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malone

That is interesting. I did not know you were involved with the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA). Sand-Spencer and Dee sit on the Retail sub-committee as "experts" while Lady Coe and a few others, including you, are independent, seeking to protect the interests of customers. You are doing a great job.

Were you in the chair?

grunger

I didnt know Malone was on the CMA. She is certainly an active member of the other CMA, Cant Move Apostrophes. Other members are a Yorkshireman, a crossword compiler and a couple of garden centre enthusiasts.

Were you looking in at this thread a couple of months ago? There was a lot of confusion regarding the 2 CMAs. Malone and I did some analysis of "Sainsbury's" and their use of other names Sainsburys'/Sainsburys etc. We sent this to the CMA and soon after, the deal with Asda was rejected. The Chief Exec of Sainsbury's was furious, and criticised our analysis as "fundamentally flawed", and referred to the "inaccuracy and lack of objectivity".

He had to apologise for confusing the 2 CMAs. The final verdict on Sada will be given soon. Malone will not leak it of course.

Thanks, Jigjag and Grunger. Yes, it's unfortunate that there are two such august bodies with the same initials, CMA. Still, that's better than the initials, acronym, previously offered by an obviously off-form member of PU - she suggested we should be the Campaign for the Removal of Apostrophes in Plurals. That would hardly have reflected well on us, though I think it would've ensured that we received plenty of media coverage for any of our initiatives.


Grunger, I wasn't in the chair at the meeting - it was standing room only.

malone

your joke reminded me of an organisation I once worked for. They had "standing committees" and I told one "chairman" that his position was untenable as he was out of line with the other members. I advised him to "stand" for re-election. He was rather offended until the joke was explained to him.

Malone

Yes I remember when PU discussed the name you suggested. The name might have offended PUrists but as you say, the media would have loved it. I think the voting was 50/50 and you gave your casting vote.

Grunger's posting reminded that I have worked for a company who had a Corporate Re-organisation Action Plan, and another with a Key Result Area Programme. Neither was flushed with success.

Jigjag, Grunger, thanks for your *RAP posts and the running jokes. Life as a pedant can be tough at times, so the odd light-hearted moment is welcome.

I don't know whether our apostrophe initiatives have had an effect on the country as a whole, but I'm pleased to say that I've noted very few problems recently. I hope everyone involved in PU will continue to be vigilant. That goes for all areas, of course - apostrophes (missing and misplaced), mangled sentences, misused words and phrases...

Malone

Did you watch "Supermarket Secrets" on TV last night. It featured 2 of your favourite subjects, Tesco and Gregg Wallace. Apparently Tesco are cashing in on the "Vegan" craze and have appointed a "Head of Plants".
He showed Gregg how to cook mushrooms so that they looked and tasted like steak. Gregg was very impressed. "That really tastes like steak" he said, managing to keep a straight face.

Grunger

I turned on to watch "This Week", which is on far too late, but found that Greggg was on instead. The mushroom piece was remarkable. When he talked about the "marbling" in steak, and that the sorry mass of burnt mushrooms in the pan looked and tasted like steak, I thought that he had really lost his marbles.

Over at Sada, the "Head of Mushrooms", Fergus Fungus is also after the Vegan market. He is growing mushrooms that resemble the creatures from a distant world that clashed with Mr Spock many years ago.

Thanks, folks.

I really didn't fancy the 'Supermarkets Secrets' programme, mainly because it was presented by Gurning Gregg. I'm all for enthusiasm, but GG seems to have gone rather manic over the past few years.

I too have watched the current Vegan/Plant-based diet stuff gaining momentum. It's been great to watch the supermarkets falling over themselves in their rush to cash in on current trends. Tesco may have a 'Head of Plants', but Marks and Spencer have a whole 'plant kitchen'. I was met with a baffled response when I tried to buy a steamroller last week. Still, it wasn't a total disaster - I bought some 'cauliflower popcorn' instead.

Malone

I love your "Plant Kitchen" idea - dont be surprised if a supermarket introduces something like that. I bet that if you had managed to buy your steamroller there, you would have been charged for a carrier-bag.

I am going to the market tomorrow and must ask Ivan Napple about his views on current trends in the mushrooming mushroom industry.