NANDO’S has just unleashed a never-before-seen spice flavour, inspired by a popular fizzy drink.

The chicken chain is set to launch a new spice combining their PERi-PERi with Fanta Orange Zero Sugar.

2

2

Advertisement

Launching in time for spooky season, the Nando’s x Fanta collab sits on the PERi-ometer between Mild and Medium.

This is the first new spice flavour Nando’s has launched in two years.

The zesty, fruity flavour comes with just a hint of chilli, perfect for anyone who loves a fizzy kick with their wings.

The new menu, including the Fanta spice, lands in restaurants on Tuesday, October 15 and will be available at all locations across the UK and Ireland.

You can find your nearest restaurant using the locator tool on the chain’s website.

The unique flavour will be on the menu until spring so fans have a while to give it a go.

This flavour sensation is the centrepiece of Nando’s Halloween menu.

The chain is also launching a series of in-restaurant parties, giveaways, and experiences to embrace the spooky vibes.

NEW MENU TREATS

The Fanta spice is not the only addition hitting chains this Halloween.

Nando’s is also introducing several brand-new menu items.

For starters, there’s the Cheesy Garlic Pitta, inspired by a staff hack.

It features a toasted sourdough pitta, loaded with melted cheddar cheese, garlic, spring onions, and a touch of PERi-PERi.

Next up is the Cheesy Chickle Burger, which includes a grilled chicken breast, smothered in melted cheddar cheese, PERi-Ketchup, and Garlic PERinaise.

It’s topped with crisp lettuce and herby pickles, all packed into a soft Portuguese roll.

For sharing (or not), Nando’s is rolling out the All-in Platter for Two, while a new dip, the Churrasco PERinaise, brings even more heat to the table.

Nando’s isn’t the only place spicing things up this spooky season.

The Sun can reveal that McDonalds will also be launching a new menu in time for Halloween.

The fast food giant will be adding three new items next week as well as upgrading a breakfast favourite and its popular Hash browns.

Meanwhile, it’s no surprise Brits love a cheeky Nando’s, but one man loves it so much he flew 690 miles for less than three hours just to get his Nando’s fix.

Elsewhere, fans have hit out at the chicken chain over a cheeky price hike after prices shot up by a third in three years, yet portions only seem to be shrinking.

The changing nature of the asset management industry is a wonder to behold.

When I first started out, the main recommendation for investment was a managed bond. Partly because so many adviser firms were being set up by those who had worked in the insurance industry selling life bonds and also because they would pay 5%-plus commission.

At that time, unit trusts paid 3%. It wasn’t hard to see what was going to be sold the most.

The 5% withdrawal, often described as tax free, was another selling point. Do you remember the income surcharge investors had to pay for their dividends, too, again helping the sales of insurance bonds? And, of course, no regulation to begin with. What a cowboy’s charter.

It’s good to see how much has changed – mostly for the better. The Retail Distribution Review was a big change and Consumer Duty has signalled a turning point for old poor practices, too.

Meanwhile, the active management industry is now under the most pressure I have ever seen.

Active is caught between high costs of regulation and new business rapidly disappearing to the passive industry.

Looking at the top 20 best-selling funds from major platforms today, compared to only about five years ago, I am struck by just how many are passive funds – generally the majority.

Have investors suddenly discovered that these funds are much cheaper than active? Perhaps that is some of the story, but the biggest reason is surely that old chestnut – past performance.

Simply put, passive funds have slaughtered most active funds, especially over the last 15 years or so.

This wasn’t always the case. I remember at Hargreaves Lansdown looking at passive funds in the noughties and finding most were, at best, third quartile performers.

What changed? Falling prices, the rise of ETFs and the move to global funds rather than regional funds (although the latter is, of course, still well represented by passives) have all played a part.

Before the turn of the century, global funds hadn’t been big sellers. Portfolio managers usually preferred to do their own asset allocation through regional funds. The DIY investor was also more attracted to specific funds and the media tended to centre on regional funds where there was usually more of a story to write. Global seemed more of a backwater.

But there has been another factor at play. In some ways, we got an inkling of this in the late 1990s with the tech boom and bust, which really centred on the US.

From this first boom came many of the big US winners we see today. The top US stocks now not only dominate the S&P but the global indices, too, and the US weighting in the global index is now over 70%.

With such large index companies, it becomes very difficult for active managers to have any chance of outperforming.

The US has been the standout major market since the low point of the great recession in 2009. As it dominates global indices, is it surprising global index funds have become so popular? They are, in effect, quasi-US funds.

As such, the diversification argument for buying a global fund seems quite weak and may well come back to bite investors later. It is equally possible to argue that, should the US market catch a cold, the other markets will have pneumonia.

So, today, the investment world is dominated by two factors – passives and the US.

I vaguely seem to recall Sir John Templeton saying that, once a sure way of making money had been found in markets, it was only a matter of time before some kind of disaster struck.

Will the momentum style of passive investing be its downfall? Maybe. But at least no one will get the blame, as it can only reflect the market.

Will active rise to the challenge? No chance. It’s too fraught with regulatory and business risk to do anything much different to the index and, of course, we all know you can be wrong for a long time.

I suspect the party will continue for a bit longer. Plenty of cash remains on the sidelines and pessimism still abounds. For a sense of danger, I also think too many look to the US. China looks to be the most in trouble – but that’s for another time.

In the meantime, I expect to see huge consolidation in the active management industry.

Mark Dampier is an independent consultant and can be found tweeting at @MarkDampier

A HOSPITAL COOK won £25 million in the lottery, but only took home a fraction of the winnings due to a promise she’d made years previously.

Julie Amphlett was working at Nealth Port Talbot Hospital, Wales when she heard the news of her giant EuroMillions win in 2017.

3

3

Advertisement

3

However, she had previously agreed to divide any winnings with five other people – meaning she only came away with just over £4.2 million.

The six women were part of a work syndicate called The Catering Girls – all colleagues at the hospital.

They had been playing the Euromillions for six years before their win.

Despite losing out on a large proportion of the jackpot, syndicate leader Julie was delighted with the result, as the six colleagues all quit their jobs and jetted off on a luxury holiday to Las Vegas.

Julie and fellow syndicate members Louise Ward and Sian Thomas reunited this week to celebrate 30 years of the National Lottery.

Along with other lottery winners, the women prepared a special lunch for guests at the Cegin Hedyn community café.

Julie said: “It’s great to be back in the kitchen with the girls, it takes us right back to those years we spent in the hospital kitchen before our incredible win.

“And it’s nice to be using our skills for such a deserving project.

“The idea that everyone, from all walks of life, can come together and share a meal is so important within the local community.”

The women prepared food and mocktails, and presented a gift and thank you note to those involved in the success of the café.

Since opening, Cegin Hedyn has served over 10,000 meals to the local community.

Dave and Sarah Williams, Wales’ most recent National Lottery millionaires, also joined The Catering Girls in the kitchen.

Dave said: “Since that incredible moment when our numbers came up I’ve pinched myself quite a bit, and today is no different.

“Firstly, it’s amazing to meet all these other lucky winners – I didn’t realise there were so many in Wales! – and it’s also been great to see where the Good Cause funding goes to, this project is doing some truly amazing things for the community in Carmarthen.

“Our lives have changed so much for the better since our winning moment.

“We moved into a new home where Trevor, our very boisterous dog, can finally wear himself out with his zoomies, and Sarah and I are taking things easy for a bit before we plan our next adventures, and if I know Sarah, that might well be deciding what pet will be joining our family next.”

The news comes as another lottery syndicate in Australia descended into a bitter feud.

Alan Way sought legal action against Mark Peter Bowling, 76, and Moya Posa, 89, over claims he was cut out of the syndicate’s massive £3 million winnings.

Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) provider BareRock has launched a counselling and wellbeing support programme for its advice firm policyholders.

The programme aims to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals within BareRock’s club member firms who are dealing with the strain of high-stress complaint situations, by covering the costs of professional counselling.

Under the new initiative, BareRock will fund up to 10 one-hour counselling sessions per claim, subject to a £2,000 cap, with no policy excess payable by the club member firm.

This is designed to help business owners, senior leaders and employees who often find themselves directly involved in managing complex and pressure-filled complaints while juggling multiple responsibilities in highly regulated businesses.

The initiative will be incorporated into BareRock’s offering at no extra cost during the last quarter of 2024.

It will be available to existing and new policyholders.

The news was announced on World Mental Health Day today (10 October).

BareRock CEO and founder Jonathan Newell said: “We are constantly seeking ways to enhance our offering and provide meaningful value to our club members where it’s needed most.

“By offering compassionate support on a human level, alongside technical and strategic assistance during complaint situations, we can help our club members better manage the emotional and mental toll of dealing with stressful complaint situations.

“This mental health and wellbeing support is a great demonstration of our commitment to our customers and to the FCA’s vulnerable customers guidance.”

BareRock’s counselling services aim to support individuals as they navigate the challenges of their roles.

The programme helps develop strategies for better stress management, work-life balance and mental-health prioritisation.

Corporate Personal Wellbeing (CPW) is BareRock’s preferred partner in delivering these professional counselling sessions.