Food for Thought

The latest Delia Smith cookery book may have only been published a few days ago - but it is already having an impact at Marks & Spencer.

Sir Stuart Rose, M&S chief executive, told the NFU Centenary Conference that the inclusion of a tin of minced lamb in one of the recipes had boosted sales by 200%.

Sales of minced beef had also risen by 60%, he said, despite the fact it isn't even featured.

Sir Terry Leahy is probably relieved that his skiing accident kept him away from the NFU Centenary Conference - because his stand in Lucy Neville Rolfe, director of corporate and legal affairs, took a bit of a battering.

Farmers were lining up to ask questions about why the supermarkets was making a profit, while they were making a loss. Forget cost sharing, they pointed out - how about a bit of profit sharing?

The onslaught was to be expected - Britain's largest supermarket isn't much loved by farmers, despite the company being UK agriculture's largest customer.

Which makes it all the more frustrating that the answers weren't more satisfactory. Tesco had done as much as any other retailer to support the beef and sheep sectors, she said, adding that their buyers do try to ensure a "fair price was paid to the industry".

She also claimed that the margin made by Tesco was not huge - although they did of course sell a big volume. Oh yes, she also pointed out that in agriculture there were years when things were bad and years when things were better.

It was all a little unconvincing.

There's one question that the audience at the NFU Centenary Conference is struggling to answer.

Is it good or bad news that Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy has taken a tumble on the ski slopes and so won't be able to address conference later today?

NFU president Peter Kendall joked: "I wonder if during a bit of apres ski he ran into a group of disgruntled poultry producers who managed to do more damage to his ribs than any skiing accident..."

Opening speeches at conferences can be pretty lacklustre - little more than a plea for you to turn off your mobile and run if the fire alarm sounds.

But Peter Kendall's opening speech at the NFU Centenary Conference was wide-ranging and certainly seemed to go down well with his audience.

Here it is if you want it in full: