Remember that #FreeCuthbert fight that Aldi had with M&S last year?
Well the whole fight ended up in court.
Finally, M&S and Aldi have reached a settlement in a copyright dispute over the design of their caterpillar cakes.
Who can forget the whole Colin the Caterpillar fiasco that went down last year?
In case you do need your memory jogging, all the way back in April 2021, leading retailer Marks & Spencer decided to launch legal action against Aldi over the iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake, claiming that the budget supermarket’s own larvae dessert - Cuthbert the Caterpillar - was just too similar and infringes its trademark.
It was a case that blew up on social media, with plenty of other well-known supermarkets and retailers showing their support after Aldi launched its own #FreeCuthbert campaign.
After the rollercoaster case began to die down a bit, Aldi made the bold move to start selling its caterpillar cake once again in May after making some slight changes to its design, and now, both supermarket giants have confirmed earlier this week that a deal has been struck.
Deputy Master Timothy John Bowles has today signed off an agreement in a consent order filed at the High Court.
The order - which was first reported by The Telegraph - allowed the claim to be withdrawn and said the retailers had reached a "confidential agreement" in November.
In true comical Aldi style, the supermarket confirmed the settlement and teased Cuthbert the Caterpillar's imminent return on Twitter saying: "Getting out early on good behaviour, keep an eye out for Cuthy B this Spring."
Speaking more formally on the order this week, an M&S spokesman said: "The objective of the claim was to protect the intellectual property in our Colin the Caterpillar cake and we are very pleased with the outcome.", while an Aldi spokesperson added: "Cuthbert is free and looking forward to seeing all his fans again very soon."
M&S and Aldi have finally reached a settlement in a copyright dispute over the design of their caterpillar cakes / Credit: Aldi UK
Matters here may have drawn nicely to a close, but the tensions between the two retailers still remain high.
This is because, back in December 2021, it was revealed that M&S is once again launching legal action against Aldi and has accused the retailer copying the design of one of it’s most popular festive products - a Christmas gin liqueur with gold flakes.
The M&S spokesperson added on the case: "Like many other UK businesses, large and small, we know the true value and cost of innovation and the enormous time, passion, creativity, energy and attention to detail, that goes into designing, developing and bringing a product to market and building its brand over many years.
"So it is understandable that we want to defend our intellectual property and protect our suppliers - many of them small businesses that have worked with us for decades."
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has confirmed it'll be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK - but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues 'for all their hard work' throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That's not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a 'special' 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it's important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to 'ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day'
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year's Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: "Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
"Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
"We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them."
The Hoot -
4th February 2022 
