'Pernod wins Absolut in fight for V&S'

Pernod Ricard closed the gap on Diageo at the top of the global spirits league table yesterday after clinching the €5.63 billion (£4.48 billion) acquisition of the state-controlled Swedish company behind Absolut vodka - The Times​

Globe Pub Company, the tenanted pub group owned by property investor Robert Tchenguiz, has seen another quarter of steeper falls in beer sales followed by a run of pub closures - heaping further pressure on its already strained balance sheet - The Guardian​

Time was called on more than 250 years of brewing with the sale of Scottish & Newcastle yesterday. Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to accept a £7.8billion joint offer from Heineken and Carlsberg - Daily Mirror ​

Alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled in some areas since the introduction of 24-hour drinking. Official figures show massive increases for many hospitals, including a 242 per cent rise at Alder Hey in Liverpool, which only treats those under 16 - Daily Mail​

Sales of free-range eggs have overtaken those from battery farms for the first time, it emerged yesterday. According to the British Egg Information Service, 51 per cent of eggs bought last month were free-range, while 41 per cent came from caged hens. The remainder came from a mixture of barn and organic farms- The Guardian​

An insatiable appetite for TV cookery shows has had little impact on the variety of food served in the average home, according to new research. Just six dishes account for the most frequent meals in 98 per cent of British households - The Times​

People not classed as overweight but who lack muscle are just as unhealthy as those who are considered obese, doctors are warning - Daily Telegraph​

Today the status of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the promotional and market development agency with an annual budget of £5 million, changes from a private company limited by guarantee to a non-departmental public body (NDPB) - The Scotsman​