Food

Abbotsford, British Columbia – Every second day, 28,000 litres of raw milk leave Casey Pruim’s farm in Abbotsford in western Canada, entering a distribution system built on the assumption that the milk and the products made from it will have somewhere to go.

While most is consumed in Canada, some had been sold across the border to the United States.

Those sales have largely come to a standstill since US President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariff on $20bn in Canadian goods, including dairy products, came into effect on August 22.

Pruim, who is also chair of the British Columbia Dairy Association representing about 400 dairy farmers across the province, told Al Jazeera that Canadian farmers do not individually decide which products are exported.

Instead, producers such as Pruim –  whose farm has 330 cows milked three times a day  –  sell into the provincial milk-marketing system, which distributes milk to processors according to demand, including for products exported to the US.

If a processor loses US demand, it may require less milk, with the impact then spread across the provincial pool.

Dylan Kruger, director of public affairs at BC Dairy, told Al Jazeera “there is still considerable uncertainty around the impact of the US tariffs”.

He said it was too early to know how the industry would be impacted or whether milk no longer sold to the US could be sold elsewhere, mitigating financial losses.

But the tariffs and wider trade tensions have already introduced uncertainty and instability for businesses.

“If the processor who’s exporting some of his product to the United States can no longer sell into that market because he’s now priced out of the market with a 50 percent tariff, that’s how it would impact the dairy farm,” Pruim said.

Pruim said if processor demand is squeezed, farmers would be forced to dump the milk. In the worst-case scenario, the herd has to be cut.

“Cows aren’t like a tap; you can’t just turn them on or off,” he said.

His warning captures dairy’s particular vulnerability in a tariff war: Milk is highly perishable, collected on a tight schedule and dependent on processors whose demand can change much faster than farmers can adjust production.

“These tariffs are completely unwarranted,” David Wiens, president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, told Canada’s CBC News, adding that they would affect “the supply chain, not only in Canada but in the US as well”.

Supply-management system

Dairy trade between Canada and the US has largely operated under a free trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada, known as CUSMA in Canada.

Canada manages the supply of dairy, poultry and eggs through a national agricultural policy known as supply management. The system uses production quotas and import controls, including tariffs, to provide farmers with more stable and predictable prices while maintaining domestic supply.

Critics describe the system as protectionist and as a government-backed cartel.

Washington argues that Canada’s supply-management system restricts US dairy exports. Trump posted on Truth Social that “Canada had been ripping off the United States of America for years” and accused it of imposing “ridiculously high tariffs” that made life impossible for US farmers.

Canadian producers reject that argument, saying the existing trade agreement already gives US imports substantial tariff-free access that is not fully utilised.

Canada’s dairy trade deficit with the US has grown significantly since CUSMA came into force on July 1, 2020, according to the Dairy Processors Association of Canada.

In 2020, Canada exported 241.3 million Canadian dollars ($173m) in dairy products to the US and imported 647.4 million Canadian dollars ($462.7m) worth of dairy and dairy products. In 2025, Canadian dairy exports had risen to 308.7 million Canadian dollars ($220.7m) while dairy imports from the US had more than doubled to 1.355 billion Canadian dollars ($968.5m), accounting for 13.8 percent of total value of US dairy exports, according to the association.

Bryan Yu, chief economist at Central 1 credit union, said the immediate shock of losing a major market could be difficult for Canadian producers to absorb because replacement buyers cannot be found quickly.

“There is going to be pain in the near term for a lot of our producers,” Yu told Al Jazeera.

“You really can’t quickly adjust to a 50 percent tariff, because it’s uncharted waters for a lot of industries … and ultimately it shuts [Canadian producers] out, because a lot of them don’t have the margins that they can play with,” he said.

Yu said Canadian consumers might absorb some of the additional supply while exporters search for new markets and higher-value products, but neither adjustment is instantaneous.

“There are global markets as well, especially when you talk about chilled, chilled beef, chilled products and really it’s a question of whether … other types of markets that could be available.”

Canada has also imposed retaliatory tariffs, which came into effect on September 8 and cover $20bn worth of US products.

Dairy products are among the targeted goods. The list includes a 50 percent tariff on milk, cream and whey products and a 25 percent tariff on many cheeses imported from the US.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has framed Ottawa’s response as both retaliation and an attempt to build greater economic resilience.

Announcing the collapse of the latest negotiations, he said Canada would match Washington’s new tariffs “dollar for dollar” to protect workers, farmers, families and businesses.

But retaliatory measures carry risks of their own.

“Canada’s new retaliatory tariffs will help some industries but hurt most and weaken economic growth across the country by raising costs for producers and consumers,” Oxford Economics said in a report.

For now, geography remains important for perishable goods like dairy products that once moved quickly across the US border and cannot be redirected overnight to a distant market without new buyers, logistics and regulatory approvals.

Ottawa’s Trade Commissioner Service is advising affected companies to check their CUSMA compliance, explore available relief and contact trade commissioners about potential new markets.

Yu predicted that the US and Canada could reach a tariff deal in the following months but said the interim period could bring “higher prices, weaker economic activity and deeper mistrust”.

For Pruim, the uncertainty is as destabilising as the tariff threat itself.

“I think, like [for] any Canadian, it’s disappointing to have these trade talks collapse again and just the uncertainty around it.”

Known as MEHKOs, microenterprise home kitchen operations come in many shapes and sizes. They are coffee shops, barbecue joints, supper clubs, backyard tea parties, pickup-only pizzerias and everything in between. For some of these operators, it’s a passion project, and for others, it’s their only source of income.

MEHKOs were first legalized by state lawmakers in 2019, spurred by advocacy from nonprofit organization the COOK Alliance. Riverside County was the first in the state to adopt the program in 2019. MEHKOs were greenlighted in L.A. County in May 2024, and since then over 400 licenses have been approved. While informal backyard restaurants are nothing new in L.A., the program offers a legal, health-department-approved pathway for many existing home kitchens to thrive.

MEHKOs can only sell up to 30 meals per day and no more than 90 meals per week. They’re also not allowed to advertise with signs on their homes or front lawns. And unlike commercial restaurants, where line cooks will often prep ingredients for the rest of the week, MEHKOs can only serve food that was prepared the same day.

“A home kitchen is not designed or required to have the same commercial infrastructure, such as ventilation systems, grease interceptors, specialized wastewater systems,” said James Dragan, who oversees initiatives including the MEHKO program at the L.A. County Department of Public Health. “The limits are important because of the food safety perspective.”

When dining at a MEHKO, be flexible. It might not be as easy as just placing an order. These home businesses are often open just a few days per week with limited hours, and might only accept orders placed in advance. For example, Palestinian home kitchen Mid East Eats — one of L.A.’s first MEHKOs — currently only offers private dinners and monthly supper clubs. It was previously open for walk-ins with a larger menu, but the format was difficult to sustain and would often create food waste.

“I want to continue doing my private dinners because that’s my favorite thing to do,” said Mid East Eats founder Sumer Durkee. “It’s satisfying to me and feels like home, and people leave feeling so happy.”

MEHKOs can serve as a relatively low-cost stepping stone toward opening a brick-and-mortar and offer one-of-a-kind food experiences, even in a city with as rich a culinary vocabulary as L.A. These eight home kitchens, all of which offer dine-in service, are a great starting place to discover the city’s burgeoning MEHKO scene.

CALLING all foodies – this might just be the country pub with the best food in Britain.

Here’s everything else you need to know about staying at The Freemasons at Wiswell.

Where is The Freemasons at Wiswell?

The beautiful country pub is in the heart of a pretty sandstone Lancashire village.

What is the hotel like?

Lots of nooks and crannies ensure you enjoy the buzz of a busy spot, but also have privacy to enjoy the company of family or friends.

The inn itself was once three cottages, one of which was a freemason’s lodge.

What are the rooms like?

The room we stayed in was in a property next door so we had no noise from the bar and enjoyed a peaceful sleep in the countryside.

BOOZE AND SNOOZE

Best pub rooms you can rent on Airbnb with free breakfasts & dogs welcome

GOTTA SEA IT

I stayed at the Cornish pub with rooms that couldn’t be closer to the sea

Our room – Mr Hare – boasted a super king bed, and a stunning rolltop bath on a mezzanine floor.

Luxury touches included fluffy towels and dressing gowns as well as a Nespresso coffee machine and premium, handmade bath and body products.

“My dream bedroom”, said my wife.

Rooms start from £125. See freemasonsatwiswell.com.

What is there to eat and drink at the hotel?

The kitchen is led by executive chef Michael Shaw who has worked for some of Britain’s best known chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc.

We visited on a Thursday so Mike popped out of the kitchen and encouraged us to enjoy a six-course tasting menu (£85pp).

English asparagus, cornish crab, stuffed mushrooms, glazed duck and salted white chocolate.

Andrew, our host, allowed us to choose some wine, before choosing us a better bottle of red. An a la carte menu is also available.

The following morning we enjoyed a three-course breakfast – fresh baked pastries, smoked salmon and cured meats and a delicious cooked breakfast.

Even if not staying at the hotel, the Freemasons is a lovely place for a pint, or a celebratory meal. Sunday lunch (£39.50 for two courses) looks good too.

What else is there to do there?

Chocolate box Wiswell is lovely to stroll around before or after a meal.

A few minute’s drive away is the popular village of Whalley which features lovely little shops, wine bars and traditional pubs.

We got into the car and drove 15 minutes to nearby Barley and spent a lovely couple of hours walking up 557-metre Pendle Hill, famous as the spot where ten people were hanged during the 1612 Pendle Witch trials.

Is it family friendly?

For families, it is advisable to get in contact to discuss the needs of your stay so there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Freemasons at Wiswell offers disabled access rooms on the ground floor.

The village has been crowned the finest seaside destination by Which? and is a must-visit for anyone seeking a peaceful autumn break in the UK

As the summer crowds begin to thin out, late September offers the perfect chance to explore the UK’s stunning coastline, with quieter beaches, milder temperatures and spectacular coastal paths just waiting to be discovered. Tucked away on the north Devon coast, one spot is a picture-postcard seaside village where the East and West Lyn rivers meet the Bristol Channel.

A charming seaside village tucked between dramatic hillsides and the Bristol Channel has been named Devon’s best seaside destination by Which?, cementing its status as an essential stop for a quintessential West Country getaway. Lynmouth sits beneath its hilltop neighbour, Lynton, with both forming part of the spectacular Exmoor National Park.

Sitting on the edge of Exmoor National Park, it is surrounded by stunning landscapes and is frequently likened to “Little Switzerland”.

At the heart of the village is its harbour, a reminder of Lynmouth’s roots as a small fishing settlement. Its history stretches back centuries, with records dating to at least the 13th century.

One of the area’s most famous attractions is the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, which connects the seaside village with Lynton high above. The historic railway is powered by water and offers visitors a memorable way to travel between the two communities while taking in the surrounding scenery, reports the Express.

Today, Lynmouth offers a winning combination of harbour views, rushing rivers, wooded valleys and dramatic coastline. With Exmoor’s walking trails right on its doorstep, it is an appealing destination for anyone looking to escape the crowds and enjoy a peaceful slice of the Devon coast.

Visitors can follow the River Lyn upstream towards Watersmeet, a magnificent tree-lined gorge managed by the National Trust, complete with riverside walkways and a charming tea garden.

For those looking for a spectacular group getaway, the area is also home to Lynhurst, an impressive and distinguished property just a short walk from the historic village of Lynton.

Tucked within stunning gardens and natural woodland, it features a games room with a slate pool table and dartboard, as well as an outdoor table tennis table to keep guests thoroughly entertained.

For couples in search of a romantic getaway, River View is a second-floor apartment set right on the riverbank in Lynmouth. The property features a furnished balcony overlooking the bay, and on a clear day, guests may even spot the Welsh coastline in the distance.

Inside the apartment, visitors will find a cosy open-plan living and kitchen area, fully kitted out for a hassle-free self-catering break. A king-size master bedroom with an en-suite shower room offers a peaceful retreat in which to unwind after a day exploring the local coastline.

The balcony is a particularly lovely spot to savour a morning coffee or an evening drink, with sweeping views across the river and the picturesque village below. With plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s absolutely no pressure to cook every meal either.

For a change of scenery, Ilfracombe lies fewer than 20 miles away, well known for its diverse dining scene and historic harbour. Visitors can also take in Damien Hirst’s iconic ‘Verity’ statue at the harbour entrance before heading back to the tranquil surroundings of Lynmouth.

Previous guests at River View have been fulsome in their praise online. One visitor wrote: “Lovely apartment. Perfectly situated with everything we needed. A real ‘home from home’. We love Lynmouth and will be back.”

Another noted: “A wonderful location for walkers as several spectacular river and coastal walks from the door. Great for visitors with dogs, close to the promenade for walks and meeting lots of other dogs.”

One particularly detailed review read: “A small but well-equipped and comfortable flat with beautiful views over the river to the sea. Good location to explore the area. Luckily found a temporary parking spot initially on Riverside Road in order to unpack, as the flat entrance is on a pedestrianised street.

“Parking permit was £25 for the week at the nearby Upper Lyndale car park. Tesco delivered groceries without difficulty. Walks locally and some National Trust properties made it a very enjoyable week in a lovely location.”

One guest noted that “the two flights of steep stairs would need to be taken into consideration by anybody perhaps not a 100% fit”, while another savoured the surroundings, remarking: “We had the door open all the time and could listen to the water and the wildlife, which we really enjoyed.”

River View can be booked through Holiday Cottages, with a four-night stay in September starting from £449.

With their unique adults-only approach to cruising, Virgin Voyages is attracting a whole new generation of cruisers

If you’d asked me a few years ago to go on a cruise, it’s fair to say I’d be apprehensive. The idea of being trapped on a floating Butlin’s, pushing past screaming toddlers to reach the lukewarm buffet, wasn’t exactly my idea of a relaxing holiday. Then I heard about Virgin Voyages : no kids, no buffets, and the few people I knew that’d tried it raved about it.

Billed by the company as an adults-only boutique hotel at sea, Richard Branson’s cruise line has won multiple awards since it launched in 2021, as well as amassing a loyal fanbase.

I thought it was time to see if I could become one of those fans, could I finally be a cruise person? I embarked on one of Virgin Voyages’ sailings from Portsmouth, an easy 90-minute drive from my home in Oxfordshire.

This wasn’t just any cruise though, this was one of the company’s specialty comedy cruises – promising top acts from across the UK, all included in your fare.

I have to say, the standard of names was well above what I expected for a cruise ship. Headliners included Celebrity Traitors star Lucy Beaumont, Gogglebox regular Babatunde Aleshé and I’m A Celebrity all-star Seann Walsh, to name a few. All of the comedy shows were excellent, but my standout has to be Matt Richardson, of Xtra Factor fame. His show was genuinely one of the funniest things I’d ever seen, and had the audience in hysterics.

This was all offered alongside Virgin’s regular entertainment offering, which includes bingo with the ship’s resident drag queen, cabaret shows and gameshows – one of which even had a prize from the on-board tattoo parlour.

A tattoo parlour at sea pretty much sums up the whole design and vibes of the ship. Stepping onboard is like walking into a chic beach club in Ibiza. We entered our balcony cabin, and within a few minutes I was sitting in the iconic Virgin Voyages hammock with a glass of champagne. Not bad for a cruise sceptic.

The Valiant Lady may only be five years old, but it’s already had a refurb with refreshed seating areas, menus and a brand new restaurant.

At the very back of the ship sits The Dock, an outdoor lounge and casual small plates eatery that feels extremely relaxed. Forget clunky plastic sunloungers, here you sink into comfortable modern seats and huge beds and look out to the incredible views.

It was here that I started to think ‘I could get used to this’, as a helpful waiter handed me my third sangria and delivered our snacks. Think charred octopus and hanger steak, all included in the fare.

That brings me to one thing I’d heard about cruising – ‘it’s a constant sales pitch’. That may be the case on other cruise lines, but based on what I experienced, it could not be further from the truth on Virgin.

Standard WiFi and soft drinks are free, and every single restaurant on board is included. The majority of dishes are included in the fare, although some venues have one or two premium menu items at an extra cost. We never felt compelled to try these as there were so many appealing options which were included.

In fact, the food is one point that I heard so much about. Replacing the traditional buffet, you have The Galley, a food market style venue with multiple cuisines offered – all made to order. Imagine lots of street food stalls, including tacos, burgers and sushi.

Then there are the sit-down restaurants, which feel like trendy London eateries that I’d genuinely want to eat at on land. There’s no traditional ‘main dining room’ here, and no strict dress code to boot.

Highlights on-board included Ariya, the new Indian restaurant which, for me, blew Dishoom out of the water with its tender lamb shank biryani, and The Wake, a high-end steak restaurant nestled at the bottom of a glamorous, cascading staircase.

There were, of course, things I didn’t love. The pool area is relatively small, and although not an issue on our chilly UK cruise, I could see it becoming more of an issue on a sunnier trip.

There is honestly so much more I could write about this ship. I haven’t even touched on the spectacular Scarlet Night, where the entire ship transforms into a massive bright-red pool party.

I left this holiday feeling fully converted into a ‘cruise person’, so much so that I even booked two more trips before we pulled back into Portsmouth.

If you’ve spent your whole life swearing you’d never set foot on a cruise ship, it might just be time to eat your words. I certainly did, and luckily, the food was spectacular.

Caracas, September 14, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service announced a package of measures to boost US agricultural exports to Venezuela amid growing concerns about the South American country’s national production.

According to the USDA, the plan will facilitate Venezuelan corporations’ purchase of US food products and agricultural commodities through government-backed credit and will include the delivery of food assistance and training for Venezuelan technicians.

“The Trump administration is committed to Venezuela’s economic prosperity, and USDA is leveraging its export financing, market development programs, technical scholarships, and food assistance initiatives to address this situation,” said Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg.

Lindberg added that he “looks forward to positioning US agriculture to help meet needs and build lasting trade relationships.” The US official visited Venezuela as part of an official delegation in early July.

Washington’s credit program for food exports will be provided through the reactivation of the GSM-102 guarantee program. The mechanism offers guarantees to exporters that reduce the risk for financial institutions backing the transactions in case importers fail to meet their commitments. 

The Agriculture Department also announced that it will lift restrictions to allow foreign banks to back Venezuela-related transactions.

A USDA report had already estimated that Venezuela would need to import 1.5 million metric tons of wheat during the 2026-2027 marketing year. Corn and soybeans are likewise identified as key staples to be exported to the Caribbean nation. The latest initiative 

The Trump administration also lifted restrictions under its Feed the Future Agricultural Resilience Mission Initiative and plans to include Venezuela in a regional agribusiness trade mission scheduled for early 2027.

A bigger influx of US farm products will place an additional strain on Venezuelan food production, with local campesinos increasingly protesting against imports from agribusiness corporations that seek to drive crop prices down.

On September 9, rice growers from Guárico and nearby states organized a “tractorazo,” blocking a major highway in Calabozo with trucks and tractors to demand that the government halt the entry of imported rice during the domestic harvest season and ensure that agroindustrial companies adhere to established prices.

Protesters complained that imports from countries where food production is subsidized, including the US, create unfair competition and risk driving Venezuelan campesinos bankrupt. The latest mobilization was sparked by the reported arrival of a shipment of 355 thousand tons of rice, more than half of the Venezuelan production in 2025. 

Rural organizations have likewise denounced the exoneration of tariffs and import taxes as another factor putting national production at a disadvantage. Venezuelan authorities, including the National Assembly and the Agriculture Ministry, have vowed to review the import issue but have offered no measures to date.

In the Calabozo protest, producers denounced that imported rice had saturated silos and storage facilities during the 2025-2026 winter-summer crop cycle, forcing them to sell below production cost or lose their crops altogether. Demonstrators demanded a $0.25-per-kilogram subsidy from the state to compensate for the losses incurred and vowed to take the protests to Caracas if they receive no response from authorities.

The September 9 “tractorazo” was the latest in a series of mobilizations in recent months in Venezuela’s main agricultural states. Rice growers have complained about high fuel and input costs and urged the government to establish and enforce fair crop prices. 

According to agriculture lobby FEDEAGRO, more than 2.2 million metric tons of white corn, yellow corn, and rice have entered the country so far in 2026, more than triple the recent combined high of 709,000 metric tons in 2023.

“We cannot continue depending on a neighbor’s pantry. That is a failure. In Venezuela, we have the land, a committed agricultural sector, and people investing in farming, but excessive imports place us at a dramatic disadvantage,” stressed FEDEAGRO President Osman Quero.

Quero stressed that foreign producers have access to credit programs, fuel and fertilizer subsidies, and better infrastructure, while Venezuelan farmers face inflation and a lack of financing programs.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Lisbon, Portugal.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s inflation held at 1.8 percent in August for the fourth-straight month, as housing, food and transport costs continued to drive consumer prices higher, official data showed. 

The annual increase matched July’s reading, while the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1 percent from the previous month, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics. 

This increase was mainly driven by a rise in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel prices by 3.9 percent, food and beverage prices by 1.4 percent, and transport prices by 2 percent, the report added. 

Saudi Arabia’s inflation remains relatively subdued compared with some regional peers.

Oman’s rate accelerated to 3.4 percent in August, driven by an 8.5 percent increase in transport costs and a 7 percent rise in food and non-alcoholic beverages, while inflation averaged 2.9 percent in the first eight months.

Jordan’s inflation stood at 2.66 percent in August, taking the average for the first eight months to 2.20 percent.  

This comes as Kamco Invest said in a report last month that regional tensions could fuel inflation by pushing up oil prices and disrupting fertilizer exports, although inflation across the Gulf Cooperation Council remained subdued in June and July. 

In its latest report, GASTAT stated: “The housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels division was the main contributor to the annual inflation with a contribution of 0.8 percentage points, followed by the food and beverages division with a contribution of 0.3 percentage points, in addition to the transport division with a contribution of 0.3 percentage points.” 

Since housing remains the single largest driver of Saudi CPI, authorities have leaned heavily on real estate interventions to keep it in check. A five-year freeze of annual rent increases for new and existing residential and commercial contracts within Riyadh’s urban boundaries took effect in September last year. 

Housing and personal care lead gains 

The housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels division rose 3.9 percent year on year, largely due to a 3.9 percent increase in actual rents.  

The personal care, social protection and other goods and services division followed with a 3.5 percent annual rise, pushed up by a 13.3 percent jump in other personal effects, itself driven by a 14.4 percent surge in jewelry and watch prices.  

Recreation, sport and culture climbed 2.8 percent, helped by a 4.7 percent rise in holiday package prices. 

On the downside, furniture, home appliances and routine home maintenance fell 0.6 percent, while clothing and footwear slipped 0.5 percent. 

Monthly movements mixed  

On a monthly basis, personal care, social protection and other goods and services rose 0.8 percent in August, transport gained 0.6 percent, and insurance and financial services rose 0.5 percent.  

Housing costs edged up 0.2 percent on a 0.2 percent rise in actual rents. Food and beverages slipped 0.1 percent, while restaurants and accommodation services fell 0.4 percent, the steepest monthly decline among divisions. 

Average prices show sharp swings 

A separate GASTAT report on average prices of goods and services showed some of the sharpest monthly moves came from fresh produce and construction inputs.  

Local onions posted the largest monthly gain of any tracked item, up 17.9 percent, followed by imported onions at 11.6 percent, medium local potatoes at 7 percent, and local zucchini at 6.7 percent.  

Hotel accommodation rose 2.5 percent, while furnished apartments increased 2.8 percent on the month.  

On the other side, local tomatoes recorded the steepest monthly drop at 15.2 percent, followed by imported tomatoes down 9.3 percent and medium African lemons down 9.2 percent.  

Among construction materials, national reinforcing iron of various diameters fell between 1 and 2 percent month on month, while national electrical cables and wires rose broadly, led by a 25.7 percent annual increase in 35mm cables. 

Wholesale Price Index 

Saudi Arabia’s Wholesale Price Index stood at 4.6 percent in August, down from 5 percent in July, GASTAT said.  

This was driven mainly by an 8.2 percent jump in other transportable goods, excluding metal products, machinery and equipment, on the back of a 51.4 percent surge in basic chemical prices and a 4 percent rise in refined petroleum product prices.  

Metal products, machinery and equipment prices rose 2.2 percent annually, while agriculture and fishery products increased 4.8 percent. Ores and minerals prices fell 1.8 percent. 

“On a monthly basis, the WPI recorded a decline of 0.2 percent in August compared to July 2026,” the report noted, weighed down by a 1 percent drop in other transportable goods and a 2 percent fall in ores and minerals, even as metal products, machinery and equipment rose 0.8 percent and food, beverages, tobacco and textiles gained 0.6 percent. 

Producer Price Index 

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s Producer Price Index for July — the most recent data available — recorded a 5.3 percent annual increase compared with July 2025, according to GASTAT.  

The rise was driven by a 5.5 percent increase in manufacturing prices, a 2.3 percent rise in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply prices, and a 6.8 percent increase in water supply, sewerage and waste management activity prices. 

Within manufacturing, prices for chemicals and chemical products jumped 13.1 percent annually, wearing apparel rose 12.9 percent, and basic metals climbed 8.8 percent.  

On a monthly basis, however, the PPI fell 2.8 percent in July compared with June, mainly on a 3.0 percent decline in manufacturing prices, led by a 6.8 percent drop in refined petroleum product prices. 

The city has been highlighted by Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Restaurants for 2026, which is based on first-hand reviews from millions of travellers over the last year

A charming UK city with medieval streets and a towering minster is also home to the country’s best restaurants.

While the silver-spoon-holding residents of foodie capitals London, Manchester, and Edinburgh may consider themselves to live in the UK’s culinary epicentre, they’re wrong.

The newly released Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Restaurants for 2026, which is based on first-hand reviews from millions of travellers over the last year, shows there is one UK city with a far higher concentration of great eateries than anywhere else, despite having a population almost 50 times smaller than London.

The standout is York in North Yorkshire.

The city of 200,000 had the highest-ranked restaurants of anywhere in the UK, with Brazilian joint Casa Brazilian Rodizio ranking eighth worldwide. The family-run, authentic Brazilian rodizio-style restaurant aims to “provide an unforgettable authentic taste, service and experience for an unbeatable set price!” By all accounts, it has succeeded.

“Went out for a family meal yesterday, the food was absolutely amazing, the place was astonishing. The meat tasted rich, and the buffet had so many amazing options,” wrote one of Casa Brazilian Rodizio’s reviewers among the thousands awarding it 4.9/5 stars.

Other York restaurants performed really well in the UK rankings, with Buongiorno, Enoteca By L’uva and Damastique making the top 25 in the ‘best casual dining’ list. Legacy At The Grand also found itself at number seven in a rundown of the UK’s best date-night restaurants, and Melton’s reached the same spot on the ‘best fine dining’ rundown. And finally, the family-run Turkish outfit Kapadokya 50 was named one of the UK’s best hidden gems.

York’s rise to become the country’s premier gastronomy spot is an interesting one. The medieval city has always tempted in history buffs with its minster, Jorvik Centre and Quilt Museum, and it’s long boasted of having more pubs than days of the year to drink in them, a fact that seemed suspect when I lived there a decade ago and is almost certainly not true now. But the foodie revolution that’s taken place there is a more recent and quiet phenomenon.

A new crop of young chefs has been putting the city’s food in the spotlight, in backstreets from Micklegate to The Shambles. Among the gang is Tommy Banks, one of the youngest chefs in the UK to win a Michelin star, who leads Roots York in the city centre. His cooking relies heavily on homegrown produce, farm-to-table tasting menus, and unique preservation techniques.

Another is Ahmed Abdalla, head chef at Legacy inside The Grand hotel, who creates modern British tasting menus with classic Yorkshire ingredients. And Joshua and Victoria Overington run Restaurant Mýse, a place that specialises in local Anglo-Saxon culinary heritage.

The Michelin Guide lists 16 restaurants in York and its surroundings, three with stars and a Michelin Green Star, including Roots and Mýse.

Eduardo Caetano, owner of Casa Brazilian Rodizio, opened the restaurant 11 years ago. “The philosophy of the restaurant is casa, which means home. When you come in, you come into our home. You are my guest. If the food is not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for me,” he told the Mirror.

“The offering in York is an extremely competitive market, there are loads of places to eat. I love that there are so many family businesses here. For me, York is the only place in the world that feels like home.”

In terms of places in York he loves to eat, Eduardo recommended Delrio’s Italian Restaurant. “I love going there,” he added.

It’s not just in high-end restaurants that York is excelling; its casual dining scene is also strong. Recent additions doing well locally include authentic Neapolitan pizzeria Cresci Pizzeria, which has become a citywide favourite, while the gut-busting sandwiches of Browns in Heslington remain a cheap, filling option.

This all sits against a backdrop of the Shambles Market, York’s main daily open-air market, located at Silver Street in the heart of the city. Come early November, it is joined by the Christmas Market, with Alpine chalets filling up Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square. Whether you find festive fare charming or a logistical impediment, stallholders not only bring a real buzz to the city, but plenty of gastro-delights.

You can get loaded on artisanal hot cocoa, locally made gin, scratchings, high-end crumble and much more.

Similarly, the long-term culinary heritage of York is evident in its fantastic pubs, many of which also serve up delicious food. The House of Trembling Madness is a wonderfully wonky pub that pairs cheese boards and yards of ale, while Valhalla York on Patrick Pool is a Viking-themed ale house serving hearty meat and cheese boards alongside local mead and ales.

The success of York as a food city is no accident. The city has actively invested in growing this reputation through events such as York Restaurant Week, now one of the UK’s biggest events of its kind since its 2019 launch, with the most recent edition doubling to two weeks and featuring over 100 participating venues. The previous October’s event saw over 22,000 vouchers downloaded, bringing in nearly £400,000 for local businesses, a 70% jump from the year before.

If you find yourself in need of a snack while wandering around Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, consider heading over to the ultra-popular South African eatery, Tashas Cafe — without the apostrophe.

Tucked within the financial district, this international lifestyle cafe and casual dining restaurant chain is the first Tashas Cafe in Saudi Arabia.

Founded in 2005 by Natasha “Tasha” Sideris in Johannesburg, South Africa, it arrived in the Kingdom exactly 20 years later, in late 2025, after partnering with local food investment company Janiya.

Foodies in the UAE already know that it has been a popular spot in the Emirates since 2014, with several branches spread throughout.

The first thing I wanted to point out is that Tashas still uses real physical paper menus, which I love as someone who is not a fan of the QR code versions.

While many of the staples are the same — I went most recently to Tashas in Abu Dhabi — the Riyadh branch has some customized menu items catered specifically to this location, including a curated Night Menu and the largest cake display of any of their outlets worldwide.

It was quite noisy upon arrival, but I still managed to find a relatively quiet table near the bakery display area.

I started with the orchard drink for SR38 ($10), a revitalizing combination of green apple, lime and ginger.

I also got the Tashas sarmie, packed with goodies, including sauteed black mushrooms, grilled chicken breast, fresh avocado, and feta cheese served on toasted sourdough with a tiny side salad, for SR82. Delicious but a bit steep for a sandwich.

The surprising standout for me was the plate of asparagus, for SR36. It was legitimately better than any side I’ve had recently: crunchy, bright green, not at all overcooked or limp, and perfectly seasoned.

I asked the South African waiter to recommend a hot beverage to end the night and received a cup of warm spiced milk latte for SR32, which came with swirls of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and two orange peels floating within. It might have been the highlight of the meal.

Note that the cafe is located in Building 5.05 on Discovery Boulevard, so you will likely either need to walk a bit or use the valet option if you drive there. I opted to use a ride-share service as it was rush hour, which was a wise move.

For updates, check out their Instagram @tashascafeksa.

KHARTOUM: The World Food Programme’s funding for Sudan — the world’s largest hunger crisis — has fallen by about ​half this year, its acting head told Reuters, as war drives more people into hunger while the regional crisis raises prices and aid budgets plummet. 

Speaking from the Darfur region after a trip across the country, acting Executive Director Carl Skau said that while access had represented humanitarians’ largest obstacle in the past, now “we have (a) presence that we are not fully utilising because of the lack of funding.” 

The gap to sustain current operations was just short of $300 million, he said. 

This year, we’re about half what we were in terms of funding last year, says Carl Skau, Acting executive director of The World Food Programme

“This year, we’re about half what we were in terms of funding last year,” Skau said. Last year, the agency received $645 million, but almost three-quarters into this year funding is only ‌at $206 million. 

The war ‌between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has devastated ​wide ‌swathes ⁠of the ​country, displacing ⁠up to 14 million people, ruining harvests and decimating the economy. 

Almost 20 million people face hunger in Sudan, but budget cuts have forced the agency to focus efforts on the 5 million most in need, of whom it has recently scaled up to reach 4 million people. 

Even then, the organization, the UN’s largest by budget, is forced to make difficult decisions. 

In Tawila, North Darfur, the makeshift home to about 1 million people, the agency is able to reach everyone monthly but with only a half ration that covers two weeks’ food, Skau said. 

“It’s not ⁠clear how they really are surviving the other two weeks,” he said. 

In El-Obeid, the central Sudanese city where about 1 million and counting ‌have sought refuge since the start of the war in April ​2023, the agency is only able to provide help ‌to those who arrived in the past several months. 

“We are providing, but less and less. A year ‌ago it was better because of resources,” Skau said. 

agency recently began providing aid in the city of Al-Fashir, once home to 1 million people, where an RSF attack last year, “bore the hallmarks of genocide,” according to investigators. Skau said, “there is little sign of life having returned.”

His organization is not the only one struggling as major donors reduce aid. The ‌International Organization for Migration said on Monday that emergency relief supplies for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war could run out within weeks ⁠unless donors step in ⁠with urgent funding. 

The UN agency said supplies of shelter materials, sanitation items and emergency household goods are expected to run out by the end of September. The aid system itself can only keep functioning until December without more money. 

Aid groups like IOM are struggling with funding shortfalls after the Trump administration — the US was previously the world’s biggest aid donor — cut billions of dollars in foreign assistanceto UN agencies and charities over the past year. Other major donor countries have also cut aid budgets, citing tight finances and higher defense spending. 

“We simply can’t turn our back on the people of Sudan,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement, adding: “The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don’t act now.” 

IOM says 8.6 million people remain displaced within Sudan, while another 4.9 million have returned to their homes. The agency says it ​needs $15 million to keep the aid pipeline running ​for the rest of the year, supporting about 305,000 people. Without it, more than 100 humanitarian organizations would struggle to quickly deliver lifesaving aid. 

‘It’s a magical place, and not just because of the hotel.” Standing outside the greenhouses at Högbo Brukshotell, two hours north of Stockholm, Stefan Johansson is talking about far more than hospitality. The former head chef, now responsible for sustainability at Högbo, has spent much of the past decade helping reshape the way this corner of Sweden grows, cooks and thinks about food.

The catalyst was disarmingly simple. Years ago, a journalist asked Johansson why he was cooking the food he was cooking. Like many ambitious Swedish chefs, Stefan trained in Stockholm’s top restaurants, where ingredients from around the world were only a phone call away. The question lingered long after the interview ended.

“Before, I wanted food to be spectacular; I didn’t really care where it came from,” he says. “Then I closed the window of where we source from down to the region. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.” Instead of looking farther afield for inspiration, he began looking closer to home.

Högbo Brukshotell sits in the former Högbo ironworks, a quiet pocket of forest, waterways and historic buildings north of Sandviken. The area’s industrial past is still visible in its old manor houses, smithies and mill buildings, but since the factories fell silent in the mid-19th century, the woods have reclaimed their place. Walking, cycling and cross-country ski trails now lead into the forest, while the old bruk buildings house cafes, workshops and small businesses.

Ingredients that once arrived at Högbo from far away are now grown here. The Made in Högbo project began with lamb, with animal rearing and butchery brought in-house. Vegetable production followed. Now greenhouses sit alongside kitchen gardens, producing ingredients for the restaurant and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to find work.

Refugees from Myanmar helped establish some of the early growing projects. New arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have joined the initiative, splitting their time between Swedish language classes and work placements, their influence visible in the rows of papaya, bananas and other plants rarely associated with Sweden. There are plans for an aquaponics system that will combine greenhouse cultivation with tilapia fish farming. In farm buildings there are now also a bakery making sourdough and cakes, a microbrewery run by one of the chefs, a dairy making fresh cheeses, and an excellent deli.

Högbo isn’t the only place asking these questions about food provenance. Over several days travelling through Gästrikland and neighbouring Hälsingland in eastern Sweden, I discover a network of millers, fishers, distillers, cheese makers and chefs connected by a shared idea: that food should reflect the place it comes from.

At Gammelstilla, an old ironworks has become a small whisky distillery. In the village of Gästrike-Hammarby, The Old Mill is now an award-winning restaurant run by Bogdan Ioan Gheorghe and Ellinor Andersson, with a tasting menu that features a roll-call of local producers alongside surprising ingredients such as the invasive species Japanese knotweed.

At Bergmans Fisk, in Norrsundet, low islands scatter across the bay and the Baltic stretches east towards Finland beyond the wooden smokehouses. The business is run by a seventh-generation fishing family whose connection to these waters stretches back more than a century. Inside the smokehouses, salmon hangs in neat rows, a slow process, refined over generations.

But for traditions – and the business – to survive, they have to evolve and diversify, Dennis Bergman explains. In 2020, the family opened a waterfront restaurant overlooking the bay where much of their fish is caught. We enjoy a smorgasbord of smoked salmon and böckling (hot smoked herring) piled on dark rye crispbreads. The family also operates a travelling fish van serving coastal communities and is planning a small hotel: new ventures that will help secure the future of old skills.

Driving north through the deep pine forests and lush fields of Hälsingland, I keep spotting hand-painted signs for potatoes, eggs and strawberries. Outside red-painted farm buildings, honesty boxes sit beside stacks of produce.

At Teve Kvarn, a mill south of Järvsö, I meet Anna Larsson, a seventh-generation miller. She sources grain from roughly a 150km (93-mile) radius, selling seed to farmers and then buying back the grain to ensure high-quality flour production. Only a handful of mills of this type remain in Sweden. Anna points out her newest machine – it was installed in 1930.

Beside the traditional wooden mill, shiny stills are visible in a tall glass building. This is the Tevsjö distillery run by Anna’s husband, Jonas, producing vodka, gin and aquavit using grain from the mill. The distillery runs on hydroelectric power generated from the nearby stream, and has already increased its production capacity more than 10 times on the strength of the products’ popularity – while creating 10 new local jobs.

At nearby Järvsö Lanthandel, I meet chef Tobias Annerhult who runs the general store and restaurant. For Annerhult, local sourcing isn’t just desirable, it’s his entire food philosophy. “I only buy salt, pepper, sugar and oil,” he tells me. “I don’t use stabilisers. Nothing gets thrown away; that feeds the creative process. Our philosophy is to grow through limitations.”

In a climate where vegetables arrive in abundance for only part of the year, preserving is essential. Annerhult pickles, cures and ferments local produce, including meat for charcuterie.

Tonight, we too have to work for our dinner, taking a cooking class that Tobias offers for private group bookings. We have brought produce collected across the region: flour from the centuries-old mill; cheese and potatoes from honesty boxes; fish from a family that has worked the same waters for generations; and vegetables from local greenhouses.

Together, we make fermented pea pancakes with sweet preserved apple and salty local goat’s cheese; bouncy fresh pasta using Anna’s wheat and eggs from Tobias’s chickens, served simply with burrata-style cheese, brown butter and garden herbs; and warm cake with the first of the season’s rhubarb.

It’s a meal that tastes all the better for knowing the stories and people behind it. Combining preserved and fermented ingredients with the season’s freshest produce harks back to traditional approaches to cooking and eating. Today’s chefs are reclaiming that philosophy, and the results are delicious.

It perhaps helps answer the question that changed Stefan’s career all those years ago. Why cook this food, in this place? Because when food truly belongs somewhere, it becomes a way of understanding that place too.

The trip was provided by Visit Sweden. For more information visit gastrikland.se and destinationhalsingland.se. Högbo Brukshotell has doubles from 1,995 Swedish kronor (£155) B&B

‘Can honestly say it was the absolute best hotel we’ve ever stayed in. Beautiful hotel in a stunning location. Every room was very grand and oozing history’

As non-stop summer gives way to the quiet days of autumn, there’s no better time to get away for a relaxing mini-break if you’re already mourning holiday season. And for those in need of a pamper, luxury hotels across the UK are offering seasonal spa packages to help guests unwind.

Hand Picked Hotels has launched special autumn stays at picturesque locations throughout the country, including an Amber Hours Autumn Spa Break for Two at selected mainland spa hotels up to November 30. This two-night escape includes breakfast, an Autumn Champagne Afternoon Tea with seasonal treats, and a 50-minute Tranquillity Pro Sleep Ritual for two, as well as use of the spa facilities.

Guests who book this break will also get a complimentary 200ml Tranquillity Pro Sleep Bath and Body Oil by Comfort Zone to take home. The Tranquillity Pro Sleep Ritual is a massage treatment designed for optimal sleep, meaning this could make the perfect gift for stressed-out loved ones in need of a pamper, or a romantic getaway for couples.

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One of the top-rated choices of hotel where the Amber Hours Spa Break is available to book, according to reviews on Tripadvisor, is Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa in Cheshire. This award-winning stay set in 38 acres of gardens, pasture and parkland boasts a 4 AA Red Star status, the AA’s top accolade given to hotels in the UK and Ireland.

The AA writes of this 19th century Nantwich mansion: “Bedrooms are spacious and appointed to a high standard with wide-screen TVs; many rooms have separate walk-in showers as well as deep tubs. Public areas are delightful and retain many original features. There is an extensive, state-of-the art spa and leisure complex.”

Book an Amber Hours Spa Break

Available on stays up to November 30

Hand Picked Hotels

See the offers

This getaway for two is available at selected Hand Picked Hotels locations and includes breakfast, afternoon tea, a massage, and use of the spa facilities

The AA also singled out the hotel’s fine dining experience as one of the highlights of a stay at Rookery Hall, with the restaurant taking inspiration from the surrounding Cheshire countryside for a menu of classic British dishes with a “contemporary twist”. And there’s plenty of choice when it comes to accommodation, from suites with views over the gardens to unique feature rooms, with prices starting from £172 per night this autumn.

Guests here or at any other Hand Picked Hotels stays can also book an Amber Hours Retreat, which will see those staying for one night treated to an Autumn Champagne Afternoon Tea and a complimentary room upgrade up until November 30. Stays of two nights or more will also include a specially created three-course autumn dinner with this package.

Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa is also the top-rated spa hotel stay in Cheshire on Booking.com, with a ‘Superb’ rating of 9.3 out of 10 based on more than 600 reviews. Coming in second place is Manor House in Alsager which has a spa garden with hanging beds and a herb garden, followed by Grosvenor Hotel & Spa in Pulford, home to 75 bedrooms and two restaurants offering AA Rosette-awarded dining.

Back at Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa, the hotel has earned an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars on Tripadvisor based on more than 2,500 reviews, with one guest writing: “We would go as far as saying Rookery Hall is the best hotel and spa experience we have ever had in the UK (and we have been to many). Everything was perfect, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. The room was wonderful and the food in the restaurant was exceptional.”

Another reviewer echoed: “Can honestly say it was the absolute best hotel we’ve ever stayed in. Beautiful hotel in a stunning location. Every room was very grand and oozing history, absolutely stunning. The service and every single member of staff were outstanding.”

And a third person fed back: “This was our fourth stay and once again we were blown away by our experience. From the warm welcome upon our arrival our stay was exceptional and this is because the hotel in our opinion has the best staff, they are simply incredible. The hotel provides the peace and relaxation we were after with a touch of luxury.”

One person felt that the food menu had room for improvement, however, feeding back: “The place is lovely and the staff are incredible but they really need to upgrade their vegetarian options.”

A member of staff from the hotel responded to this review: “We do offer a separate plant-based menu alongside the vegetarian dishes on our main menu, and had we been made aware at the time that you were vegetarian, we would have been more than happy to provide this and guide you through the additional options available. If this was something we were aware of and did not offer, then I can only apologise.”

A different guest remarked: “My only negative comment would not really be too specific to Rookery Hall as such, but during our one night stay, there was a large wedding party staying at the hotel who took up most of the bar during the course of the afternoon.”

Meanwhile, someone else praised: “Had a super overnight stay and dinner. What a lovely experience that we all enjoyed. The staff without exception were so charming helpful and exactly how a great hotel should operate. Dinner was delicious in a lovely dining room and our suite had a beautiful bathroom and very comfortable bed.”

Simple sardines in the Algarve

Last August, the smoky aroma of grilled sardines drifting over the beach in Portimão woke me up from my sunbathing on the beach. Attracted by the aroma of barbecued fish, we found ourselves in the old port where, for €12, I was served two delicious sandwiches on rustic bread of sardines in garlic and olive oil, with a small cold beer. I sat down, ate and chatted with locals on benches at simple communal tables. The important thing seemed to be to enjoy food together. The next morning, a reenactment of the fishing boats arriving loaded with fish, as they once were, was a real spectacle – complete with guitar playing, drum-banging and excited seagulls whirling and wailing above in the hope of a feast. Later, concerts and dancing animated the town as the party for the sardine festival went on well into the night. Cooking demos and dishes including sardine-based soup and salads, added to the enjoyment. I never imagined such pleasure could be had from the simple sardine.
Joe

A family dinner in the Faroe Islands

My wife and I visited the Faroe Islands a few years ago, where we took part in heimablídni, a concept where traditional Faroese food is served in a home. We found it to be one of the best ways to experience the Faroes and a unique experience to share a meal with a local family. Homecooked dishes showcase ingredients from the surrounding sea and mountains. We were served smoked salmon from the host’s own smoker, lamb, potatoes and traditional specialities, all accompanied with great conversation about Faroese life and traditions. Sitting around a family table makes the experience feel personal and authentic.
Mike

A vegan feast in Sicily

As a vegan who loves trying local cuisine, the combination of warm hospitality and a high proportion of locals with a lactose intolerance makes Sicily the ideal foodie getaway. Having hiked to the top of Monte Pellegrino in 35C heat, we popped into a small nondescript street-food shop (the only place that was open) and were delighted to find panelle – delicious crispy chickpea-flour fritters served in sesame bread. We ate them overlooking Palermo harbour. That evening, we tried Haiku, a vegan restaurant with reimagined classics based on dishes such as carbonara and tiramisu. It was so good we kept ordering more and more courses until we could barely move.
Esther

Strong spirits and small plates in Greece

The city of Volos is famous for its Tsipouradika – tavernas that serve tsipouro, a strong spirit made from pomace, the stems, skins and seeds that are left over from wine making. It comes plain or infused with botanicals and anise, and is served with ice and water. Each glass you order arrives with a different small plate or meze. It could be grilled peppers, sundried octopus, a spicy cheese spread or smoked mackerel. You take pot luck as to what the patron fancies dishing up that day.
Barbara

The perfect snack to pair with Lithuanian beer

In Vilnius, we came across the ultimate food pairing for the fantastic beers available there in the form of kepta duona – deep-fried rye bread with garlic and cheese. Every bar has a slightly different version – raw, roast or confit garlic with cream, melted or simply grated cheese. A heavenly snack that could easily become your main meal.
Natalie

Vegan delights in the patisseries of Paris

Being an unfortunate combination of a foodie and a vegan, I was prepared for a weekend of staring longingly into patisserie windows when heading to Paris earlier this summer. I was not prepared for the unbridled joy awaiting me at the Land & Monkeys boulangeries/patisseries scattered across the capital. It began with an outrageously creamy raspberry petit gateaux from its Montmartre branch, followed by the unbelievable fluff and flake of a croissant aux champignons in the Marais the next day. A parting madeleine for the Eurostar on our last day was the pièce de résistance.
Elinor

Pasta with pears in Bologna

It was in Bologna, Italy’s self-proclaimed food capital, where I sampled the city’s signature dish of tortellini. We stumbled across Rosarose Bistrot, enticed by tables with red-checked cloths set in the middle of a cobblestone road. I enjoyed shells stuffed with tangy gorgonzola cheese and chunks of caramelised pears, a fruit I would usually avoid, but I placed trust in the regional delicacy. The fruit’s sweetness blended harmoniously with the strong cheese flavour; crispy and soft fried bread known as crescentine, was used to soak up the remaining sauce. It was only right to mark this culinary experience with a small tortellini keyring from a nearby gift shop, filled with various merchandise emblazoned with the pasta shell.
Caitlin

Catalonia’s ultimate slow-food festival

Last year, I discovered the ultimate slow-food festival – the Snail Feast of Lleida (L’Aplec del Caragol), 100 miles west of Barcelona. Over a long weekend, there was music, dancing, cooking and feasting, all in celebration of the tiny mollusc. Entrance to the festival is free, and visitors can enjoy traditional snail dishes in tents, local restaurants or simply in the town squares. I had two helpings of snails a la gormanda, cooked in a sauce of spicy paprika and herbs. Since attending the festival, I have been treading carefully in my garden in case I harm what I discovered are delicate and delicious creatures.
Helen

Heavenly cakes in Slovenia

Having travelled by train from Bristol down through the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, we reached our penultimate stop, Lake Bled. We’d been awed by the beautiful Swiss alpine scenery, but Bled took it up a notch. After a day of cycling from Bled to Lake Bohinj and back, we refuelled on the local delicacy, Bled cake, a sumptuously smooth set custard encased in the lightest of mille-feuille pastry and topped with whipped cream. Imagine an English custard slice, only a million times better. It was so welcome after a day in the Slovenian mountain air, we made it a holiday habit. A Bled cake a day until we had to come home!
Sara

Winning tip: delicious seafood soup in Spain

Few meals linger in the memory like a proper Asturian sopa de pescado y marisco (seafood soup). After kayaking 10 miles down the Sella River, my reward in the town of Arriondas wasn’t a humble bowl of soup – it was a whole pan! Every flavour shone through in a broth packed with white fish, prawns and sweet crab claws, so extraordinarily rich it almost brought me to tears. I devoured it all, skipping the rest of the courses without regret. Years later in Gijón, history repeated itself. Even my soup-sceptical husband declared it the best he had ever tasted. In Asturias, fish soup isn’t a starter. It’s an obsession in a pot.
Oksana

RIYADH: Egypt’s annual nationwide inflation rate eased to 12.7 percent in August from 13 percent in the previous month, as lower food prices offset increases in electricity, housing and other household costs.

The nationwide consumer price index was unchanged from July at 289.8 points, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Annual urban inflation also eased to 14.5 percent from 14.9 percent in July. 

Egypt continued to experience faster price growth than several regional peers, although the latest available comparative readings are for July rather than August. 

Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation was 1.8 percent in July, while Jordan’s was 2.7 percent, according to official data from the respective countries. Morocco recorded a 0.6 percent annual decline in consumer prices.  

The International Monetary Fund expects Egypt’s inflation to rise to 16.7 percent in the second half of 2026, reflecting higher energy prices, exchange-rate depreciation and unfavorable base effects. 

In its latest report, CAPMAS stated: “The food and beverages division recorded a decrease of 1.2 percent due to a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of cereals and bread, a 1.5 percent decrease in the prices of meat and poultry, a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of fish and seafood, and a 7 percent decrease in the prices of vegetables.”  

Housing costs climb  

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 1.9 percent during the month. Electricity, gas and fuel prices increased 4.3 percent, while actual rents rose 0.8 percent and housing maintenance costs increased 0.5 percent.  

Prices for furnishings and household equipment rose 0.7 percent, while clothing increased 0.5 percent, healthcare 0.4 percent, transport 0.2 percent, and restaurants and hotels 0.5 percent. 

On an annual basis, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the largest increase, at 33 percent, with actual rents up 28 percent and electricity, gas and fuels rising 22.4 percent. 

Transport costs increased 21.7 percent annually, while education rose 20 percent and recreation and culture increased 15.3 percent. Food and beverages prices rose 6.5 percent, with vegetable prices up 27.7 percent.  

Monetary policy  

The inflation data comes after the Central Bank of Egypt kept its key interest rates unchanged last month, with the overnight deposit rate at 19 percent and the lending rate at 20 percent. The main operation and discount rates were maintained at 19.5 percent. 

The CBE expects headline inflation to accelerate through the third quarter because of unfavorable base effects before gradually declining from the first quarter of 2027. It expects inflation to converge toward its 7 percent target, plus or minus 2 percentage points, during the second half of 2027.  

The central bank has warned that the inflation outlook remains exposed to risks from regional hostilities and a stronger-than-expected pass-through from fiscal consolidation measures. 

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QUIDS IN

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The disgusting hotel room item I learned to love and 9 more surprising travel hacks

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A Which? survey has named the best and worst holiday parks across the UK, and coming in dead last is a brand that was once a go-to resort for families but now only has one resort left in its portfolio

A holiday park that was once part of a chain of 30 sites and now stands as the brand’s last remaining location has been crowned the worst in the UK.

A Which? survey ranking the best and worst holiday parks across the country has placed Pontins firmly at the bottom, with its final remaining site in Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset being given the dubious honour.

Scoring a woeful 61% rating, Which? readers awarded the brand just two stars across customer service, accommodation quality, cleanliness, and food and drink. And despite being one of the most affordable options in the rankings, averaging £38 per person per night, it still only scraped two stars for value for money.

The dismal scores are a world away from Pontins’ glory days, when it was renowned for lively family getaways featuring its famous Bluecoats entertainers — a launching pad for the careers of Shane Ritchie and Bobby Davro. The brand was rescued from the brink of collapse 15 years ago when it was snapped up by Britannia Hotels, a chain Which? has repeatedly labelled the UK’s worst hotel chain.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Its sole surviving site, Sandy Bay Holiday Village, is adults-only and appears to be actively distancing itself from the Pontins name, with no mention of the brand anywhere on its website. The park boasts a heated indoor pool, games room, live shows, and daily activities.

The park has received mixed reviews on Google, currently sitting at 3.6 stars out of five. One recent reviewer said: “The location is great, beach right in front of the resort, Weston only a 10 min open bus journey away”, also praising the accommodation for its cleanliness and upgraded room options.

Yet less favourable reviews tell a different story, with guests claiming “the rooms were filthy. We didn’t even have matching curtains!” and “dirty, smelly, run down! They may have changed their name, but they haven’t changed their shame.”

Prior to the closures, Pontins regularly made headlines as disgruntled customers reported grimy accommodation and poor facilities. In the now-closed Pontins Southport, guests complained of people smoking drugs and drunk parents roaming the park. A mum who visited the Brean Sands report alleged her children were left in tears after finding rubbish and dirt all over their room.

Another family, who visited Pontins Prestatyn in Wales dubbed it a “holiday from hell”. They claimed the room was yellowing from stains, the pool and restaurants were shut, and they “couldn’t even see out of the windows” due to grime.

At the opposite end of the rankings, Potters Resorts topped the table with its all-inclusive resorts in Norfolk and Essex, while Hoburne Holidays secured second place. Hoburne operates parks throughout the south and south west of the UK, including sites in the Cotswolds, Dorset, and Somerset.

Which? said: “This fifth-generation family business’s seven locations (in the south of England ) are all ideally situated, from a clifftop in coastal Dorset to a woodland retreat in the New Forest.”

It added: “There’s no tray jostling in sterile canteens either. Restaurants, like the lantern-adorned Pier House, with its sea-view terrace, source local, seasonal ingredients such as Brixham trout – earning the brand five stars for its food and drink. Activities make the most of each park’s unique surroundings, whether it’s guided bat walks or instructor-led kayaking on the wetlands of its Cotswolds site.”

The UK’s best and worst holiday parks

(Name of resort, overall customer score)

1. Potters Resorts – 83%
2. Hoburne Holidays – 81%
3. Darwin Escapes – 80%
4. Landal Parks – 80%
5. Waterside Holiday Group – 80%
6. Shorefield Holidays – 76%
7. Away Resorts – 75%
8. Bluestone Wales – 75%
9. Park Leisure UK – 75%
10. Highland Holidays – 74%
11. Lyons Holiday Parks – 74%
12. Largo Leisure – 73%
13. Park Holidays UK – 73%
14. Warner Coastal Villages – 73%
15. Forest Holidays – 72%
16. John Fowler Holidays – 72%
17. Center Parcs – 69%
18. Haven Holidays – 68%
19. Parkdean Resorts – 68%
20. Butlin’s – 63%
21. Pontins – 61%

Based on a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and general public conducted in February and March 2026.

Potters Resort has been crowned the UK’s best holiday park by Which? readers – and the all-inclusive family favourite has a location just over an hour from Cambridge

Britain’s best holiday park is an all-inclusive gem that costs a little more but offers a lot.

There are plent of excellent holiday parks across the UK, from the cheap and cheerful Butlin’s and Park Dean, to the more upmarket Center Parcs and Bluestone. However, they have all missed out on being named the best in the UK.

Potters Resort has topped the Which? holiday park rankings, with its Norfolk and Essex sites winning a customer score of 83%.

Stays start from £88 per person per night, which is higher than most comparable holiday parks, yet guests have still awarded the resort 4/5 for value. It is worth noting that Potters is the only holiday park in Britain to offer a truly all-inclusive experience, with four meals a day included alongside a wide selection of drinks – from wines and beers to G&Ts.

The resort keeps guests busy throughout the day with a packed programme of activities. Whether you fancy a go on the rally karts, a session in virtual reality, a spin at the silent disco or a splash in the water at Five Lakes, there is something to suit every taste and age group. Wellness enthusiasts are also well catered for, with Pilates, yoga, Nordic walking and birdwatching all part of the package at no extra cost.

OPINION

Come the evening, the entertainment steps up a gear. Resident show Musical Icons takes to the stage nightly, performing tributes to iconic acts spanning the Motown era, Carole King, ABBA, the Bee Gees and beyond, with a showstopping Bohemian Rhapsody finale rounding off proceedings.

“After opening its doors in the 1920s, family-run Potters claims to be the first-ever holiday park, and its all-inclusive model still sets it apart. The nightly rate at its two parks – in Essex and Norfolk – may be higher than rivals, but you stay in suites or bungalow-style accommodation (there isn’t a caravan in sight) and all food and drink (which is excellent) is thrown in. It was the only park to clinch the full five stars for its entertainment and activities (also included), which range from birdwatching to go-karting.

“Guests loved that they could soak in the spa and play all the rounds of pitch ‘n’ putt without worrying about their final bill spiralling out of control. ‘Great entertainment, all staff helpful and polite, good food and plenty of it,’ one happy customer remarked. Forget everything you think you know about holiday parks, as Potters’ attentive service and first-class facilities will wow you – with no sneaky extra charges later on.”

The Mirror’s Mikey Smith paid a visit to Potters with his family and had a brilliant time.

“Imagine the good old British ‘holiday camp’ atmosphere – family fun by the sea, with nightly entertainment and everything you need on-site – but brought bang up to date, with comfortable rooms and high quality amenities. And then imagine it borrowed a few ideas from luxury cruise ships. Then you’re getting somewhere near what Potters is,” Mikey wrote.

“For many, the phrase ‘all-inclusive resort’ conjures images of lukewarm buffets, piled high with chips and pizza slices, perhaps the occasional chicken nugget and long benches of weird-looking salad. Not so at Potters. Each lunchtime and evening menu offers three or four restaurant-quality starter and main options. During my stay I had a buttery, flaky Sea Bass fillet, some deliciously crispy deep fried Halloumi and a perfectly cooked chicken breast with mushroom and thyme sauce.

“None of them would trouble a Michelin star – but they’d give any of the foodie pubs near me a solid run for their money. And that’s before we come to the carvery, which is served every evening with a different roast meat.”

You can read his full review here.

Mike Scott, managing director of Potters, said: “To be named the UK’s Best Holiday Parks and Resorts by Which? readers is a fantastic achievement. To have topped the list in three consecutive surveys since 2022 is something we’re immensely proud of, especially among so many well-known UK break providers. Recognition from Which? means so much because it reflects the honest opinions and experiences of guests. It tells people what it’s really like to stay with us and makes this achievement all the more special.

“As a family-owned business, we can’t compete with the household names on marketing budgets, and we don’t try to. Instead, we focus on giving every guest an exceptional experience. Our breaks are fully inclusive, so we’re not constantly trying to upsell or charge guests for every little extra. It means our guests can simply relax and have fun, while our team can focus entirely on looking after them and making their stay memorable.

“This recognition reinforces what we’ve always believed: Potters Resorts offers the best breaks in the UK. And, of course, a huge thank you must go to our amazing team and our lovely guests, who together have made Potters such a special place.”

The UK’s best and worst holiday parks

(Name of resort, overall customer score)

1. Potters Resorts – 83%
2. Hoburne Holidays – 81%
3. Darwin Escapes – 80%
4. Landal Parks – 80%
5. Waterside Holiday Group – 80%
6. Shorefield Holidays – 76%
7. Away Resorts – 75%
8. Bluestone Wales – 75%
9. Park Leisure UK – 75%
10. Highland Holidays – 74%
11. Lyons Holiday Parks – 74%
12. Largo Leisure – 73%
13. Park Holidays UK – 73%
14. Warner Coastal Villages – 73%
15. Forest Holidays – 72%
16. John Fowler Holidays – 72%
17. Center Parcs – 69%
18. Haven Holidays – 68%
19. Parkdean Resorts – 68%
20. Butlin’s – 63%
21. Pontins – 61%

The rankings are drawn from a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and members of the general public, conducted in February and March 2026.

DUBAI: A late-night craving for dessert led Hasan Sarwar to leave investment banking and build Peekabox, a Dubai-founded app that sells fresh unsold food from cafes, bakeries and grocery stores at discounts of 50 to 70 percent.

Sarwar was in a Dubai cafe at about 11 p.m. when he noticed the pastry shelves were still full.

“I simply asked them, I said: ‘What do you guys actually do with these items?’ And they said, ‘We make it in the morning, and then throw it the same day,’” he told Arab News. “All of these sort of very high-end pastries are getting thrown every single day.”

He went on to develop the idea, comparing it to Too Good To Go, a model he had used while at university in the UK. “We’ve grown up in Dubai. We know the UAE. We know the F&B space,” he recalled telling his parents.

He started alone. Three months in, he asked his brother Omair to join him as co-founder. “It was way too much work for one person,” Sarwar said.

The first brand to sign was Tim Hortons, part of Dubai’s Apparel Group, after a pitch that ran three months with no app and no demo. “I didn’t leave them alone for three months,” he said. Once the contract was signed, he used the name to bring other brands on, and boxes now come from coffee chains, bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores and hotel buffets.

Customers do not choose what they get. “If you say I have this exact item that you want, people are never going to buy full price,” Sarwar said, describing the surprise box as a way to gamify the purchase without cannibalizing full-price sales. His own highlight came from The Grey, an independent Dubai cafe — a strawberry tart, his favorite dessert, with croissants and pain au chocolat.

Getting there meant fighting the same objection on two fronts. Premium brands worried that discounting would dilute their brand equity, so he pointed them to luxury department store Harrods in London, which runs similar schemes, while customers had to be persuaded the food was fresh rather than left over. Both concerns were successfully countered, he said, pointing to the app’s 45 percent repeat order rate.

Peekabox is now in talks with Ne’ma, the UAE’s national food loss and waste initiative, under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

It plans to open in Riyadh and Jeddah next year with franchise partners that have already committed to the launch. “In terms of Saudi (Arabia) as a market, people are more price sensitive for sure, and also the density of stores is greater,” he said.

London, United Kingdom – In a wheat field near High Wycombe in the rolling English countryside, Alex Nelms watched the harvest on his farm die in a matter of days.

His crop had looked strong until the first heatwave came in May, when temperatures surpassed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) just as his milling wheat entered its grain-fill phase, the critical weeks when the plant fattens its kernels.

“It just killed everything stone dead,” he told Al Jazeera. “Everything was finished really early, and when we were sort of full of optimism and hope, it was scuppered almost overnight.”

Nelms farms just over 2,000 acres (809 hectares) of arable land in south Buckinghamshire, on a business his grandparents founded in 1955. His uncle, who has worked the farm for more than 40 years, has just suffered the worst harvest of his career.

Last month, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said almost three-quarters of England, 71.3 percent, remained in drought. Rainfall in August reached just 34 percent of what would normally be expected by that point in the month, Defra said, and reservoir levels were 18.2 percentage points below where they should be for the time of year.

“We’re totally reliant on Mother Nature,” Nelms said, and nature did not deliver this year.

After a historically dry spring and a run of summer heatwaves, the farm is down roughly 1,000 tonnes on its average harvest, a shortfall of some $270,000 in revenue.

The farm, tucked in the Chiltern Hills, a steep, long ridge of white limestone rock, has no irrigation and never will.

“That has serious knock-on effects on our cash flow,” he said. A third consecutive difficult year would mean hard conversations with his bank and landlord, and farming to minimise risk rather than maximise output, “consequently, probably producing less food”.

‘Financial crisis point’

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) says farmers are at a “financial crisis point” after the worst drought in 50 years, with historically low harvests, stunted grass growth, rising fuel and fertiliser costs, and a severe outbreak of bluetongue disease in livestock.

The union puts the gross production value loss of wheat at approximately $499m and the cost of replacing a shortfall in forage at roughly $45m.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw has said farmers now lack “breathing space” and are “increasingly exposed to geopolitical shocks, as well as repeated weather extremes, animal disease and global wars”.

He believes action is needed now to ensure the future of British farming “and enable the next generation to keep producing the nation’s food”.

To manage the risk, Nelms is diversifying, planting oilseed rape again on about 350 acres (142 hectares) for the first time in 20 years. He says that the crop’s usual insecticide protection, neonicotinoid seed treatments, is now banned, leaving it exposed to cabbage stem flea beetle and to game birds that can “absolutely nibble, eat, and destroy a crop”.

Growing it also means breaking a continuous wheat rotation that has kept a soil-borne disease called “Take-all”.

Tax allowances would make investing in grain storage and diversified income worthwhile, he said, as well as government-backed bridging loans, modelled on COVID-era support, to survive a bad year without permanent damage.

It is the kind of relief the NFU is pressing the government to provide nationally.

The union wants an interest-free “Keep Britain Growing” loan tied to drought losses, help covering the cost of disposing of livestock lost to bluetongue, faster planning permission for on-farm reservoirs, and clearer rules letting farmers access water as soon as levels allow, echoing Nelms’s case for storage on his farm.

“Drought conditions will continue to worsen until we receive sustained rainfall across the country and we still all have a role to play in conserving precious water supplies,” according to Philip Duffy, the Environment Agency’s chief executive, in a statement shared by Defra.

The Environment Agency has applied for a drought order to restrict abstraction from the River Severn, and 10 water companies, serving 30 million customers, now have restrictions in place.

“A few days or even weeks of wetter weather cannot reverse the impacts of several months of exceptionally dry conditions,” added Duffy.

Defra noted that the first meaningful rains since June have fallen but they have been patchy, so reservoirs and groundwater are still declining even as a handful of rivers see brief upticks in flow.

Despite the losses, Nelms is hopeful about farmers pulling together – sharing labour, machinery and market routes. He points to the Central Chiltern Farmer Cluster, where growers meet to talk through their problems and find solutions together.

“We’re working together, not competing with each other,” he said.

For a farm like Nelms’s, with no irrigation and no water in reserve, that patchiness is the problem. Soil parched from months without rain needs to absorb sustained rainfall before groundwater can even begin to recharge, let alone refill the reservoirs a future harvest might depend on.

“Our climate has changed,” Water Minister Emma Hardy, who chairs the National Drought Group, said late last month, “and we will continue to take all action necessary.”

A YouTuber set himself a £100 challenge to discover just how much food, drink, accommodation and entertainment he could squeeze into a night in Benidorm

The seemingly endless cost of living crisis is making even our weekly shop a major budgeting challenge. So it’s no surprise that some of us have given up on luxuries like holidays. With that in mind, YouTuber Ed Chapman set out to see how far £100 could take a holidaymaker in one of the most popular Spanish resorts.

Benidorm is renowned for “The Strip”, a street lined with garishly neon-lit English pubs and restaurants promising a traditional fried breakfast. It’s the ideal spot for a cheap and cheerful stag or hen weekend, but just how cheaply can you spend a night there?

Armed with €116 (£100), Ed scheduled a night out, a stay in a one-star hotel and a fun activity for the following day.

A key part of his plan was tracking down a hotel that wouldn’t leave him out of pocket. Ed explained that while he could have saved a bit of cash by opting for a hostel, he’d rather have a proper hotel room to himself.

And given what he paid for it, he said the room exceeded all expectations: “Believe it or not, we have a balcony,” he said. “I was sort of shocked by this for the price.”

The hotel bathroom also came as a welcome surprise: “This is a nice big modern shower. I was really shocked about this. You’ve got a toilet here. You’ve even got a little sink at the side as you’d expect, and a bathroom hand dryer in a holster,” reports the Express.

The room, which set Ed back just £62, was something of a revelation, he said: “I didn’t expect such a good shower situation. And it is a very powerful shower as well. I’ve been really impressed with this for one night.”

For his evening meal, Ed nipped into a bar-restaurant called the Bulldog and went for a wallet-friendly jacket potato. For €6 – just over a fiver – he tucked into a perfectly decent jacket potato with baked beans, served alongside a side salad which, as he rightly noted, “no-one ever eats.”

Washed down with a “massive” pint of cider that brought his total spend to £9, it was a hearty and satisfying meal that set Ed up nicely for a bar crawl.

Spending an evening solo on Benidorm’s notorious “Strip” could have been quite a daunting prospect, but Ed says he had a brilliant time. Settling down with a pint of cider in one particularly “friendly” bar, he recounts how a complete stranger wandered over and planted a kiss on his ear: “Bit friendly, bit familiar,” he said.

Ed spent a couple of hours strolling around Benidorm, noting that while it’s widely regarded as a destination for a “lads’ holiday”, the ratio of men to women meant that romance was unlikely to be on the cards.

He did clock one club hostess, however, stripping a gleeful punter and giving him a smack on the bottom with a leather tawse, which was about as close to romance as the evening got.

With his night’s entertainment wrapped up, Ed headed back to his hotel room before venturing out the following morning for a fry-up, which set him back a very reasonable £5. However, after forking out on two bottles of water with his meal, the total breakfast bill came to £7.

Technically, the “entertainment” element of Ed’s getaway pushed him marginally over budget. His session at a water-park assault course set him back €16 (roughly £14).

Featuring Ed’s efforts to balance on some oversized vinyl beach balls and a go on a soggy trampoline, it proved a somewhat chaotic conclusion to the trip: “No one ever does this on Total Wipeout, do they?” Ed said, admitting that he’d spent £101 of his £100 budget.

The work by Oxford University, which is published in the International Journal of Cancer, defines any drink at 65 degrees Celsuis or above as “very hot” and posing a potential risk.

Consuming six or more hot drinks per day also raises the risk, according to data from 977,282 middle-aged men and women.

Although adding milk can cool drinks down slightly, a milky tea or coffee may still be far too hot, researchers say.

Tea made immediately after a kettle is fully boiled is touching boiling point, which is 100 degrees C (212 degrees F). Once poured into a cup, that lowers to around 90 or 95 degrees C.

The advice is to wait a few minutes before drinking so the beverage cools to a safer temperature.

Cancer Research UK says it’s difficult to put an exact time on how long a hot drink should be left to cool.

“But if you’re worried, we’d suggest just waiting until it’s comfortable to drink rather than drinking it while it’s still very hot,” the charity said.

Lead researcher Dr Keren Papier said research in South America – where many people drink a very hot herbal beverage called mate – had already shown a similar link between hot drinks and oesophageal cancer.

But she said: “More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk.”

A separate study, external of 118 young adults who did multiple tastings of different black coffees found most only deemed the drinks to be too hot if the temperature was 70 degrees C or above.

According to one takeaway coffee cup manufacturer, the ideal temperature for hot coffee on the go is between 49 and 60 degrees C.

Should a barista want the coffee to stay hotter for longer – if a customer requests extra hot – it can be served at over 82 degrees C, says MTPak Coffee.

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Nearly 2,000 people, most of them students, fell ill in suspected food poisoning outbreaks linked to President Prabowo Subianto ‘s flagship Free Nutritious Meals program this week, raising fresh concerns about food safety as the government rapidly expands the multibillion-dollar initiative nationwide, officials said Saturday.

The incidents, reported between Tuesday and Thursday in East Java, Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh and South Sulawesi, affected about 1,950 students, teachers and Islamic boarding school pupils who became sick after consuming meals distributed under the government program, known by its Indonesian acronym MBG.

The outbreaks are the latest setback for Prabowo’s signature free meals program, which has been rolled out across the archipelago despite repeated food poisoning incidents and corruption allegations.

The largest outbreak was reported in Central Java’s Rembang regency, where 752 students and 25 teachers at State Senior High School 1 Lasem, suffered diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain after eating meals provided through the program, according to Rembang Health Office head Ali Syofi’i.

In Sidoarjo, East Java, 730 people, most of them students at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school, were affected in another suspected food poisoning incident linked to the program. Sidoarjo health office chief Lakhsmie Herawati Yuwantina said 706 victims had been discharged and were recovering at home.

Authorities also reported 276 suspected cases involving students and teachers in Agam regency, West Sumatra, where food distribution from the local nutrition service center was suspended pending an investigation. In Aceh’s Bener Meriah regency, 15 elementary school students and a school principal were treated after experiencing dizziness, nausea and other symptoms following a school meal.

Another 152 students from two junior high schools in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, were treated at three hospitals after developing symptoms consistent with food poisoning. Regent Zadrak Tombeq ordered hospitals and health centers to prioritize treatment for the victims.

No deaths have been reported, and authorities are investigating the causes of the outbreaks.

The latest incidents add to a growing number of food poisoning cases linked to the program since its launch in January 2025. According to Health Ministry surveillance data as of Sept. 2, food poisoning incidents associated with MBG have affected 50,059 people in 560 cases across 245 districts and cities in 36 provinces.

In a hearing with the House’s Commission IX overseeing health issues, National Nutrition Agency chief Sudaryono said internal reviews found that roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of previous food poisoning incidents were linked to failures to follow food safety procedures, including rules governing food storage, receipt of ingredients, temperature control and consumption deadlines.

“The recent incidents in Sidoarjo, Agam, Rembang and other areas have been a major blow for us,” said Sudaryono, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

He said the agency was tightening oversight of meal providers and reviewing about 27,000 meal distribution centers nationwide. Inspectors have found hundreds of allegedly fictitious facilities, while at least 833 kitchens have been shut down for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards.

The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers and pregnant women. The initiative, expected to cost about $28 billion through 2029, is a cornerstone of Prabowo’s administration and one of his key campaign promises.