcard customers in Tesco stores across the country. Back in 2017, Sainsbury's customers were treated to the luxury Belgian chocolate for just £1.50 per bar. The Godiva Masterpieces range included three chocolate bars - two milk chocolate treats with a smooth caramel filling and a creamy hazelnut praline filling and one dark chocolate bar with a ganache filling. This comes as Lidl launched a Dubai Style Chocolate Cream spread and it was in such high demand that the store placed a three-jar-per-person limit. The Della Sante Dubai Style Chocolate Cream spread combines the flavours of the insanely popular chocolate but in spreadable form. That means you can slather it on toast, pile it onto pancakes, dip fruit in it or even spoon it from the jar. The sweet and salty pots cost £4.99 or £3.99 for Lidl Plus members, which is far more expensive than the store's other chocolate spreads. One shared a snap of the toast topping on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group. Followers flocked to the comment section to tag friends and family in the post. Lidl has said it will be available "while stocks last" - so you may want to get in quick. When Lidl launched its Dubai-style chocolate bar back in March, shoppers were queuing outside shops to get a taste. The Sun spotted a queue outside the Gosport, Hampshire, store at 8am with shoppers eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Chocolate fans have been going crazy for supermarket dupes of the expensive Dubai chocolate bars and they've been going viral on social media. Lidl's version was the cheapest when it was brought out at £3.99. 2
The Herald Scotland
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
'Appalling' demolition of former McVities office building
Close to 500 jobs were lost, with trades unions estimating the impact on the Scottish economy to be around £50million. In January, The Herald revealed that Pladis was behind a £1m donation offer to Glasgow City Council, which is earmarked to be spent in the East End. Read More: The company had initially sought to keep its identity secret, with unelected council officials signing a non-disclosure agreement. Demolition of the factory has been taking place for several months, but Paul Sweeney MSP said he was looking to have the main office building listed. In a post on social media though he said that when Historic Environment Scotland arrived to survey the art deco building they found "a pile of rubble". He said: "In a final insult to Glasgow and to the two centuries of biscuit-making by Macfarlane Lang & Co then McVities in the East End of the city, multinational parent company Pladis and property developer Clowes UK have demolished the historic main offices of the Victoria Biscuit Works at Clydeford Drive in Tollcross. "I applied to have the main office building listed, but Historic Environment Scotland told me that when they turned up to survey it, all they found was a pile of rubble. "Central Demolition had torn the building down the week before. "Not even the decorative carved stonework bearing the historic name of the Macfarlane Lang company was spared. This is an appalling, vicious act of vandalism."
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Biscuit firm boss sacked after slapping Gemma Oaten's bum on stage at an awards - but says Emmerdale star 'gave him permission'
A health and safety boss at a biscuit firm was sacked after slapping Gemma Oaten's bum on stage at an awards ceremony - but claimed the Emmerdale star gave him permission. Steve Jones was standing next to the actress after volunteering to go up stage to accept an award at the International Safety Awards when he slapped her on the bottom. But the then-head of Health, Safety, Environment and Security at McVitie's owner Pladis claimed it was not 'unwanted conduct'. Jones claimed he had told the presenter he had slapped another well-known woman's bottom and she said 'go for it'. An employment tribunal heard a colleague of his was upset by the incident after seeing a video of the slap and reported him, referring to the #metoo movement. He was reported for 'physical conduct pertaining to sexual harassment' after a woman he worked with, who had been taking photos on her phone in 'live' mode, caught a clip of the incident. Steve Jones was standing next to the actress after volunteering to go up stage to accept an award at the International Safety Awards when he slapped Gemma Oaten (pictured) on the bottom He was fired after an investigation by his line manager found his actions were 'neither decent nor moral' but 'ill-judged, insensitive and in bad taste'. The International Safety Awards, which took place at the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane in London in June last year, was attended by hundreds of people including a professional photographer. In a social media post on the day of the event, Ms Oaten - who was not named in the tribunal - said she had had a 'bloody good giggle'. She said: 'So much fun to be with you all night & have a bloody good giggle too. 'I always try and deliver the right mix of the heart and deep stuff with the fun and naughtiness when hosting and delivering keynote... I think anyone there last night will agree there was plenty of both, especially the latter.' Jones appealed against his sacking, and took it to a tribunal when his claim was dismissed - claiming the actress 'did not feel harassed, was not distressed, and made no complaint'. He claimed that even Ms Oaten, who plays Rachel Breckle in Emmerdale, felt it was appropriate in the context of the evening and he hadn't meant to upset or offend anyone. The central London tribunal found his colleagues had been upset by his conduct and he was fairly dismissed. The Tribunal Judge Peer found: 'Having considered all of the evidence and in light of my findings above, I am satisfied that the claimant was made aware of the scope of the investigation and the purpose of the disciplinary hearing. 'I do not accept that he did not know what was at stake. I note that during the disciplinary hearing he did acknowledge that in hindsight the behaviour was not acceptable.'
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Biscuit company boss sacked for slapping Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten's bum at awards bash after she ‘gave him permission'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BISCUIT company boss was sacked for slapping Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten's bum at an awards bash, a tribunal heard. Steve Jones claimed the 40-year-old had given him permission for the on-stage slap. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A biscuit company boss was sacked for slapping Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten's bum at an awards bash Credit: Splash News 3 Steve Jones, head of health and safety at McVitie's owner Pladis, claimed Gemma gave him permission for the slap Credit: Linkedin 3 Along with Emmerdale, Gemma has appeared in Coronation Street and Holby City Credit: Rex But a colleague who later saw a video of the incident said it had upset her and referred to the #metoo movement. Jones, who was head of health and safety at McVitie's owner Pladis, was then fired for 'violating morality and decency'. An employment tribunal was told that the incident happened as he volunteered to go on stage to accept a gong won by the company. It was being presented by an actress — not identified at the hearing — and Jones stood next to her and slapped her bottom. read more on Gemma Oaten actor's agony Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten rushed to hospital after 'really bad' accident The tribunal heard that although Jones had not asked for consent, he told her he had slapped another 'well-known woman's' bum on stage, so the actress said 'go for it'. Hundreds of people had attended the International Safety Awards — organised by the British Safety Council — which took place at the InterContinental Hotel in London's Park Lane on June 7 last year. A junior colleague of Jones who was at the event — but who did not see the slap — said she was shown a video of the incident and was upset by it. Jones was reported to HR and had a disciplinary hearing the following month for 'physical conduct pertaining to sexual harassment'. He said he had 'nothing to apologise' for and that even the actress 'felt it was appropriate in the context of the evening'. But Jones was sacked over the 'wholly inappropriate' behaviour. Huge Emmerdale star admits she was 'burned' after being snubbed from I'm A Celeb line-up following health battle He was told that entering into a conversation with the presenter before receiving the award was 'ill-judged and had the potential to put any female presenter in a very uncomfortable position'. Gemma, who was in Emmerdale from 2011 to 2015, was not interviewed on the matter. But in a social media post the day after the bash, she told of the 'naughtiness' of the event and said she had a 'bloody good giggle'. Jones had joined Pladia in 2001 as head of health, safety, environment and security. He appealed against his sacking but it was dismissed. He then took it to the tribunal, alleging unfair dismissal. Jones said the views of the actress were 'highly relevant' and that she 'did not feel harassed, was not distressed, and made no complaint'. But the central London tribunal found his conduct had upset colleagues and he was fairly dismissed. The Sun had approached Gemma for comment. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Carlisle biscuit factory on how it prepares for flooding
A century ago, Carlisle's biscuit factory was hit by its first major flood. It was flooded again in 2015 and last year had a close call. While there is always a fear of more, it is something those working there have been planning for. It is not easy for a business to survive 200 years. The home of Carr's and McVitie's biscuits, among others, has overcome its fair share of challenges to stand the test of time - and not just the change in major floods have hit the site in 1925, 2005 and 2015 - the latter just as the "ink was still drying" after it was bought by current owners Pladis, before the Cumbrian city was devastated by Storm Desmond."You can guess that I'm really not looking forward to 2025," says general manager Mark Ebdon. "Because if it follows form, we're due for a flood and I don't really want to test the flood defences - I'd rather not have to do that."While flood defences can be up and working in about a minute, it would take just over eight minutes for the factory to be completely shut there is no imminent threat of a new flood, staff still drill regularly for this eventuality, to ensure the city can continue to have the same distinctive smell it has had for nearly two centuries. The site produces 246 different products, including enough bourbon biscuits to go round the planet twice in a year. But it's not just the production line that would be disrupted, if it was are brick ovens, which are 295ft-long (90m), that are used to cook biscuits slowly and at a low temperature."It's unique to this site, you don't see it anywhere else," says Ian Beattie, site engineer project Ebdon adds: "If cold water was to hit a warm brick oven, it would shatter it."And once the ovens are switched off, it would take a week for them to warm back up to the right temperature. The factory, which was built near the rivers Eden and Caldew, had a close call just last year and Mr Ebdon fears it may flood again."We got close, the River Eden got up to 5.96m (19.5ft) in height and every 15 minutes I was having an emergency huddle in the security hut, trying to decide whether we were going to stop the factory."I decided that at 6m we'd stop - and I never had to make the call."After the 2015 flood - which led to some shops running out of biscuits made at the factory - the company installed new flood defences, barriers and doors to protect the site."We also have four large pumps at the rear of the factory that make sure this factory is more sustainable going forward and that we won't have to spend the kind of money that we have to, to recover from a flood," Mr Ebdon says. The factory - the oldest still to be operating in the world - is the legacy of JD Carr, who opened a small bakery in Carlisle in later became somewhat of a Henry Ford of the world of biscuits, bringing mass production to the sector when he moved operations to the factory that is still in operation type of biscuit was created in the city to help its people - an unleavened table water biscuit that the poor could afford, which is still made to a secret recipe today."[JD Carr] was trying to do something for the poor and give them bread in their daily diet and actually help their health and welfare, whilst growing his baking business," says Mr Ebdon."He very quickly worked out that he could answer two questions, he could create a sea biscuit, but also create a product the poor could afford." The factory has changed ownership over the years and a wide range of products have been made Carr was a "great custodian" of biscuit-making, Mr Ebdon says, and old recipe books are still kept here in the factory's is also one the city's biggest employers. About 1,200 jobs are directly connected to the site, on the outskirts of the city centre. Many generations of the same family have worked there since it opened in 1835. Mr Ebdon feels a connection to the founder of the business and the two share a significant Carr died on 6 April, which is Mr Ebdon's birthday. "It's a privilege for me to be the leader of this factory, it does humble me because I'm following in great footsteps." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
