OUT & ABOUT
12 ASIAN TRADER 19 SEPTEMBER 2025
Current affairs
It’s official – business is not boring, although
quite a few corporates are wishing that it
was. The latest embarrassing hoo-ha was
at Nestlé, where CEO Laurent Freixe was
booted out after having an affair with a
colleague. Before we lament that nothing
is permitted any more, it has to be said that
while you might meet your eventual spouse
at work, affairs are frowned on – think of
the recent “Cold Play Cam” incident, where
tech CEO Andy Byron fell on his sword after
a starring role at the concert smooching
with his head of PR, Kristin Cabot. Twisting
the knife, his wife subsequently left him.
While we might suppose that Nestlé’s
Freixe was just being typically French, CEOs
who attach themselves to subordinates risk
lawsuits from spurned lovers and damaging
the reputations of their firms (which means
share price plunges and angry investors).
What’s more, power can be portrayed as
coercive – and often is. Freixe’s case is par
ticularly bad because he lied about the affair
to two separate internal investigations, and
it now appears that he also promoted his
lover.
Here in the grocery sector, though,
scandal seems to be a bit thin on the ground.
Again and again, we hear tales of happy
families running stores, of loving couples
working all hours, and of endless devotion
to the local community. Desperately we
seek dirt in the wholesale sector but all we
get is discounts and PMPs. Come on people,
up your game!
Better eating
– Speaking of wholesalers, we were out and
about around Blackfriars here in London the
other day (mere minutes away from Asian
Trader Towers) to attend the official launch
of Good Food Retail Network by two organi
sations: Impact on Urban Health and Rice
Marketing. It’s been supported Bestway
as a wholesale partner since 2021 and has
been working with convenience stores to
promote and sell good wholesome food to
inner city families in place of HPFs and junk
meals – at prices that are not expensive by
comparison, and that match Tesco’s. After
a pilot period of over 100 skus out of two
Bestway depots, it was proven that poorer
people will happily eat healthier if they
have access to affordable ingredients. Now,
coinciding with the government’s plans to
extend HFSS restrictions to the c-channel,
Westminster interest in the project is
growing and the scheme is extending out
of London and across the UK, again using
Bestways many nationwide depots. Above
all, it’s been proven that indies can increase
sales by stocking healthier options, and that
people really want to learn to eat better. Still
no scandals, though.
Beware bubbles
– But back to Nestlé: there was a flap last
week about Nestlé’s Aero choc bar contain
ing beef gelatine – it’s what helps create the
bubbles – and a Hindu organisation in the
USA was outraged that people hadn’t been
warned that they might be eating Cow.
Preliminary investigation by our intrepid
investigator Hooda Thunkit (see below)
reveals that there is in fact no beef gelatine
in Aero – although perhaps, as with certain
chocolate mousses on sale in various retail
ers – there might well be “animal protein”
in the ingredients of some “non-meat”
products, which would not be ideal for strict
vegetarians, to say the least. Worth check
ing the labels, as always!
Open all hours
– We’re hearing rumours that the gov
ernment is thinking of relaxing Sunday
trading laws for the mults, as a sop to the
higher business rates imposed by Chancellor
Reeves. Buckle up, indies, it’s going to be a
rough ride.
About
Out &
Hooda Thunkit’s Factoid Korner
Hooda Thunkit, our intrepid researcher and amateur detective, discovered
that way back when – we’re talking over a thousand years ago – whoever
was then resident here (Germans, Vikings, leftover Romans who hated the
sun, as well as Picts, Celts and even a few Anglos), the words “lord” and
“lady” both emerged … from the bakery. In fact, the word “Lord” started
life as hlāford (“loaf-ward” or “bread-keeper”) and “lady” as hlāfdige
(“loaf-kneader” or “bread-maker”). These titles were given to the
important folk who would have been in charge of the village or
settlement’s food suppply – those who had the power to dole out vital
calories to their family or community.
Well, think about it: as convenience retailers, that’s exactly what you
folks do. You supply all the “bread” – and bread itself – to your
communities. As far as Hooda is concerned that makes you the real modern
aristocratic lords and ladies of your street (a bit like accountants, who have
“Count” as part of their name). My lords and ladies of convenience, we bow in
your general direction! Is it time for a coat of arms?
Got any gossip,
rumours, scandals,
the low-down on
the latest moves, or
just an interesting
story? Then email