Mark Worgan

New research commissioned by Nationwide says 60% of students combine different takeaway cuisines, with Chinese and Italian among the most popular combinations. Students reportedly spend an average of £45.60 per month on takeaways, while many see shared meals as important for social connection and reducing loneliness. To promote Nationwide's FlexStudent account, Chloe Burrows and Max Khadar have created fusion dishes including chow mein burritos, butter chicken pizza and ice cream fries. The menu will be served free at a NationFried pop-up in east London on 25 August, alongside Nationwide's offer of £100 cash and £120 in Just Eat vouchers for new FlexStudent customers.

Research commissioned by Costa Coffee found that many British travellers feel anxious ordering coffee in another language: only 38% know how to place their order, 54% feel more anxious when reaching the front of the queue, and 49% say they abandon rehearsed phrases. Costa is launching Air-Spresso at its London Luton Airport store on August 14, where multilingual translators will help customers practise ordering coffee in Spanish, French and Italian before travelling.

Research commissioned by EV charging provider Pod found that 84% of Britons say an unexpected compliment can improve a bad day, while 80% prefer small, regular rewards to occasional major ones. Pod highlighted its Pod Rewards scheme, which pays customers for smart overnight EV charging, and reported that 81% of EV drivers found home charging easier than expected, with 98% quickly incorporating it into their routine. Comedian Troy Hawke was sent to surprise Pod customers with compliments as part of the campaign promoting home EV charging.

Uber Eats and wagamama are launching a promotional stunt in which British drift champion Ollie Evans delivers meals in a Japanese street car to celebrate wagamama’s arrival on the Uber Eats platform. Customers ordering between July 21 and 23 are entered into a draw for a year of free food, with finalists invited to a drift‑ride challenge with Evans. Company leaders describe the collaboration as a high‑energy way to mark the partnership and showcase wagamama’s dishes.

Research by SharkNinja suggests that missing a morning coffee or having a poor-quality one leaves many people feeling tired, sluggish or irritable. More than half of regular coffee drinkers say a ruined first cup affects their mood for the whole day, leading some to buy takeaway coffees to recover. Common complaints include expired milk, wrong orders and burnt beans. Ninja introduced the AutoBarista machine to provide consistent café-style drinks, with presenter Frankie Bridge endorsing its reliability for preventing disappointing mornings.

England’s upcoming 1am World Cup match against Mexico is expected to leave millions of UK fans sleep‑deprived, with research from Honor suggesting more than two million may call in sick. Many supporters struggle to sleep after late matches due to elevated adrenaline and heart rate. Sleep expert Sophie Bostock has introduced a five‑step “Fan Cool Down” routine to help viewers wind down quickly, alongside additional tips such as pre‑game showers, half‑time preparation and brief movement breaks. Honor promotes its Watch 6 as a tool for tracking post‑match recovery as concerns grow about the impact of late kick‑offs on work routines.