Gourmet web and TV venture axed

Antony Worrall Thompson: Among chefs featured on TV channel

Taste Network, the multimedia gourmet venture fronted by Anthea Turner and Mark Curry, has become the latest victim of the new media shake-up.

Joint owners Carlton Communications and Sainsbury have blamed poor advertising and e-commerce revenues for a decision to pull the plug on the joint internet and television food business next month.

The decision comes less than nine months after the firms launched Taste Network as "the definitive interactive food and drink channel".

The venture was designed to exploit a growing media convergence by, for example, allowing surfers to download recipes watched on the TV channel.

Celebrity names

From 1 September, Carlton will regain full control of the channel, which features programmes by celebrity cooking experts such as Loyd Grossman and Antony Worrall Thompson, with Ms Turner and Mr Curry presenting the headline Taste Today programme.

The channel is available over digital and cable networks as far as southern Africa.

Sainsbury will take full ownership of the website arm, which will close.

"Taste was an innovative project but has suffered from weaker than expected growth in advertising and e-commerce revenues in a generally difficult market for niche channels," said Matthew Kearney, director of business development at Carlton.

Angela Megson, Sainsbury's e-commerce and business development chief, said the firms had decided to end the venture rather than raise investment "when the market conditions are no longer right for testing our concept".

Rivalry online

Sainsbury, which has seen rival Tesco seize leadership of the UK food e-tail market, saw Taste Network as a key to unlock the potential of new-generation interactive televisions.

A report quoted by Sainsbury in November said that shopping through television would overtake internet shopping by 2004.

Sainsbury estimated that that the UK online grocery market would be worth £7.5bn by 2005.

"The new venture will bring to life the promise of digital interactive television," the retailer said at November's launch.

Taste Network has, with many other new media ventures, struggled to attract advertising as the global economy has slowed, and faith dried up in new media markets.

The venture's closure comes a week after Barclaycard revealed it was merging its e-tail operations, with the loss of the IndigoSquare name.

Radio group GWR the same day revealed a shake-up at its local information site Koko.com designed to save £1.3m a year in costs.