Author: INDEPENDENT

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA Scottish dairy company is significantly ramping up its cottage cheese production, responding to “all-time record demand” for the once-retro foodstuff largely fuelled by a surprising TikTok trend.Graham’s Family Dairy has completed a £3.5 million extension at its Glenfield site in Fife. This investment will increase cottage cheese production by 50 per cent and create 25 local jobs.The resurgence, shedding its 1970s and 80s image, is driven by…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The National Theatre’s director has shared her fears over the decline in new writing for the stage – cautioning that a failure to act on the downturn risks “betraying” William Shakespeare. Indhu Rubasingham, who became the first woman and person of colour to lead the National Theatre when she took up her post last year, issued the stark warning as she delivered the Jennie Lee lecture to…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsConsumer confidence has fallen in a blow for retailers as customers veer away from big-ticket purchases, figures show.GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index dropped three points to minus 19 in February to a level last seen in November, despite easing inflation.The decline was mainly driven by weaker perceptions of personal finances – looking back over the last year and ahead to the next 12 months – which both fell…

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releasesGet our food and drink newsletter for freeGet our food and drink newsletter for freePizza Express is set to expand its menu beyond its classic pizzas and introduce chicken wings and mac & cheese across its UK sites. This new concept aims to bolster the chain’s growth ambitions.The boss of the pizza chain confirmed a continued “focus” on pizza but acknowledged a “huge appetite” for chicken from customers. The “Mac & Wings” delivery brand will launch in over 300 locations nationwide from March 3.This move reflects significant…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsHSBC saw pre-tax profits fall to 29.9 billion dollars (£22.1 billion) in 2025 – a drop of 2.4 billion dollars (£1.8 billion) on the previous 12 months.Delivering its annual results, the lender said the fall was mainly down to 4.9 billion dollars (£3.6 billion) of adverse impact across items including legal provisions, organisational simplification and the sale of its French-retained portfolio of loans.Profits after tax fell by 1.9…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsProperty portal Zoopla has bought newhomesforsale.co.uk as it continues to expand further into the new build market.Zoopla said the deal – for an undisclosed amount – will see it buy 100% of the new homes property site, which has over 200 developer customers, supports 2,500 active property developments and connects over one million buyers with properties each year.It comes amid a concerted push by Zoopla to grow its…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsNew figures show the recent spike in energy prices cost Scotland’s economy £11 billion, leading to renewed calls for the country to end its “dependence on international fossil fuels”.A new report by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) calculated the direct additional costs faced by businesses, households and other “energy consumers” between 2021 and 2024 as a result of the energy crisis.This saw wholesale gas prices soar…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsLatest predictions suggest Ofgem will reduce the energy price cap by £117 to £1,641 a year for a typical dual fuel household from April 1 when it makes its announcement on Wednesday.– What is Ofgem’s price cap?The energy price cap sets a maximum price that suppliers can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales for each unit of gas and electricity they use.It also sets a maximum daily…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The Metropolitan Opera is set to present its fewest productions in at least 60 years for the 2026-27 season, despite reporting encouraging box office figures for the current period. The decision underscores the financial pressures facing the venerable institution, even as audience engagement shows signs of recovery.Announcing its programme on Thursday, the Met confirmed it will stage just 17 productions, marking its lowest total in a non-abbreviated…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsUS President Donald Trump has announced a 10% global tariff on “all countries” after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal levies policy.Mr Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs”, imposed on most of the rest of the world last April under an emergency powers law, were overturned by the US Supreme Court on Friday in a major blow to the president’s economic agenda.But he doubled down on imposing levies following the…