NEWS FROM OCADO

ONLINE SUPERMARKET LOOKING TO DELIVER MOO-RE

Ocado launches live animal delivery service

EMBARGOED – 00.01 1^ST April 2012

ONLINE SUPERMARKET, Ocado, opens the UK’s first web ‘Livestock-Shop’ this weekend. Proving that fresh really is best, the new delivery service, in partnership with Daylesford organic farm, will provide customers with a number of live farm animals to produce their own milk and eggs. All available to order from Sunday, 1^st April.

The modern day ‘Tom and Barbara’, seeking out The Good Life, will be impressed with Ocado’s offering of livestock from Daylesford’s organic farm in Gloucestershire. Ranging from a single chicken, to a flock of rare hens, and even cows, the online grocer’s fifteenth ‘shop in shop’ caters to those looking to have the freshest produce delivered straight to their door.

To ensure that all animals go to the right ‘farmer’, potential buyers will have their property inspected by the new Ocado farm team, headed by Daylesford’s Senior Farm Manager, Richard Smith. Once homes have been found fit, the in-house team will provide buyers with invaluable urban farm knowledge - from building chicken coops, to milking a cow.

The newly developed Ocado farm van provides a spacious environment for the livestock travelling from the heart of Gloucestershire. Fitted with fresh grass from the West Country and incorporating a state-of-the-art shower spritz and drying system, the farm animals will be truly fresh when they arrive at their new grazing ground.

Following the success of their first online farmshop, launched on Ocado.com in September 2011, Daylesford CEO, Jamie Mitchell, said: “There is a growing market of allotment owners who want to produce more than boring runner beans and cabbages. At Daylesford, we are lucky enough to farm 2,000 acres in the Cotswolds, and wish to give Ocado shoppers the opportunity to farm their own animals, giving them the freshest milk and eggs.”

Ocado co-founder, Jason Gissing commented: “Ocado is dedicated to making life easier for its customers and, on our mission to becoming a food emporium, we strive to provide our shoppers with more of what they want.

“Just like our customers, we strongly believe that fresh is the best, hence why our fresh fruit and vegetables are already handled less than they would be at a traditional supermarket - fresh produce is touched only once or twice before being delivered. It’s also why we guarantee that we’ll never sell products right up to their 'use by' date. Ocado’s Daylesford Livestock-Shop is the next step in providing our shoppers with the freshest produce available.”

Prices are as follows:

·         Daylesford Legbar Hen - £25

·         Heritage Gloucestershire Cow - £1000 to £1500

·         British Friedian Cow - £1000 to £2000

ENDS

For further information contact:

Rochelle Collison, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496

Email: rochellecollison@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:

About Ocado:

Ocado (http://www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. In June 2010, it scooped Online Retailer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 and Customer Technology of the Year at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2010. In October 2010 it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards.

About Daylesford (www.daylesfordorganic.com)

· At Daylesford, we have been farming organically for over 25 years with the simple passion for real food.

· We are committed to organic and sustainable farming: we believe that it is better for us, our animals, the environment, and of course always tastes better...

· In the last 3 years Daylesford has won over 60 national and international awards from all areas of the farm. These include the Soil Association Awards, British Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards, Great Taste Awards and FARMA.

· Buying direct from farms cuts out the industry ‘middle-men’, ensuring customers know the exact provenance of their food, and allowing producers like Daylesford to bring great value artisan products to market. Daylesford’s prices are always competitive, whether comparing against organic food in the supermarkets, or other high quality produce from specialist retailers

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

Hotels.com

Hotels.com will today (1^st April) launch a state of the art addition to its popular iPad application which they hope will ‘collar’ the app market in the UK. The Hotels.com ‘iPaw’ app allows dogs to browse some of the best hotels across the globe from the comfort of their own baskets and is hoped to leave users wagging their tails for more.

NEWS FROM GRAZE.COM

Nice One Squirrel - Healthy snacks company graze.com has today (1^st April) defended its 'nuts' recruitment policy, having replaced one of its key staff with a four-year old woodland squirrel named Hazel.

The move, designed to ensure quality control of its fresh and natural ingredients, will see Hazel take up the fool-time post of chief nut tester, whilst current incumbent Flora Pilo is moved to another part of the growing business.

NEWS FROM THE ECB

ECB TURN BULLDOGS TO BALL-DOGS

British Bulldogs will know no boundaries this summer

The ECB today announced that British Bulldogs will be shrugging off their lazy reputation this summer, as they take up a fetching role in this season’s Friends Life t20 competition.

This summer will see an army of the loveable dogs dotted around the boundaries of the nation’s cricket grounds, with the sole purpose of returning balls that have been dispatched over the boundary.

The move comes after a players’ consultation revealed that unnecessary chases over the boundary were increasing the risk of injury and sapping energy during the games.

The ECB have consulted a series of dog experts to ensure that the Bulldogs are fully prepared for their role, both from a physical and psychological perspective. Considerations have also had to be taken with regards to maintaining the condition of the ball.

Paul Taylor, in charge of training the Bulldogs, commented;

“Bulldogs are traditionally considered a lazier breed of dogs, but they’ve proven to be a great hit so far in training. Their low centre of gravity makes for a more efficient pick up and their sturdy build means they are less risk adverse than say, a poodle.

“There have of course been some unforeseen difficulties, most notably the toilet habits of the average British Bulldog. However, the Bulldogs have now been trained to ensure that they do not relieve themselves on the playing surface and dog handlers will on hand at all times as an extra precaution.”

Steve Elworthy, ECB spokesperson said;

“Cricket encapsulates all that is right about Britishness and we wanted to take this a step further with the introduction of the ultimate British dog.

“Friends Life t20 is all about doing something different and we’re proud to try something that will save the players exerting unnecessary energy and risking injury, while also providing added entertainment to the action on the pitch.”

For more information about the Bulldogs, the ECB or Friends Life t20 please contact:

Greg Double on 020 7693 6999 or email ecb@frankpr.it

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:

·          A t20 game involves two teams; each has a single innings batting for a maximum of 20 overs.

·         A t20 game is completed in about two and a half hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes.

·         This Friends Life t20 competition begins on Tuesday 12^th June with three groups of six teams competing for a place in the quarter finals. The top two of each group, plus the two best third place teams qualify for the quarter finals. Winners of the four quarter finals progress to Finals Day where both semi-finals and the final are played.