Watkins Drinks Limited, trading as Mighty Drinks, the alternative milk brand, has entered administration. Based in Leeds, Mighty Drinks is one of the UK’s fastest growing dairy alternative brands, with its specialist range of pea protein and oat milks. Its products are sold nationwide from supermarkets and health stores. In common with a number of other companies across the plant-based food sector, the company had faced trading headwinds in recent years, including rising costs and the impact of fragile consumer confidence which impacted its ability to scale and ultimately, achieve profitability. In response to these challenges, the directors of the company sought to explore the investment options available to them, but when it became clear that a solvent outcome was not possible, they took steps to file for the appointment of administrators. James Clark and Howard Smith from Interpath were appointed joint administrators on 17 June 2025. Tom Swiers, food and drink sector lead at Interpath, said: “There has been an increasing focus on profitability within all aspects of the ‘alt’ category, following the investment boom of a few years ago. It is no longer simply a case of, ‘growth as number one priority’. “The Mighty team has created a great product, with an exciting kids-milk range set to launch with retailers given the allergen free benefits of pea-protein, and a path to profitability from improved margins and increased volumes. “Unfortunately, however, this has come at a point in the Company’s cycle where it required further investment which was not forthcoming from typical investors in this space, nor was it attractive to typical ‘special situations’ investors given the relatively early stage of the company’s development.” James Clark, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: “We will now work with the Company’s stakeholders to explore the options available, including seeking offers for the business and its assets, including the Mighty brand and related intellectual property. We would invite any parties who may be interested in acquiring the business to make contact with us as soon as possible.”

West Yorkshire-based Supply Chain In-sites is growing annual revenues and creating jobs following a £500,000 investment from Finance Yorkshire. The certification body specialises in auditing and verifying product supply chains, ensuring suppliers across the globe comply with the requirements of retailers and accreditation bodies. CEO Rob Chester has 25 years’ experience in the grocery sector with major brands including Tesco and Walmart. He founded the company in 2021 with four other founders. They have achieved 50% annual revenue growth to reach £1.3 million turnover in 2024. Rob’s ambition is to grow turnover to £10 million by 2029 and expand his team from 12 to 50 employees during that period. Clients include Aldi, WHSmith, Grown in Britain, RSPCA Assured and Plant Healthy. Rob said: “We have created a great team because we all have experience working on both sides of the table. As a customer of certification bodies as well a certification provider. This experience has informed our approach to building SCI as both a trusted certification partner and a disruptive innovator in supply chain risk management.” Finance Yorkshire’s £500,000 investment from its growth fund will support SCI’s technological innovation including the use of AI, staff growth and training. The investment has already enabled SCI to make strategic hires in the US and Asia to better serve international clients. Rob added: “Finance Yorkshire is a hands-on investment partner and understands our model and vision. The partnership has also delivered potential synergies and partnerships with other Finance Yorkshire investee companies.” Finance Yorkshire CEO Alex McWhirter said: “SCI is to be congratulated on its achievements to date and its commitment to a substantial growth trajectory. The drive to increase its turnover significantly will add to the region’s wealth as well as creating jobs in Yorkshire in the future. “Finance Yorkshire is pleased to support SCI in its ambition to move towards real-time risk assurance, harnessing the use of AI and predictive analytics.”

The entrepreneurs behind two hospitality tech businesses, Sam Brown and Nick Holroyd-Doveton, have joined forces to launch a new venture that aims to reshape hospitality recruitment, raising £785,000 to further develop their matchmaking platform, Candid Hospitality. The funding came from NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the Northern Powerhouse Fund II (NPIF II), Haatch and an angel investor, and marks the first NPIF II equity investment in Hull. Sam Brown was previously a director of Airship Services, which was also backed by Mercia and the first Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and was sold to Zonal in 2022, while Nick Holroyd-Doveton co-founded Omnifi, which was sold to Access Group in 2021. Launched in February this year, the new platform has already attracted over 3,000 candidates and 100 brands including Big Table Group, Loungers, Honest Burgers, Turtle Bay, Punch Pubs, Flight Club and The Alchemist, and resulted in over 700 matches. The company plans to double the size of its team from seven to 14 in the next two years. Nick Holroyd-Doveton, Candid co-founder, said: “Having spent years in hospitality, both Sam and I know the challenges of recruitment. Candidates are often afraid to look for a better job in case their current boss finds out, while employers spend huge sums on new hires only to find they are the wrong fit. We felt the process must be ripe for change. “Using our industry contacts, we spoke to 60 operators and over 100 candidates and developed Candid based on their feedback. It uses the 3Cs – culture, competencies and compensation – which are key to successful hires. “The anonymity protects candidates and removes subconscious bias, and enables employers to access ‘passive hires’ who may not be active job seekers but may be interested if the right role came along.” Will Schaffer, investment director with Mercia Ventures, added: “Having worked with Sam previously during his time at Airship, we are pleased to back him and Nick in their latest venture. “Candid offers an innovative solution to the challenges of hospitality recruitment and has gained rapid traction. The funding will enable the team to build on its initial success and to drive further growth.” Jonathan Keeling, partner at Haatch, said: “We’ve backed over 150 startups at Haatch, and it’s rare to see this level of product–market fit so early on. “Sam and Nick are proven founders with deep hospitality experience, and Candid is already delivering results for some of the UK’s most respected operators. We believe this business can redefine how hospitality recruitment is done, putting culture and competence at the heart of hiring.”

Inflation held steady in May, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), inflation came in at 3.4%, compared with 3.5% in April – a figure the ONS has since said was overstated by 0.1% due to a mistake in car taxes. This puts inflation in line with the Bank of England’s May forecast and slightly above market forecasts of 3.3%. The largest downward contribution to the figure came from transport; the largest, partially offsetting, upward contributions came from food, and furniture and household goods. Furthermore, with recent increases in energy prices arising from conflict in the Middle East, renewed price pressures are anticipated. Core inflation, meanwhile, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, came in at 3.5% in May, down from 3.8% in April, and lower than forecast.