The D&I in Grocery Programme has launched its 2023 Impact Report, which demonstrates the exponential growth and progress the programme has made both as a whole and within its three main workstreams, Shared Learning, Mentoring and its annual sell-out D&I in Grocery LIVE! event.
The D&I in Grocery Programme is managed by GroceryAid, with the support of the Strategy Steering
Group and three workstream steering groups. Together they ensure the Programme is meeting both the current and future needs of its Partners. In 2023, the Programme raised more than £950,000 for GroceryAid, the charity that provides free and confidential support to colleagues 24/7 365 days a year. The remaining £500,000 was invested back into the programme.
In 2023, the D&I in Grocery Programme increased to 91 partners, a growth of more than 300 per cent since 2020. The partnership comprises some of the UK’s most well-known and influential FMCG brands with an estimated collective UK employee base of more than 1.2 million. Collaboration remains a unique benefit of the partnership, and across the year the programme saw over 300 partner connections made, enabling these organisations to support each other in the development of D&I practices and policies.
Over the last 12 months, the programme delivered more than 12,500 learning hours, covering 64 D&I topics. Two hundred senior leaders from the grocery industry participated in the cross-industry mentoring programme, bringing the total number of participants to 400, a 589 per cent increase from its 2020 total cohort of 58 mentors and mentees.
“The Impact Report has highlighted how the collaborative effort of our Partnership is accelerating a truly diverse and inclusive grocery industry, and we’re really proud of it. As the new Strategy Steering Group Chair, I am excited to continue driving this momentum forward,” said Simon Smith.
In addition to raising money to support GroceryAid, another benefit of the 2024 partnership is the D&I in Grocery Maturity Model. The purpose of the model is to annually measure the maturity of D&I in the grocery industry and its partnership, comprising of more than 90 FMCG organisations. Results will be used to identify key areas of focus across the industry to collectively accelerate change and track tangible progress.
The Wouhra family has announced the sad demise of Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of East End Foods co-founder Tony Deep Wouhra and an influential figure in the early days of the business.
Surrounded by her family, she passed away peacefully on Christmas Day, 25 December, at the age of 79, following a year-long battle with lymphoma. She has three children, daughter Nina and sons Paul and Roger.
Her role in the success of the company, which has become one of the UK's leading food wholesalers, cannot be overstated. In a heartfelt tribute posted on LinkedIn on Thursday, Roger shared the deep impact his mother had on the family business.
“My mother was pivotal in shaping my father as a future businessman. They met in the early 1960s when my father, an immigrant with £3 who came to the UK looking for work. It was my mother who introduced my father to Pat Austin who had a farm with 800 hens which provided him with stock to sell eggs door to door. He didn’t look back and after that East End Foods was born in the early 1970s,” Roger wrote.
Tony established the East End Foods spice manufacturing company in Wolverhampton in 1972. His mother was an integral part of the business in its early days, Roger said, helping her husband with various tasks, from chopping chickens to managing tills at their cash and carry stores.
Tony’s four brothers joined the business, and East End Foods would become one of the leading suppliers of Asian food to the UK and Europe. In 2019, the family sold the business to private equity firm Exponent.
Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…
Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…www.linkedin.com
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother, Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of previous Chairman and Co-Founder of East End Foods plc, Dr… | 329 comments on LinkedIn
Roger also reflected on his mother’s role beyond the business, highlighting her dedication to family life. “They say behind every successful man is a great woman, and that she truly was. What we all forget when we see people’s success stories is the other half who have supported and stuck by those who sacrificed family life and worked long hours… bringing up the children single handedly,” he shared.
In addition to her business contributions, Barbara was also a trailblazer in her personal life. In 1967, she became one of the first English women to marry at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, breaking new ground at a time when interfaith marriages were rare.
In his post, Roger also expressed gratitude for the support his family received from the nurses of the charity Marie Curie, which provides specialist care for people with terminal illnesses. “I would like to thank the Marie Curie nurses who looked after my mother in her final weeks. They really need support to keep the service going,” he said.
Primula Cheese, owned by Kavli Trust, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting communities nationwide with another year of charitable donations, continuing its long-standing tradition of giving all profits to good causes.
This year, Primula’s profits will make a tangible difference to two standout organisations: Feeding Families, which addresses food insecurity, and the Alan Shearer Centre, a lifeline for individuals with complex disabilities. Each charity will receive £17,500 to bolster their work during the festive season and beyond.
“At Feeding Families, our mission is to support families facing hardship by providing essential food parcels and a sense of hope. Primula’s generous contribution will allow us to expand our reach and positively impact even more lives. We’re incredibly thankful for their partnership in tackling food insecurity together,” Juliet Sanders, chief executive of Feeding Families, commented.
Sarah Croft, residential home manager at Alan Shearer Centre, said: “We knew we had made a shortlist of candidates for the donation, but were totally surprised when we found out we had been selected. It’s really hard to find the words to say how much this means for our home and the people we support.”
Primula said its charitable initiatives are integral to its broader marketing and brand strategy, resonating with a growing base of socially conscious consumers. Research suggests that shoppers increasingly care about how companies donate, not just how much, with brands that prioritise meaningful, transparent contributions gaining greater consumer trust and loyalty.
With over 60 years of sharing its profits to help good causes, Primula added that it is well-positioned to appeal to these values, offering a unique opportunity for retailers to partner with a purpose-driven brand.
“These donations are a testament to our ongoing mission to champion meaningful causes that benefit people locally and nationally. When consumers choose Primula, they’re not just buying a delicious product - they’re helping to support communities in need across the UK,” Lisa Thornton, head of marketing at Kavli UK, added.
Primula’s charitable ethos was also celebrated during its 100th anniversary campaign earlier this year. A radio-led initiative invited the public to nominate charities close to their hearts, resulting in £25,000 being shared among five UK organisations.
In total, the Kavli Trust - owner of Primula and other household brands like Castle MacLellan - has donated over £31 million to good causes globally since 2013, including £8 million in 2020 alone.
The Coca Cola Company has unveiled two major developments as it strengthens its position in the fast-growing alcohol ready-to-drink (ARTD) market.
The company announced the appointment of Paula Costa as the new president of its Emerging Category division, where she will oversee the development of the company’s global ARTD portfolio.
Costa, who will join Coca Cola 1 January 2025, succeeds Khalil Younes, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Younes has had an extensive career at Coca‑Cola, including a central role in building the company’s ARTD portfolio.
Costa joins from Switzerland-based bottler Coca‑Cola HBC, where she has most recently served as group director, premium spirits. She has led distribution partnerships with international premium spirits brands, including Brown-Forman, Edrington Group and Bacardi. She has overseen the regional marketing team for Finlandia vodka in CCH territories, which was acquired in 2023.
Costa’s career has included roles across Europe and Latin America. She joined CCH in 2021 from Diageo, where she was vice president of marketing for Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and duty-free borders. She worked for Diageo from 2019 to 2021 and oversaw a portfolio that included Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Tanqueray, Gordon ́s, Ypioca and Bailey’s.
From 2017 to 2019, she was with Electrolux in Latin America, where she led the region’s marketing for large appliances. From 2014 to 2017, she worked for L’Oreal, serving as chief marketing officer and general manager for the Luxury division in Brazil.
Earlier, she held roles with Samsung Electronics in Brazil and Unilever in Brazil and the UK.
Billson’s range
In a related move, Coca Cola also announced the acquisition of Billson’s, a well-known Australian ARTD brand. The acquisition, set to close on 31 January 2025, will add popular local products such as Vodka with Tangle, Vodka with Grape Burst, and Vodka with Portello to Coca Cola’s growing ARTD portfolio.
“We are excited to add Billson’s to our portfolio of Australian brands,” said Matthias Blume, Coca Cola vice president of marketing, ASEAN and South Pacific.
“This acquisition allows us to expand in the dynamic and growing alcoholic ready-to-drink category in Australia and aligns with our vision to provide a beverage for every occasion, always keeping the consumer at the centre of everything we do. Of course, we know that offering options with alcohol brings new responsibilities for us, and we take these seriously. Our Responsible Alcohol Marketing Policy determines how we responsibly go to market with alcohol brands.”
The current owners of Billson’s, Nathan and Felicity Cowan, will continue to produce their well-known cordial, soda, and beer range under a new brand name and to operate their hospitality business in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
Blume added that the Billson’s team has built the brand through innovative flavours and great-tasting drinks, creating a passionate community of “flavour chasers.”
“We are looking forward to expanding on those foundations and bringing great-tasting Billson’s products to even more Australians,” he said.
Coca‑Cola added that it has no current plans to expand Billson’s beyond Australia.
The SPAR Omagh Half Marathon and 5K Run is set to return on Sunday 6 April 2025, with the town and local retailer SPAR NI showing full support for the event for the 17th consecutive year.
This year will mark the Omagh Half Marathon’s 35th birthday, which has grown to be a major fixture in the Athletics road running calendar, with many runners returning year on year to participate and enjoy the festival atmosphere.
This year, Omagh Harriers have increased their entry numbers to over 3500 half marathon runners, which will be their largest participant field to date, with a further 1000 running and walking the 5K route.
Darcey Wilson, corporate marketing executive at Henderson Group, which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland, said that SPAR NI is thrilled to be back on board as title sponsor for the event.
“We’re so proud to be playing a part in delivering such a great event which is one of the key events in our calendar every year and an extra special one this year celebrating the Omagh Half’s 35th birthday. At SPAR NI, we are passionate about supporting events like this and promoting health and fitness initiatives throughout the country,” Wilson commented.
“Look out for us in Omagh on the day, as we’ll be cheering on the runners and walkers, and handing out some exciting prizes and goodies from SPAR NI.”
This year’s Half Marathon Walk commences at 08:30am, with the Half Marathon Run setting off at 09:30am, followed by the 5K at 09:45am. All participants start and end at Omagh Leisure Complex on the Old Mountfield Road and it is anticipated that there will be a total field of 4500 runners, joggers and walkers.
“On behalf of all the organisers, I’d like to pay tribute to our title sponsor SPAR NI, who have worked closely with us to grow and develop the race into the popular event which exists today,” Michael Ward, race director, said.
“We have witnessed this event grow enormously over the past 35 years. There is a growth in the amount of people pursuing a healthier lifestyle and with the pace and stresses of everyday living, running is a great release and also a way of meeting new friends.”
“The Omagh Half isn’t just for competitive runners”, Ward continued. “Our annual 5K run also attracts huge numbers, right through from primary school children to the more experienced. This year’s race also welcomes a new and exciting element for the 5K runners. There is a team prize up for grabs for the winning non-running sports club, this can be any sports club from rugby, Gaelic or football to badminton, table tennis and darts.
“For those who aren’t registered for this year, we would invite them to come down and enjoy the magical atmosphere on Sunday 6th April, it might even encourage you to register to walk, jog or run the course next year”.
The half marathon event for 2025 is sold out; however, registrations are still open at sientries.co.uk for the 5k Run.
This year’s beneficiary charity is Care for Cancer, a local charity that provides support to individuals and their families who have been affected by cancer in Omagh and surrounding areas, providing a drop-in service, transport to hospital appointments, reflexology sessions and much more. This year, Omagh Harriers will donate £3 from every half marathon entry to Care for Cancer. Participants are welcome to raise additional funds, to find out more about the charity, visit https://careforcancer.co.uk/
Keep ReadingShow less
Antrim retailers Charles and Rhonda Henderson end the year with anniversary celebrations
Charles and Rhonda Henderson, owners of SPAR Parkhall, are celebrating 15 years serving their community as a SPAR store.
The store opened in 2005 trading as MACE Parkhall until 2009 when they began trading with Henderson Group, under the SPAR brand. Upon opening, the store had just 12 employees which has since doubled to 24 people from the local community working in the store.
Over the years, Charles and Rhonda have made major investments into the SPAR Parkhall store totalling £290,000, completing five significant refurbishments to bring the highest quality products and services to their shoppers.
“We’ve invested significantly over the years to make five major refurbishments which have transformed our store to bring even more products to shoppers’ doorsteps, including an extended range of fresh and locally sourced produce,” Charles explained.
Being a hub for their local community, the team are dedicated to the local organisations and charities that are close to the hearts of their staff and shoppers and have raised over £25,000 for Marie Curie.
“Our team have worked hard over the years to create a community focussed store and fundraising for Marie Curie, a charity close to our hearts, has been at the forefront with numerous instore events and initiatives over the last 15 years to raise an incredible amount for the charity,” Charles added.
“We want to thank our loyal shoppers, without whom, we wouldn’t have had the success our family business has had over the past 15 years as a SPAR store. Our Post Office is also a central point of our store, for which we were awarded Best Rural Post Office at the Post Office Awards back in 2012. I want to thank our Post Office staff who always go the extra mile for our shoppers.
“We love serving our neighbours, seeing friendly faces every day and knowing we are a hub in our local community which has always been very important to us.
“We wish to extend a huge thank you to our shoppers for their support since we opened back in 2005. We are committed to serving our community and we look forward to many more successful years at SPAR Parkhall.”
Patrick Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group, which owns the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland, commented: “We all send our congratulations to Charles, Rhonda and the whole team on this business milestone. They have grown a store that sits at the core of their community, providing everyday essentials and a hub for the local area and we wish them every success for many more years to come.”