What the papers say - June 20, 2007

British distillers toasted victory over counterparts in the northern "vodka belt" yesterday after the European Parliament agreed that their brands could be labelled as vodka. Manufacturers in Poland and Scandinavia have tried to limit the use of the name to drinks distilled only from potatoes or grain. They had hoped to see drinks made from molasses or grapes labelled "pure white spirit" - The Times​

Whitbread, the leisure group, is to invest £150 million developing its Premier Travel Inn budget hotel chain in India and is close to signing a deal to take its Costa coffee shop chain to Russia - The Times​

Gourmet Holdings, steady at 26½p, is said to have been approached by potential bidders after the sale last week of its Bel and the Dragon gastro pub chain, which left the group with just four Richoux-branded London cafés. Luke Johnson, who owns the Patisserie Valerie chain, is said to be among the parties to have expressed an interest - The Times​

The imminent introduction of the smoking ban in England has helped boost sales of dispense monitoring systems to public houses, according to Brulines. The Aim-listed producer of equipment to monitor the quantity and quality of draught alcoholic drinks dispensed by the UK licensed on-trade, said its equipment ensured any initial disruption to trading caused by the ban's introduction could not be used for theft - The Financial Times​

Hundreds of workers at one of Coca-Cola's largest distribution centres are to be balloted for a strike that their union claims could devastate the drinks group's summer sales. Unite, the UK's largest union, said workers at the Wakefield plant in West Yorkshire were furious management had refused to improve a 2.5 per cent pay offer after talks with Acas, the conciliation service - The Financial Times​

Drinks companies are being told to change the labelling and packaging on some products as part of a crackdown on speed drinking and downing alcoholic drinks in one. Spirit-based products described and promoted as "shooters" or "slammers" are likely to fall foul of a revised code of practice published yesterday by the drinks industry body the Portman Group - The Guardian​

A "health miles card", offering reward points for giving up smoking or losing weight, was proposed yesterday by a Tory group reviewing health policy. Such rewards could be redeemed against fresh vegetables or discounted gym membership, under plans advanced by the group. It recommended that more emphasis should be put on tackling public health issues such as obesity, drugs, smoking and alcohol - The Daily Telegraph​