Retail Randoms

BEFORE YOU GO

Lobster debate hits boiling point

Granted, not many convenience stores tend to sell live lobsters, but purely as a matter of interest, we thought you might be keen to learn that the House of Lords is proposing a ban on boiling lobsters alive.

As all gourmet retailers out there will be aware, the traditional method of preparing Sunday lunch is to dunk a live lobster into a pot of boiling water before serving it alongside a slice of veal with some foie gras on the side.

Well, those days may soon be over if shellfish campaigners have their way. Several of them, dressed up as crustaceans, gathered outside the House of Lords yesterday as Peers put forward amendments to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill to recognise that crabs and lobsters can feel pain.

The move could see these animals given new legal protections, and means that restaurants and fishmongers could be banned from boiling crabs alive or sending live lobsters through the post. So, yeh.

Beans and toast, gin and tonic, Macallan and Bentley?

As niche hook ups go, the latest one from whisky brand Macallan and luxury car brand Bentley takes a bit of beating. Some things naturally go together – ham and eggs, gin and tonic, beans and toast – but whisky and fancy motors?

For some reason, Macallan and Bentley have joined forces to, says the press release, “build on their rich heritage to develop distinctive collaborations and further their vision of a more sustainable future”. You may be wondering how a car that is lucky if it gets 18mpg going downhill can create a more sustainable future by partnering with a whisky company – but apparently the partnership is centred around a new hybrid Bentley that presumably burns a lot less fuel than a fully-loaded 747.

The collaboration will, we understand, “create immersive experiences and inspirational products that deliver timeless luxury balanced with a commitment to a more progressive world”. We look forward to learning more.