Which supermarket offers the best deal on Thanksgiving dinner?
How much will it cost to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table this year? That depends on where home cooks buy their groceries. CNBC investigated prices at five national supermarket chains — Acme, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and Whole Foods — to determine which offered the best deal on a feast for a family of eight. It’s hardly a surprise that Whole Foods — more like Whole Paycheck, right? — offered the worst value: a total bill of $99.85, or $12.48 per dinner guest. Walmart came out on top with a wallet-friendly total of $45.18, just $5.65 per guest.
Is Campbell’s Soup in trouble?
It’s been a tough week for ubiquitous canned items. First, there were reports of Pabst Blue Ribbon’s imminent demise, and now the word on the street says Campbell’s Soup is in dire straits. The company is dealing with a power struggle between heirs to the Campbell’s founder and an interloping billionaire, according to the New York Times. On one side is Daniel Loeb, who wants to take over a majority stake in the company with his Third Point hedge fund and undertake a significant restructuring. On the other side are descendants of John T. Dorrance, who live in the lap of luxury thanks to the dividends they receive from Campbell’s, and believe Loeb is simply hoping to make a quick profit.
Meanwhile, the company itself is struggling mightily. Earnings reportedly plummeted 50 percent last quarter, sales have been consistently declining, and Campbell’s is saddled with with billions of dollars in debt. Things have gotten so bad that one Dorrance relative has defected and supports Loeb’s takeover plan. “My cousins were complacent and ignored the truth,” George Strawbridge Jr. tells the Times. “It’s very much a shame. The company has run into very hard times and has been under-managed and under-supervised.” In a battle of wealth vs. wealth, the fate of an iconic American brand is at stake.
And in other food news ...
- Noma, chef René Redzepi’s lauded Copenhagen restaurant, is not stranger to international pop-ups. Redzepi is now hinting that he and his team may be on the move again. [New York Times]
- American movie stars Danny DeVito and Jessica Chastain will star in the new season of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Friday Night Feast in the United Kingdom. The Channel 4 series features Oliver and his friend Jimmy Doherty preparing a feast for friends at a pop-up restaurant in each episode. [Deadline]
- Jean Imbert, chef of Paris’s celeb-magnet restaurant L’Acajou, has expanded to New York City with a new establishment called Encore. Famous producer, rapper, singer, and big-hat wearer Pharrell is on board as a partner in the business. [WWD]
- A sheriff’s deputy in Colorado was arrested for smuggling meth into jail inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken meal. Meth-infused chicken may be the only way KFC can compete with the addictive quality of Popeyes. [AP]
- Finally, ugly holiday sweaters are the hot fashion item for food #brands this year. Taco Bell and Whataburger are already selling them. [QSR Magazine, ABC 13]