Breaking News on the Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector

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Cranswick posts ‘outstanding trading’ results: City

04-Apr-2013 - Meat firm Cranswick has posted “outstanding trading” both for the year to March 31 2013 and its fourth quarter, according to City analyst Shore Capital.

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Thorntons reports a ‘satisfactory’ Easter

03-Apr-2013 - High street confectioner Thorntons expects profit before tax for the 52 weeks to June 29 2013 to be ahead of the current market expectation of £3.1M.

Whitehall ‘more interested in financials than manufacturing’

03-Apr-2013 - The government is failing to promote UK manufacturing, according to a new industry and public poll conducted by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

Fungus to wipe £7M from Tate & Lyle’s profit

02-Apr-2013 - Tate & Lyle has posted “reassuringly dull” third-quarter figures, despite having to implement measures to tackle aflatoxin, a fungus in maize caused by the unusually hot and dry conditions in the US last summer.

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Business confidence climbs as economy avoids triple dip

02-Apr-2013 - The UK economy is set to avoid a triple dip recession as business confidence grows, according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Battle of the brands: family firm confronts ABP Food

02-Apr-2013 - Pig farmers turned sausage manufacturers Debbie and Andrew Keeble are set to launch their premium sausage brand Heck in Tesco on April 8, in direct competition with their former family brand Debbie & Andrew’s sausages.

Ex-fisherman to bring national-scale crab production back to Cromer

28-Mar-2013 - Fisherman turned food manufacturer Kevin Jonas has hatched a plan to bring large-scale production of Cromer crab back to its North Norfolk home town of Cromer, creating 20 jobs.

Hilton Food expects to benefit from horsemeat scandal

28-Mar-2013 - Meat packer Hilton Food Group, which supplies retailers such as Tesco, is expected to ride out the recent horsemeat contamination issue unscathed, following publication of its preliminary results for 2012 which showed sales up 5% to £1bn.

Premier Foods ‘probably a zombie company’: City

28-Mar-2013 - Debt-laden food manufacturer Premier Foods is probably “a zombie company”, according to City analyst Panmure Gordon.

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Buy British lamb to help farmers beat the weather: NFU

28-Mar-2013 - Shoppers are being urged to buy British lamb this Easter to help embattled sheep producers who are struggling against the worst winter weather for more than 50 years, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU).

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Easter opportunity for food and drink firms: IGD

28-Mar-2013 - The Easter holiday – the second biggest period for food and drink sales after Christmas – will be a great opportunity for British food and drink firms to showcase their products – particularly with more shoppers wanting to buy British, according to the grocery think-tank IGD. 

Walkers crisps supplier to move 150 jobs to Hungary

27-Mar-2013 - A Merseyside factory that manufactures flavours for Walkers crisps is moving 150 British jobs to Hungary.

Dessert maker to create 50 jobs and £2.5M factory

26-Mar-2013 - A dessert manufacturer is building a £2.5M factory in Cumbria that will create 50 jobs to cater for the growing trend for miniature desserts.

Premier Foods to consider ‘refinancing plan’: City

25-Mar-2013 - Britain’s biggest food manufacturer Premier Foods will seek refinancing over the next six to 18 months to further improve its balance sheet, predicts City analyst Shore Capital.

Food and drink sector leads CBI’s manufacturing output survey

25-Mar-2013 - The food and drink sector is leading the UK’s industrial output, according to the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey.

Ready meal firm fights to keep jobs after horsemeat

25-Mar-2013 - A beef ready meal manufacturer is fighting to preserve the 750 jobs at its Somerset site, as sales fall in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.

Tesco lifts its suppliers’ milk price

22-Mar-2013 - The 700 dairy producers in Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) are to receive an extra 1.9p/litre from April 1 2013. 

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Hilton Food Group likely to be affected by horsemeat scandal

22-Mar-2013 - Meat packing firm Hilton Food is likely to suffer a short-term impact from the horsemeat scandal, despite none of its products being involved, according to City analyst Panmure Gordon.

Diageo to cut 80 jobs in Scotland

22-Mar-2013 - Diageo is planning to “take 80 roles out of the business” as it restructures its management operations in in Scotland.

AG Barr profit growth to be ‘slower than expected’: City

22-Mar-2013 - Leading City analyst Panmure Gordon has reduced its profit growth forecast for AG Barr, after the Irn Bru manufacturer posted results for the year ended January 26.

Food industry gives budget a mixed reception

21-Mar-2013 - Food industry organisations have given a mixed reception to chancellor George Osborne’s budget – praising the new employer allowance but criticising lack of help for smaller firms and the retention of VAT on hot foods.

Manufacturers react to the budget – in quotes

21-Mar-2013 - Bouquets and brickbats – seemingly in equal measure – greeted the chancellor’s budget this week. Here, we bring you a flavour of the key points in quotes from industry groups and leading players.

News in brief

Unite in bid to save 300 poultry jobs at Wisbech

20-Mar-2013 - Officials from the union Unite are meeting Moy Park management today (March 20) in a bid to save 300 jobs at the firm’s Wisbech poultry products factory in Cambridgeshire.

Traceability ‘substantially’ more important post horsegate: Mintel

20-Mar-2013 - Buying traceable, local and British food has risen “substantially” up consumers’ agendas since the horsemeat scandal, according to the latest research from Mintel.

Horsemeat scandal to hit 2 Sisters Food Group results

19-Mar-2013 - The 2 Sisters Food Group expects the horsemeat scandal to cause “considerable volume reduction” to its ready meal business, according to its latest financial results for the 13 weeks to January 26.

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