Borders coffee outlets closed
All 36 Starbucks outlets located in Borders shops in the UK have been forced to close after the book chain’s administrator MCR was unable to agree the sale of any part of the business as a going concern. The outlets closed on 22 December and a spokesperson for Starbucks said the firm was "working to temporarily redeploy as many partners as possible to nearby Starbucks stores".

US bakery café boom
Bakery cafés in the US have emerged as high-fliers in the restaurant industry, reported Businesswire.com. The findings, in a new study from foodservice industry consultant Technomic, also suggested bakery cafés were well-positioned for new growth opportunities as the US economy improves. Panera Bread, Einstein Bros, Bagels and Au Bon Pain have the biggest share of the market.

M&S leaves City cold
Anaylsts were underwhelmed by Marks & Spencer’s third-quarter trading figures, which showed UK like-for-like growth of just 0.8% and food sales up 1.3%. Paul Mumford, senior fund manager at Cavendish Asset Management, said: "The figures underline the problematic market position of M&S in recessionary Britain. This is particularly apparent in its food division, which is only now starting to address supermarket competition, and a premium brand that does not play well in Britain’s new age of austerity."

Sonneveld’s new site
Bakery ingredients manufacturer and supplier Sonneveld has launched its new website www.sonneveld.com/en this month. It offers support for its clients 24 hours a day and bakers can find the right ingredients with its relevant search criteria.

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