What the papers say - June 25, 2007

Sales of fine wines costing £20 or more continued to help drive growth at Majestic Wines last year. The wines and spirits retailer said that pre-tax profits rose 14.1pc to £16.2m last year while sales rose 11pc to £191.2m. Sales of fine wines, priced at £20 and above, increased by 25 per cent and now account for 3.6 per cent of UK retail sales. 28 Majestic stores include dedicated fine wine sales areas and the company said this was expected to reach 40 by Christmas - The Telegraph​

Beer prices in Germany could jump by 40 per cent because farmers are growing less barley and increasing output of crops for biodiesel and bioethanol - The Telegraph​

Roadside restaurant chain Little Chef has received approaches from four potential buyers, understood to include Italy's wealthy Benetton family and US burger chain Wendy's. Little Chef was bought out of administration by turnaround specialist R Capital in January. It appointed corporate finance boutique Cavendish as an adviser after receiving an approach from Autogrill, the Italian motorway services operator majority owned by the Benetton family - The Telegraph​

The food watchdog is investigating thousands of tons of imported chicken being served in the UK that has been pumped up with water and proteins to make it appear heavier and bigger. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Sun] said it is looking into poultry imported from the Netherlands which contains as much as 35 per cent water - but was described as having a meat content of 80 per cent. The chickens were destined for places such as restaurants, take-aways, school canteens, hospitals and care homes - Daily Mail​

Paul Weller is facing legal action for breaking Britain's new no-smoking laws. Weller, 49, lit up several times during a concert in Newport, South Wales, where smoking in public places has been banned since April 2. The local council will study video evidence and the singer could be fined up to £200 - The Times​