Australia has slipped to 21st out of 42 countries in the Business Council of Australia’s (BCA) 2025 Global Investment Competitiveness Index, down from 17th in 2019, highlighting growing structural pressures that directly affect capital-intensive sectors such as food and beverage manufacturing.

International cold storage organisation, Lineage, is working with logistics and container terminal services group, Flinders Port Holdings (FPH), to open a DAFF-accredited cold storage facility in South Australia.

Melbourne-based independent brewery, Stomping Ground Brewing Co., has opened expressions of interest for its upcoming equity raise through OnMarket. The company is now ready to scale up, as it celebrates a decade of beer.

Coles Group has delivered solid first-half earnings growth, driven by strong supermarkets performance and accelerating eCommerce, while reported profit declined following a significant item linked to the Federal Court judgment in the Fair Work Ombudsman proceedings.

Noumi has reported improved first-half revenue and underlying earnings growth, with record sales from its plant-based business and a strong turnaround in Dairy & Nutritionals.

Queensland’s best beverages have been awarded at the 2026 Royal Queensland Distilled Spirits and Beer Awards, with Happy Valley Brewing Co and Nil Desperandum taking out the top honours.

Adelaide Hills wine producer, Sidewood Estate, has entered a national distribution partnership with Samuel Smith & Son, the domestic distribution arm of Hill-Smith Family Estates.

Twelve months after bringing four businesses together under the SPC Global banner, CEO Robert Iervasi says the biggest shift has been cultural as much as financial: the company has moved from making what it can and “finding a home” for it, to building the portfolio around what consumers want, in the channels where demand is strongest.

The federal government is backing the development of a National Vineyard Register – a major Wine Australia project that aims to support a more sustainable future for Australia’s wine and grape industry.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has released its Towards 2030: A food and grocery snapshot, an assessment of the food and grocery manufacturing sector following the Sustaining Australia: Food and Grocery Manufacturing 2030 report released in 2020.

The federal government has granted $1.5 million to the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), to strengthen food safety and alcohol surveillance in Laos, following the methanol poisoning deaths of two Australian citizens in November 2024.

Woolworths Group delivered a stronger first-half underlying earnings result, with group sales up 3.4 per cent to $37.1 billion and EBIT up 14.4 per cent to $1.66 billion for the 27 weeks to 4 January 2026.

With conscious consumerism and sustainability concerns on the rise, Capital Brewing Co has partnered with Voyager Craft Malt, aiming to transition to local sourcing, lower emissions production and more sustainable brewing practices.

Lark Distilling has reported continued top-line growth in 1H FY26, with net sales revenue (after excise) rising 10 per cent to $8.7 million, as the Tasmanian whisky producer prepares for a coordinated domestic and international rollout of its restaged portfolio in the second half.

Better-for-you soft drink brand, bobby, has opened expressions of interest for its upcoming equity raise through OnMarket. Since launching in 2022, the company has expanded from four to 13 flavours, and secured national ranging across major and independent retail.

Calabria Family Wine Group has taken over Australian distribution for House of Fine Wine and The Wine Company – including products from Groupe Bollinger, Villa Maria, and Tahbilk. The company will manage all on‑premise and independent retail distribution nationally.