The Swiss coffee company Nespresso has begun an investigation and promised to increase random checks on its coffee farms after child labour was reported on them.

Kya deLongchamps turns the spotlight on countertop stars to look out for in the last throes of the January sales.

It’s time to call a truce on Rugby Country’s culture war

Esther N McCarthy has her eye (and ear) on party speakers for your BBQ, spots a rug that’s out of this world, and revels in all that’s on offer for Heritage Week and Cork Craft Month.

Ireland international soccer player Louise Quinn is having a ball as a fully signed up member of the Arsenal women’s team.

Esther N McCarthy discovers a chic and charming Killarney hotel, with cool cocktails thrown in for good measure.

Dinner on the Orient Express and a private cinema are some just of the highlights at Glenlo Abbey, writes Louise O’Neill.

Tommy Barker steps into The Courtyard and comes away impressed by the quality at a stand-out home.

Esther N McCarthy refects on mirror designs and shares good news for coffee connoisseurs.

Don’t stress — the perfect gifts for everyone are out there. All it takes is a little time and imagination, writes Esther N McCarthy.

Nestle, the world’s largest packaged food firm, said it would reorganise its infant nutrition business to improve performance, five months after the new CEO listed the category as one of its priorities for growth.

Nestle plans to switch in or out of businesses with combined sales of almost 10bn Swiss francs (€8.7bn) as chief executive Mark Schneider focuses on coffee, bottled water, and pet care to prioritise profitability over scale.

Esther N McCarthy’s picks this week include pocket-sized printers and ice-cold coffees.

Nestlé plans to cut almost 300 jobs in Britain as it simplifies its operations and moves production of Blue Riband biscuits to Poland, becoming the latest food and drink maker to reduce its UK operations as the country prepares to leave the EU.

Esther N McCarthy goes for graffiti artists, gold lamps and glorious coffee this weekend.

A businessman who sells edible insects has been jailed for a professional shoplifting scheme where he stole high-value household goods to order.

Add a touch of sparkle to your home for a glitzy Christmas, suggests Esther N McCarthy.

From the family mutt to the guy who works with your husband, Esther N McCarthy has selecting presents all wrapped up

When any phone goes off in my presence, I assume death, destruction, fire, and pestilence, writes Terry Prone

Rose Martin takes a look at what’s happening in the world of design and interiors this week. 

She was buffeted as much as buffed, but Esther N McCarthy‘s skin is glowing after a spa break in Spain with her godmother.

David O’Mahony runs out of superlatives after a stay in one of Waterford’s finest hotels. 

Is a relaxing holiday really possible when you’re travelling with four kids? Yes, says Vickie Maye after a weekend in Kenmare.

Roz Crowley has been busy researching coffee makers as she wanted an upgrade.

It’s enough to have Mrs Doyle weeping into her tea cosy.

Instant just doesn’t cut it any more with Java-Joe Public. Kya deLongchamps looks at

Usually in golf, the numbers 64 and 62 represent a brilliant day on the course and a score to be cherished. But when those figures are the number of major championships you have played without a victory, that is not the case.

Family holidays can lose the magic when the kids hit the the teenage years. Never one to give up, Tommy Barker tries to recapture the good old days with his two grown-up children in the Algarve.

Matt Damon earned $3 million for appearing in a 20-second commercial.

WHEN Aidan Power stands in front of the cameras — all smiles and bullet-speed delivery — at the O2 Arena to present The Hit, it looks as if he hasn’t a care in the world.

A GIRLS’ weekend away was on the cards for months. Time for me (and a willing buddy) to ditch the husbands and the childers, hit the motorway, fork out for the tolls and head to the big smoke. Our check list: shoe shopping, a concert in the O2, plenty of pubs and lots of lie ins. Dublin, here we come.

Each week, Esther N McCarthy scouts around for interesting bits for your home.

ANYONE who has ever known anyone with an Irish wolfhound declares an Irish connection for St Patrick’s Day.

THEY’RE everywhere you turn your head.

Modern coffee-making technology and retro styling make this Nespresso machine a practical but attractive piece of kit for the kitchen (Maestria model €399 at Brown Thomas).

Nestle SA, the world’s biggest food company, lost court rulings over attempts to stop companies from selling rival capsules compatible with Nespresso machines in Germany.

PLUMBER.

IF YOU still need proof that Christmas is now a fully-fledged season — as opposed to a single day, or even several days, of festive fun — you’ll find it in Eyre Square.

THE Radisson Blu is built on the site of the former Ballincar House Hotel — a country estate house 6km from Sligo town on the road to the chic seaside settlement of Rosses Point.

AT a time when consumers closely watch every expense, the simple joy of a daily cup of coffee remains undimmed even in difficult economic times.

THE logic that typically prevails during an economic downturn is: when money is tight, the luxuries fall by the wayside.

Food giant Nestle today said it was on course to hit its full-year targets after coffee business Nespresso and household favourite Kit Kat lifted sales.

YOU know the chat is going to be lively when the Bishop of Cork responds to an apology for being early with a mischievous retort.

Nestle-owned coffee brand Nespresso – whose recent advertising campaign has featured Hollywood star George Clooney – said sales rose 35.5% in the UK last year.

Switzerland: Nestle, the world’s largest maker of coffee, bottled water and pet food, said sales growth will accelerate in 2010 after advertising increased last year.

THEY’VE probably heard all the George Clooney jokes you could mention — but fame by coincidence of name is a fate that Clooney, near Quin in Co Clare will have to put up with.

Confectionery-to-coffee giant Nestle today reported strong sales growth as price increases helped to offset rising input costs.