Latest news with #Weetabix
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Tesco shopper fury as supermarket axes dinner staple from shelves
TESCO will no doubt have sparked shopper fury after axing a dinner staple from shelves. The UK's biggest supermarket has discontinued the BBQ essential and own-brand line. 1 Tesco eight packs of beef sausages are no more after it is understood the supermarket stopped stocking them. The meaty item is also showing as "currently out of stock" on the chain's website. Customers can still buy six packs of Tesco Finest Aberdeen Angus Beef Sausages for £3 and four packs of Tesco Finest Pork and Beef smoked sausages for £4. Retailers often discontinue products to make way for newer items on shelves and based on sales and customer demand. Tesco recently confirmed it axed popular southern fried chicken flavour instant noodles, for example. The pack costed around 50p and was available in store and online, but was dropped and replaced with another chicken flavour shoppers could buy. Tesco also recently cut its own-brand tomato and basil soup from its chilled range. The retailer confirmed it had made the change because it adjusts its soup range across the year to reflect seasonal demand. Tesco shoppers were also shocked to find the supermarket no longer stocks six-pint cartons of milk. OTHER DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS The Sun exclusively revealed last month Cadbury's has axed Fry's Coffee Cream after first launching it in 2023. Weetabix discontinues popular cereal flavour Cadbury didn't say when the Fry's Coffee Cream multi-packs were discontinued - just that they were available while stocks lasted. Carlsberg Britvic has also axed Tango Dark Berry Sugar Free after customers reported struggling to find it on shelves. A spokesperson for the drinks maker said it stopped making the fizzy drink earlier this year. Meanwhile, Sainsbury's recently confirmed it had discontinued its Patisserie Valerie cake slices from branches. Aldi also axed its popular Deli smoke pork sausages across 100 stores leaving shoppers devastated. Lidl dropped beloved fridge essential Dairy Manor lactose-free skimmed milk from shelves recently too. Sainsbury's has also axed popular own-brand Meat Free Steaks to customer frustration. Baked goods giant Greggs recently caused a stir after dropping ham salad baguettes from menus, as exclusively revealed by The Sun. The lunch item was axed in favour of other fresh baguettes, despite its popularity among hungry shoppers. Why are products axed or recipes changed? ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders. Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether. They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers. There are several reasons why this could be done. For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes. Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs. They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable. For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018. It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version. Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year. Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks. While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose. .
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
9 of the best cereal box toys you might remember from the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties
Children today do not know the joy of opening a cereal box and finding a free gift inside Almost every box used to come with a freebie, from toy cars and figurines to puzzles and even sunglasses We've put together a list of some of the best free cereal box toys and other gifts from the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties Unless you were an only child, breakfast time could be fiercely competitive back in the day. That was because of the clamour to be first among your siblings to get the free toys routinely hidden within boxes of cereal. It all started in the 1950s, with the baking soda-powered submarines found in boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes among the first free gifts to entice youngsters. It wasn't long before almost every cereal box came with some sort of free gift, or tokens to collect to claim a toy. Rather than getting children to eat as much cereal as possible, as some people believed, the makers claimed the aim was to build brand loyalty. Children came up with various inventive methods to ensure they got the gift, usually sealed in a packet among the actual cereal, as soon as possible. That included taking the plastic cereal container out of the box and replacing it upside down, or gently massaging the cereal packet to force the free gift to the top. Sadly the glory days of the free cereal box toy are long gone in the UK. New legislation on marketing food to children, brought in during the noughties to promote healthy eating, has been blamed for its demise, along with the desire by cereal makers to appear more eco-friendly. We've put together a list of some of the best-loved freebies found in cereal boxes, from Corn Flakes and Sugar Puffs to Coco Pops and Weetabix, during the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties. Thanks to the avid cereal box gift collector Nick Symes, the man behind the popular Cerealmad YouTube channel, we've been able to share videos of some of them to remind you just how good children back then had it when it came to breakfast time. Kellogg's delighted Star Wars fans by giving away these brilliant glow-in-the-dark lightsabers with an inbuilt maze in 2005. Even children who weren't fans of the film franchise had to admit the mini lightsabers, which came in six different colours, were pretty cool. The toys were only a few inches long and you could pull out the blade and try to guide the tiny ball inside through the maze. Many children dreamed of being on The Crystal Maze during the 90s, but this was the closest most youngsters got. Boxes of Sugar Puffs in 1992 came with one of a series of four puzzles inspired by the programme inside. They corresponded to the four zones on the hit TV show - Aztec, Medieval, Future and Industrial - and were suprisingly tricky to solve, even without the pressure of being locked inside the room should you fail to complete the task within the allotted time. These weren't actually toys and they didn't come in the cereal box, you had to collect coupons and send off for them. But these mix tapes, containing some of the biggest hits of the day, were hugely popular during the 1980s and are highly sought-after by collectors some 40 years later. These bike reflectors, found in packs of Kellogg's Corn Flakes during the 1980s and 90s, were among the most practical cereal box gifts ever given away. They came in the shape of the famous Kellogg's cockerel, with six different colours available, and slotted easily onto the spokes of your bicycle. Nineties children never felt cooler than when slapping on a pair of these wrap around sunglasses which came in blue, green and red. They were given away in boxes of Kellogg's Rice Crispies in 1992 and could be conveniently rolled up into a tube when you weren't wearing them. Many fans still consider the 70s to be the golden age of Doctor Who, when a generation of children watched the classic sci-fi show from behind their sofas. Packs of Weetabix back then came with a series of stand-up cardboard figures of The Doctor, his assistant and some of their fiercest enemies, including the Daleks and the Cybermen. Each box came with four figures plus cut out scenes to assemble, and there were 24 characters to collect in total. It was Kellogg's' baking soda-powered nuclear submarine which kickstarted the craze for cereal box toys back in 1957. Nearly three decades later, in 1986, revived the simple but incredibly popular idea, this time with the addition of a power boat and a diver. You filled each of them with bicarbonate of soda, which would propel the boat and cause the diver and submarine to rise and fall when placed in the bath. Children are a bit like magpies, in that they love collecting shiny things. So it's little surprise they went made for this set of limited edition Tony Tiger holograms given away with boxes of Frosties in 1989. There were six different holograms to collect, each featuring Tony in a different pose, and there was a cut-out frame in which to store the holograms. This free gift thrilled practical jokers, who were able to give their parents a soaking courtesy of Coco Pops' Coco Monkey mascot. Kellogg's also gave away Simpsons ring squirters in boxes of Frosties at around the same time. What's the best free gift you ever got in a box of cereal? Do you have retro pictures or nostalgic memories to share with us? Send them online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story or picture will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers. If this has got you feeling nostalgic, you can find a variety cereal box toys for sale on eBay. 1 . These are some of the most popular free gifts you may remember getting in your cereal box These are some of the most popular free gifts you may remember getting in your cereal box | Cerealmad/YouTube Photo: Cerealmad/YouTube Photo Sales 2 . Nick Symes, who runs the popular Cerealmad YouTube channel, has collected hundreds of the free toys which used to be given away in cereal boxes Nick Symes, who runs the popular Cerealmad YouTube channel, has collected hundreds of the free toys which used to be given away in cereal boxes | Cerealmad/YouTube Photo: Cerealmad/YouTube Photo Sales 1 . These are some of the most popular free gifts you may remember getting in your cereal box These are some of the most popular free gifts you may remember getting in your cereal box | Cerealmad/YouTube Photo: Cerealmad/YouTube Photo Sales 2 . Nick Symes, who runs the popular Cerealmad YouTube channel, has collected hundreds of the free toys which used to be given away in cereal boxes Nick Symes, who runs the popular Cerealmad YouTube channel, has collected hundreds of the free toys which used to be given away in cereal boxes | Cerealmad/YouTube Photo: Cerealmad/YouTube Photo Sales
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Julie Jay: Can the 'just you wait' brigade please stop raining on our parenting parade?
The thing about being a parent is that people love constantly reminding you how nothing lasts for ever. Feeling a little too happy with your lot? Fret not. The 'just you wait' parents will happily inform you that the good parts won't last, because heaven forbid you start getting any notions of having this parenting thing down. We all know nothing lasts for ever. As anybody who has ever purchased a basil plant — in the vain hope they will be able to keep it alive, only for it to bite the dust before you've even got one spaghetti bolognese out of it — will tell you, everything in life is transient. But this doesn't mean we can't enjoy things in the moment, and parenting is no exception. These last few weeks, I have been loving the cuddles from my second born, who is, most definitely, my last baby. He loves leaning in for a hug and tends to be a winner in social situations, so much so that he even made a notoriously dour, well-known Irish comedian melt in to a puddle by presenting him with a cuddly toy. Seeing this merchant of dark humour dissolve proves that a smile from a baby is much more disarming than a rigorous radio interview. It also confirmed my long-held feeling that our youngest is destined for a career in diplomatic relations. When he was very small, he was equally cuddly, but more than once when he'd wrap his tiny arms around me and press his little head into the crook of my neck, a fellow parent would remind me not to get too used to the affection. 'Just you wait until they can't stand you,' I remember a playground parent firing my way, which felt particularly pessimistic at the time. Should this same person ever choose a new occupation, surely wheel clamping would be their vocation, given that they clearly bask in raining on other people's parade. (Before anybody gets in touch to tell me that the way to avoid getting clamped is to park properly in the first place, may I ask you to take one look at how difficult I find it even to dress myself... and lower your expectations accordingly.) Usually, the 'just you wait' brigade don't mean any harm. If anything, they are probably just trying to connect or find a common point of shared experience, albeit by focusing on the negative. Sometimes, though, they feel like joy-killers, trying to keep your expectations low and not inflate your ego by thinking that your parenting experience will be exceptional. A few weeks ago, I was in the supermarket when my four-year-old suddenly gave me a big bear hug. 'You're the best mammy,' he announced, and I know it had absolutely nothing to do with my having said yes to a cupcake. 'Enjoy it while it lasts,' a random passerby chuckled, pushing her trolley with a suspicious amount of Weetabix. I responded with a half-hearted 'ha', but couldn't help but feel the annoyance rise in me, as I watched her disappear through the exit door, no doubt off to make some type of explosives with all the Weetabix she had purchased. Explosive-making was the only logical explanation for such a vast amount of cereal quantities (admittedly I could be confusing Weetabix for Semtex here, but who has time to Google such things?). I couldn't help but feel that this casual commentator was trying to bring me back down to earth. The truth is, none of us expect the good times to remain the same, and neither do we want them to. Part of the fun is having everything change and not knowing what's coming next. The 'just you wait' cohort may be on to something, but why not change the vibe a little? Just you wait until your child says 'I love you' for the first time. Just you wait until your four-year-old tells your husband to 'Hurry up' in an admirably exasperated tone. Just you wait until your children sleep through the night, or sit at a restaurant for the duration of a whole meal without risking an ASBO order. A few weeks ago, I went for dinner with a friend, and one glass of wine became two glasses, which became three. The perennial question of a taxi arose, but, this time, the cab came in the form of her teenage son, who had just passed his driving test. He came, he picked her up, and he no doubt was gleeful when refusing to stop for chips, because, to quote her logic when picking him up from discos over the years, 'They had food at home'. Because there will, of course, come a time when the baby who leans into you becomes their own person, a person with the power to refuse your request to stop at the chipper on the way, and insist on playing their own music in the car because 'they're driving'. Just you wait? I can't wait, and that's the real joy of it. Read More Julie Jay: My stubborn determination for my son to play GAA is paying off
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Mother-of-two took a risk and poured her £100,000 divorce settlement into a new adventure... now she runs a £3MILLION business
In 2019, Alexandra Fidoe divorced her husband and was left with no home, two children under the age of 10 and a £100,000 settlement. Instead of returning to her corporate marketing job and buying a house - the 'safe' option - Ms Fidoe made the bold decision to invest her money into flipping a property. Her interest in developing homes began the previous year after leaving her corporate marketing job to spend more time with her children. She spotted a property in Hinckley, Leicestershir,e and thought it would be a good investment opportunity for her parents, so she helped them buy the house off-market with cash. 'One reason we bought that first house was because of the house next door. That was a two-up, two-down which was owned by the council, and the lady who lived there had been sectioned,' she explained to The Telegraph. The three-bedroom 1930s semi-detached house, had previously belonged to a hoarder and came with some complications - the work was delayed by six months while they were waiting for building work to start. But thanks to Ms Fidoe's eye for properties the house was sold for over-the-asking price, making her parents £40,000 profit. Unfortunately, while she was working on the house her relationship with her husband ended. At the time she was offered a job with Weetabix, which provided a stable income, pension and company car. However, she decided to take a risk using money from the sale of the house she bought with her ex-husband to enter the world of project development. 'This was a turning point,' Ms Fidoe said. 'If I took this job, I'd have to get a nanny – and I liked the flexibility and freedom the project management work gave me. I could do the school run and balance being a mum without the guilt.' She started off by renting a Grade II-listed farmhouse, agreeing to pay £1,000 a month to live there while also helping to manage the property's renovations. Despite the landlord previously saying he would up the rent once the work was done, he never did and allowed her to live there for as long as she wanted. Ms Fidoe then decided to invest in a house in Hinckley - the area she grew up in - looking for the worst house on the best street. She bought a bungalow, which she worked on for three months, before selling it for a profit of £60,000. From the flip she was able to pay herself a salary and invest in her next project. Nowadays, she has diversified, using a combination of cash and buy-to-let mortgages to buy and do up two flats, which she's renting out. But she estimates the turnover from her property flips comes to around £3million and after she completes her latest projects will have a portfolio worth £550,000. She said: 'It was a gamble, and I wasn't always confident it was the right decision… There are times when I feel like "Oh my god, I can't believe I'm doing this?"' She now believes her divorce helped her revaluate her life and enter the mindset of property development. Ms Fidoe also documents her progress on Instagram via @alex_fidoe_property.
South Wales Guardian
21-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Weetabix discontinues Alpen bars in all UK supermarkets
It comes as shoppers recently noticed that Alpen bars (including Alpen Light) had disappeared from supermarket shelves. But when one person reached out to Weetabix, the company confirmed they had been axed from the Alpen line-up – a surprise move which was made in 2024. It comes as someone wrote on Reddit: 'Was starting to think I imagined them, but nah — Alpen bars (including Alpen Delight) have actually disappeared from every supermarket and even their website. No pages, no mentions, not even in the product archive. Just gone. 'I emailed Alpen to ask what was going on and they replied confirming they've discontinued the whole line. No announcement, no heads-up — just wiped off the map.' In the r/CasualUK subreddit, they posted the email response they received from Weetabix, which said: 'I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but after careful consideration we have made the difficult decision to discontinue this line of products. 'We understand that this may come as a disappointment to you and would like to express our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 'Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we deeply regret any disruption this may bring to your experience with us." Taking to the comments under the post, this Alpen bar fan shared: 'I'm the exact niche person for this post as I have genuinely been looking for alpen bars the past few weeks!! A very genuine and serious thank you for your service emailing them.' Also replying to the original Reddit post, this person put: 'Thanks for your diligent service! I am now moving over to the Nutella B-Ready, it'll never be the same.' A third commented: 'My early morning, pre-swim ritual for the past five years has been a coffee and Alpen bar (strawberry yoghurt my personal favourite), and I have been searching for these for weeks since they disappeared off the shelves.' Someone who had fond memories of eating Alpen bars as a child, responded: 'Omg I remember them from when I was a kid! That's really sad actually I loved those bars (can't have them anymore due to discontinued but also gluten intolerance).' A shocked customer wrote: 'Oh no! I was wondering where they'd gone.' While one said: 'Another icon gone, and I don't even have any left in the cupboard I can hawk on eBay, how sad.' 'Sad times coz they're the only reasonably priced, kind of healthy and tasty bars I liked,' shared this gutted Reddit profile. A Weetabix Food Company spokesperson said: "As part of our focus on long term growth and simplifying the business, we made the decision to discontinue Alpen bars in 2024. What was your favourite flavoured Alpen bar? (Image: Weetabix) "This change enabled us to redeploy our teams toward our most valuable products, supporting the continued growth of our core operations. Recommended reading: Sainsbury's shoppers 'won't buy anything' as major change rolled out in-store Lidl's new 59p bakery treat makes 'dreams a reality' for shoppers Greggs fans slam 'ridiculous' self-serve changes saying 'it will only get worse' "We're pleased to confirm that, as a result of this decision, the majority of our brilliant people chose to stay and help us to remain focused on delivering the great-tasting, nutritious products our consumers know and trust." Have you been searching for Alpen bars during your weekly food shop recently? Let us know if you will miss them in the comments below.
