Christmas - NewsWireExplorer

Lidl to open more than 50 stores across UK – almost 2,000 new jobs created

Harry J — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:50:44 +0000

Lidl has said it expects to open more than 50 new stores in the next 12 months as part of a £600 million investment plan. The UK’s sixth-largest supermarket chain said the move will create close to 2,000 jobs across the UK.

New store openings will include sites such as Abbots Langley near Watford, Warrington in Cheshire and Thornbury in Gloucestershire, which are all set to open this summer, the company said. Lidl said it will host more than 150 property partners and agents later this month to share its future growth plans as it targets new freehold, leasehold, or long-leasehold properties across Great Britain.

The firm has more than 1,000 stores across Britain and employs more than 35,000 workers. It also operates over 12,600 stores globally across 31 countries, with the vast majority of its footprint in mainland Europe, including over 3,000 in Germany, around 1,600 in France and nearly 200 US stores.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “As we grow, we want to positively impact our British communities. We’re not just opening doors, we’re unlocking regional growth.

“Our expansion translates directly into high-quality jobs and gives British suppliers the certainty they need to invest in the future.

“Above all, it advances our social purpose of making affordable, healthy food accessible to everyone.”

Employment minister Kate Dearden said: “This kind of investment is exactly what we want to see from big employers – creating thousands of good jobs that pay fair wages and boost the standard of living in communities across the country.”

It comes after Lidl reported a 10% surge in sales over a “record-breaking” Christmas, during which nearly 51 million customers shopped with the discounter.

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Wetherspoon set to axe 15 items from menu in days – full list

Harry J — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 07:00:44 +0000

If you are a big fan of Wetherspoon, you’ll be sad to learn that they are about to axe 15 menu items over the following days.

The festive menu was only rolled out in November, but popular items such as the Big Cheese Burger to the festive loaded chips, among others, will be removed from the menu at the start of the new year. Pub-goers now have only a short time left to enjoy the festive food on offer, as the limited-time range will leave Wetherspoon locations after December 31, 2025.

The menus at the different pub locations can vary, so make sure to check what is on offer at your local Wetherspoons. The Pub giant does not often adjust its menu throughout the year, with the Christmas limited-time offerings being the biggest shake-up.

So, if the festive menu is a highlight for you, now is the time to satisfy your final Christmas cravings with the giant profiterole dessert, the Five Gold Rings burger, and a variation of brie and cranberry paninis and pizzas, to name a few.

Wetherspoons confirmed to the Express that the Christmas menu won’t be available after New Year’s Eve.

A statement on Wetherspoon’s official website reads: “No need to book… just turn up and enjoy the festive offering. The Christmas menu is available from Wednesday, November 12, until Wednesday, December 31 (excluding Christmas Day).”

The full Christmas menu is as follows:

Sliced turkey breast and winter vegetables, £13.99 with soft drink, £15.52 with alcoholic drink
The big cheese burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
Brie and bacon burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
Chicken and stuffing burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
The five gold rings burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
Mushroom and garlic burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
12″ southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap
10″ southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap
Festive loaded chips, £8.99
Brie and garlic mushroom pizza, £10.34 with soft drink, £11.87 with alcoholic drink
Chicken, stuffing, bacon and Brie pizza, £11.52 with soft drink, £13.05 with alcoholic drink
Chicken, stuffing, bacon and cranberry panini
Brie and cranberry panini
Cookies and cream blondie, £5.58
Giant profiterole, £5.58.

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Full list of UK shops and supermarkets shut on Boxing Day 2025

Harry J — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:56:32 +0000

Shoppers are urged to plan ahead as a wave of major shops and supermarkets have announced they will be closed on Boxing Day.

Anyone planning a post-Christmas shopping spree will need to check opening/closing times, as more stores have announced their festive hours. From Aldi and Poundland to Marks and Spencer, here’s a round-up of UK shops that are closed on December 26.

Aldi has confirmed that all UK stores will shut on Boxing Day, following the same pattern as in past years. The doors shut at 6pm on Christmas Eve, and branches won’t reopen until December 27.

Home Bargains will also shut shops, allowing its staff members to get a Christmas break.

Marks and Spencer will close most of its stores on Boxing Day again. Only a handful of service stations will remain open, operating differently, however.

Poundland and The Works will be closed for the day.

Several other major high street names have also confirmed they will not open on Boxing Day, including Dunelm, Pets at Home, Wickes, and B&Q.

Tesco is closing its superstores on Boxing Day, although many Express shops will reopen with reduced hours.

Waitrose has only a very small number of its stores operating for the delivery platform; however, it will keep almost all of its branches shut.

Not every retail store will close on December 26. Lidl will be open across the UK on Boxing Day, with reduced hours.

Asda will reopen from mid-morning on Boxing Day, and Morrisons will remain open with limited hours.

Sainsbury’s will also be open to the public on Boxing Day; however, superstores will have reduced hours.

Boots, Superdrug and H&M will be open on Boxing Day, ready for their end-of-year sales.

Next has not confirmed its Boxing Day sales just yet, but historically, it has closed early. And Primark will likely be trading on December 26, in line with previous years.

Despite national policies, there will likely be some varying opening times depending on staffing, store size and location throughout the Christmas period.

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Major Coca-Cola Christmas truck announcement for 15 UK towns and cities

Harry J — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:22:14 +0000

The iconic Coca-Cola Truck has announced a new Christmas tour, with 15 stops across the UK confirmed. The dazzling red lorry, adorned with festive lights, is known to travel around the country each year, offering fans a taste of Coca-Cola’s drinks whilst spreading holiday cheer in the run-up to the global holiday.

Celebrating 15 years since its first journey, this year’s tour will visit 15 locations nationwide, inviting everyone to “Refresh Your Holidays”. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Coca-Cola will continue its partnership with FareShare, the UK’s leading food redistribution charity. To celebrate the truck’s return, Coca-Cola will make a direct donation to FareShare, equivalent to one million meals, supporting its vital work in providing edible food to those who need it most across the country, reports to The Mirror.

Coca-Cola is also partnering with Tesco to spread festive goodwill through the meal deal. For every Tesco Festive Meal Deal purchased with any 500ml Coca-Cola drink, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners will donate 20p to FareShare, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Elodie Peribere, Senior Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, said: “Coca-Cola remains synonymous with Christmas, and we’re delighted to bring back our iconic Truck Tour. This year, we’re encouraging everyone to ‘Refresh Your Holidays’ and take a well-deserved pause to create uplifting moments with loved ones”.

Peribere added: “Our continued partnership with FareShare, with our donation equivalent to 1 million meals, is incredibly important to us, and we hope to make this Christmas a little more meaningful for thousands of people across the country”.

The 15 locations included on the tour schedule are yet to be confirmed for 2025. Fans may recall that, after a six-year hiatus, the Coca-Cola Truck made its spectacular return to Liverpool’s Paradise Street in 2023, having previously called at Williamson Square. And last year, the legendary vehicle came back once again on December 5, this time setting up at a new location outside the Burger King opposite New Mersey Retail Park in Speke.

In a UK first, the Coca-Cola Truck made a second Liverpool stop the following day, December 6, at Liverpool ONE. Crowds gathered to glimpse the festive favourite, singing carols whilst they queued. During its 48-hour stay, visitors received complimentary gifts, competitions, and bundles of Christmas joy. Will Liverpool be on Coca-cola’s list again?

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Morrisons giving away free Christmas food this week – how to claim

Harry J — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:40:20 +0000

Christmas is soon approaching, and with it comes the opportunity to indulge in festive food — a British favourite being the mince pie. This Winter, Supermarket store Morrisons is set to launch its new tradition: National Mince Pie Day to welcome in the family period. Encouraging its customers to join in on the celebrations, Morrisons has declared November 22 to be its annual day for its Rich & Fruity treats.

The chain groccery store has declared to hand out a huge 50,000 pies to customers across the country to lucky customers this Saturday, selected stores will mark the day with gluten-free pies on hand too. Visitors just need to swing by their local need shop to get their hands on a mince pie.

Morrisons bakers have shared that they prepare a monumental 20 million freshly baked pies per year, working hard to maintain pie levels for all during the cold season. Unsurprisingly, the sweet treat is a sure hit with Brits, with nearly 10 million sold in December alone — that’s more than 12,000 pies bought per hour.

The build up to the new national day has led to recent research which states the mince pie to be the second most “official taste of Christmas”, just after the iconic roast turkey. With an average of six pies per citezen in December, it is no surprise that the pie is a universally celebrated favourite; Manchester scoring highest as the city where pies are eaten the most during Christmas, compared to everywhere else in the country.

The tradition, which saw minced meat in the Middle Ages to monstrous portions during Victorian period, is a constant and defiant part of history, also due to Oliver Cromwell having banned the product due to believing them to be a lavish and indulgent Christmas habit.

A British Food Historian, Neil Buttery, British Food Historian, commented: “The humble mince pie has been part of Britain’s Christmas foodie festivities since medieval times, so Christmas without them is simply unimaginable. As a food historian and chef who has baked many different types of mince pies from across the centuries, and loved them all, I’m so pleased that Morrisons is finally giving the festive treats the recognition they deserve with their own day”.

Mark Richmond, Head Chef at Morrisons, shared: “We wanted to give the nation a reason to smile and celebrate one of our most-loved festive bakes and we’ve done just that by launching National Mince Pie Day and giving away 50,000 pies. Having hundreds of expert bakers working hard all-year round to prepare millions of pies across the UK and a variety available for all tastebuds, makes us best placed to celebrate the mince pie! National Mince Pie Day will help spread a little early Christmas cheer and make sure everyone can enjoy a taste of the season, on us!”.

With 10 varieties on offer this year, Morrisons is adamant there is a perfect pie for everyone. Flavours include: The Best Signature Collection; The Best Caramel Apple Crumble; The Best Cherry Bakewell; and even the Shortcrust (now reduced to £1.50 in the build-up to Christmas).

Note that More Card members who shop in-store on National Mince Pie Day (Saturday 22nd November) will be gifted an additional coupon at the till holding 500 More Points when they buy any Mince Pie in store. This has only one week to redeem. Visit thw Morrisons blog to find out which store is celebrating near you.

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