How am I meant to choose a condiment when Ocado has 616 of them? Drips, drizzles and chimichurris are everywhere. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a world where everyone sells their own truffle mayo at £8 a pop

This is partly demand driven. The “lipstick effect” in food. We can’t afford restaurants, but can splash out £8 on jar of fancy pickles.
Also supply driven. There are now 100s of condiment entrepreneurs
I’ve looked into this for Sunday Times:

www.thetimes.com/article/cd24...

a jar of chili oil with fermented soybeans with a man on the label ALT: a jar of chili oil with fermented soybeans with a man on the label

The condiment revolution.

Sales of ketchup & mayo are flat compared with 2024. Mustard & brown sauce have fallen.
But sales of flavoured mayos are up 20%, hot & sweet chilli sauces are up an amazing 39.5%. (Via Worldpanel)
🧵1/2

I think Pete Hegseth is loathsome. And an idiot.
But…he never claimed to be quoting the Bible. He made clear he was reciting a “prayer” the rescue crew used before the mission. It’s the US airmen who were quoting Pulp Fiction/ersatz Ezekiel

It is not, under long-standing Kantar/Worldpanel classifications, considered a supermarket. Controversial, I know

AA and BSM ordered to refund learner drivers for hidden fees The owner of the driving schools has been fined for failing to disclose fees upfront online.

Drip prices – when booking fees, VAT, service charges are only added after you’ve chosen a product – are illegal.
The AA driving school has been fined.
📻 I’m on Radio4 PM programme, 5.40pm with @evanhd.bsky.social to discuss. Have you seen them? On cinema/flights?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Monthly supermarket stats out from reputable Worldpanel/Kantar.
- @lidlgb.bsky.social is about to overtake Morrisons to become no.5 supermarket in UK
- @aldiukstores.bsky.social continues to *lose* market share. Has it completely run out of steam?
- Ocado has had a brilliant run, but remains tiny

Steven Bartlett proving once again that a lack of numeracy is no barrier to success

👏👏👏

Not Jesus, obviously, just some bloke selling loaves and fishes

"The image clearly depicts me as a simple vendor of seafood sandwiches"

Meetings take up more than a quarter of the week — are they pointless? Harry Wallop visits the firms that have found better ways of working

I’ve investigated the history of meetings, how we can meet better, and – crucially – why we persist on holding meetings even when we moan about them.
Me for Sunday Times Magazine: www.thetimes.com/life-style/w...

Lots of companies have tried axing meetings on 1 day of the week. Shopify puts a cost on every meeting when you book it – av. hourly salary of the people in the room.
A UK start-up, Meeting Canary, is an AI moderator who chides you if you go off agenda. But does this solve the issue? 🧵4/

The main problem with meetings is the cost. Of the salaries of those in the room. The LSE estimates that the UK wastes £48 billion on unproductive meetings. That’s more than UK defence spending.

But is there a solution? 🧵3/

The most eloquent defence of meetings came in 1976 from Antony Jay, co-creator of 'Yes, Minister' who wrote for Harvard Business Review. Humans have always gathered. To decide, to define themselves, to assert status.
But even he said: "A great many meetings waste a great deal of everyone’s time" 🧵2/

We now spend 24.8% of our working week in meetings in the UK. Up from 19.3% pre-Covid.
Talking about work, rather working. How did this happen? And can we do it better? 🧵1/

Meetings take up more than a quarter of the week — are they pointless?

Harry Wallop visits the firms that have found better ways of working

Thank you!

Meetings take up more than a quarter of the week — are they pointless? Harry Wallop visits the firms that have found better ways of working

I’ve investigated the history of meetings, how we can meet better, and – crucially – why we persist on holding meetings even when we moan about them.
Me for Sunday Times Magazine: www.thetimes.com/life-style/w...

Lots of companies have tried axing meetings on 1 day of the week. Shopify puts a cost on every meeting when you book it – av. hourly salary of the people in the room.
A UK start-up, Meeting Canary, is an AI moderator who chides you if you go off agenda. But does this solve the issue? 🧵4/

The main problem with meetings is the cost. Of the salaries of those in the room. The LSE estimates that the UK wastes £48 billion on unproductive meetings. That’s more than UK defence spending.

But is there a solution? 🧵3/

The most eloquent defence of meetings came in 1976 from Antony Jay, co-creator of 'Yes, Minister' who wrote for Harvard Business Review. Humans have always gathered. To decide, to define themselves, to assert status.
But even he said: "A great many meetings waste a great deal of everyone’s time" 🧵2/

We now spend 24.8% of our working week in meetings in the UK. Up from 19.3% pre-Covid.
Talking about work, rather working. How did this happen? And can we do it better? 🧵1/

🦠🦷I spat into a tube to find out more about my oral microbiome. Could it explain why my teeth are in such terrible shape...
For @thetimes.com: www.thetimes.com/life-style/h...

🦠Gut microbiomes have become *the* area of interest for doctors (and quacks on tick tock).
🦷🪥But how about oral microbiomes? Could the bacteria in our mouth be the key to finding out our likelihood of heart attacks or Alzheimer's?
Or at least why our teeth rot...🧵1/2

I'm on a website of Roam, a remote office software provider. On the "our team" page, all the execs are dressed up like they are on the Star Trek Enterprise.
Is this a new thing in Silicon Valley? Or is everyone at Roam a weirdo?

Very good

👌 @thetimes.com front page photo / headline juxtaposition

Absolutely incredible Nutella ad.

Trump Mar 10th “We won the
War on day one”.
Trump April 5th…

AI is no match for a great PA — let’s bring them back The trend of ditching assistants in favour of artificial intelligence is short-sighted, not a shortcut — we still need those crucial human skills

This week’s @thetimes.com biz column. AI is no match for a great PA — let’s bring them back

www.thetimes.com/article/29d4...