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The order - which was first reported by The Telegraph - allowed the claim to be withdrawn and said the retailers had reached a "confidential agreement" in November.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."
Tried and trusted Sheffield indie spot Baker's Yard is expanding its Kelham Island site and potentially dropping its "micro-bakery" title.
Opening just three years ago, Baker's Yard has become a sweet-treat staple in its Sheffield neighbourhood, Kelham Island, so much so, the owners have taken to social media to announce some very big plans.
Known for keeping Kelham Island visitors satisfied with their key lime pie and cheesecakes to loaves of bread and freshly baked pastries, now Baker's Yard is expected to continue doing so on a larger scale.
After putting out a call-out post earlier this month to recruit more front of house team members, the bakery waited just one more week before sharing its latest news.
What was once a "micro-bakery" is now about to undergo a particularly large transformation, as revealed in a new announcement via social media by the Baker's Yard team: "Our bakery is growing, into next door!"
Explaining this decision in further detail, the Kelham Island hotspot has said: "You can expect a greater variety of bakes, breads, pastries and cakes, including bespoke celebration and wedding cakes".
Already known for their bakery and coffee shop-hybrid, as well as the bespoke cake services they offer too, now Baker's Yard are covering all bases with an all-new venture.
Life just got a whole lot sweeter, as you'll be able to get your Baker's Yard fix all-day-long with the arrival of a restaurant, with the team promising, "Baker's Yard Bistro, a French inspired neighbourhood eatery" later down the line.
This year has been nothing but positive for this independent Sheffield business, as back in March Baker's Yard found itself included in The Good Food Guide's Top 50 Bakeries in the UK - Huge congrats.
Sheffield's beloved Baker's Yard is expanding its Kelham Island site / Credit: The Sheff
Anyone up for sampling some sweet treats or savoury selections that Baker's Yard has to offer can currently find them at 1 Baker's Yard, Sheffield (and very soon 2 Baker's Yard too) or online HERE - Good luck guys.
Featured Images - The Sheff (supplied)
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When Yorkshire is due to get hot as a fourth heatwave of the year hits the UK
Danny Jones
Yes, ANOTHER heatwave is set to hit the UK - the fourth in 2026 so far - and, understandably, Yorkshire residents are already preparing for the latest blast of hot weather and wondering when it arrives.
Yes, in case you missed the news, more high temperatures are set to spread across the UK and Ireland this month and heading into August.
The increase will gradually build throughout this week, with Wednesday tipped to be the hottest day according to various meteorologists.
While Yorkshire thankfully isn't quite slated to get the sweatiest, parts of the Midlands and the usual suspects down south are set to hit the highest numbers, but the thermometers are still on course to reach around the mid-20s over the coming days.
Estimates of 26°C were predicted for this coming Tuesday, with the levels floating in and around 24/25 on the following Wednesday.
The heat is then due to drop off slowly, with top scores of no higher than 21°C on the cards for Thursday and Friday. Although the weekend forecast is less certain at present, one thing that has been announced is reduced rainfall.
Aside from a few more trickles today (Mon, 27 July), the showers or lack thereof cease rather soon, with some of the driest parts of the country already having various effects; for instance, parched parts of Wales have even revealed lost archaeological sites last Friday (24/7/2026).
It would be remiss if we didn't mention the obvious moorland fires across our region, which were sadly exacerbated by hot weather earlier this month.
At least it'll be a bit cooler here than in other parts of the country. ☀️
The Hoot -
4th February 2022 
