Independent brewery, Better Beer, has appointed former Stone & Wood CFO, Chris Pensabene, as its new chief financial officer – following the milestone achievement of selling 100 million cans.

Winners of the New South Wales Export Awards have been announced, with SunRice Group taking out the Agribusiness, Food & Beverages category, Flavourtech receiving the Regional Exporter award, and BiteRiot taking out Small Business.

Brianna Casey has been appointed the new managing director of AgriFutures Australia, effective 19 January 2026. The announcement follows her decision to step down as CEO of Foodbank Australia in October, after nine years in the role.

Two Australian wine leaders, Coles Liquor and Wirra Wirra, have joined the Sustainable Wine Roundtable’s Bottle Weight Accord, reinforcing their commitment to packaging sustainability and carbon reduction.

Suprême SAS (Gourmey) has become the first European company to obtain regulatory approval for a cultivated meat product, from the Singapore Food Agency. It has now set its sights on the Australian market, applying for its cell cultured duck to be used as a food ingredient under the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) Code.

Endeavour Group has reported a steady improvement in retail sales momentum through the first quarter of FY26, with growth returning in September and continuing into October, despite a subdued consumer environment.

Coopers Brewery sold almost two million litres more in FY25 than the previous year, with beer sales for the independent family-owned business topping 80.6m litres.

Coles Group has reported steady growth in its first-quarter results for FY26, driven by a strong supermarket performance. Total group sales revenue rose 3.9 per cent to $10.96 billion, with supermarket sales up 4.8 per cent to $9.97 billion.

Winners of the 2025 Australian Sparkling Wine Show have been announced, with Tasmanian wines taking out all four major trophies, three of them by Treasury Wine Estate’s Heemskerk Wines.

The annual Product of the Year Awards (POY) has confirmed one of the dominant and enduring consumer trends when it comes to food and beverage choices – personal health. NielsenIQ research, commissioned by POY, found 74 per cent of us are focusing on products that support energy, fitness, better sleep, stress relief, and brain function. This year was dominated by private label products, accounting for 68 per cent of winning products.

Woolworths Group has reported a 2.7 per cent increase in group sales to $18.5 billion for the 14-week first quarter ended 5 October. The group’s Australian Food sales rose 3.2 per cent in the first weeks of October and will be launching more than 650 new products for the Christmas holiday period.

C4C Packaging is set to reshape Australia’s wine and ready-to-drink (RTD) landscape with the launch of Oceania's first single-serve aseptic wine and alcoholic beverage co-manufacturing and packaging facility.

Pure Dairy has opened its new $100 million dairy manufacturing and processing plant in Dandenong South. The facility is 13,000 square metres and is already producing various dairy products for key hospitality and retail buyers.

Founded in 2005 by qualified naturopath, Narelle Plapp, Food for Health began when Plapp started hand-making muesli for her patients with coeliac disease. Twenty years on, the brand has grown into a household staple, stocked nationally in Coles and Woolworths. Food & Drink Business spoke with Plapp about building a major manufacturing company from one simple need.

Murray Cod Australia posted a strong start to FY26, reporting a 45 per cent year-on-year sales increase and a 30 per cent lift in customer receipts for the September quarter, driven by rising demand and production throughput.

ASX-listed Lark Distilling Co. has reported growth in the fifth consecutive quarter, posting net sales of $3.7 million in Q1 FY26, up 10 per cent year-on-year. The company’s first quarter showed business momentum as it prepares for a brand relaunch in 2026.