Meat processor Cranswick reported boosted annual sales following its acquisition of cooked poultry business Benson Park, based in Hull, North Humberside.
Hilton Food Group has announced a 2.3% fall in sales to £1.1bn, due to lower meat prices and “unfavourable” currency exchange rates in its full-year results for the 52 weeks to December 28 2014.
Food manufacturing investments and acquisitions dominate the headlines in the latest edition of Good week, Bad week – your sideways look at the past seven days in food and drink manufacturing.
HIG Capital has agreed to acquire Adelie Foods in a deal that sees it take over a majority share in the chilled food-to-go business, owner of Food Partners.
Castle MacLellan has pumped £5M into its Kirkcudbright, Dumfries & Galloway pâté manufacturing facility, securing current jobs and creating the potential for new roles in the future.
Camden Town Brewery is pitching for £1.4M worth of funding to help build a larger brewery to boost production of its Camden lagers and it expects to create more than 100 jobs.
Premier Foods will pump up to £25M into its production facilities in a bid to boost output and efficiencies across the UK and bolster its recovery this year, according to ceo Gavin Darby.
Seabrook Crisps could “investigate areas for potential investment” to speed up growth after appointing independent corporate finance advisor McQueen, according to ceo Jonathan Bye.
Fruit Shoot manufacturer Britvic faces a tough challenge to boost profits this year in a soft drinks market experiencing diluted growth prospects - despite the firm’s US expansion plans - according to City analyst Investec.
Premier Foods has launched a charm offensive to win back public support after widespread criticism of its controversial ‘Pay and stay’ plan last week, with a list of suppliers that support the practice.
Greencore’s group revenue climbed by 6.4% to £1,273.5M in the year to September 26 2014, thanks to the strong performance of its food-to-go business, according to boss Patrick Coveney.
A £2M investment is set to boost Greenvale’s Swancote potato processing site’s output further, following an increase by more than 60% in the past five years.
India could be the ‘new China’ for food and drink manufacturers looking to increase margins and supply emerging markets in Asia, two industry experts have claimed.
Walsh Mushroom Group has invested £2M in a new packaging and distribution site in Evesham, Worcestershire to help it meet “growing demand” for UK-grown mushrooms.
Sausage skin maker Devro expects to complete the second phase of the restructuring of its operations in Scotland at the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2015. This is expected to deliver £5M of savings in the second half of the year.
Meat processor Tulip is creating up to 45 jobs in an £8M investment at its Ruskington plant in Lincolnshire, which makes Scotch eggs and cocktail sausages for the retail sector.
Quorn Foods has launched a European expansion drive in a bid to “significantly” increase its presence on the continent and boost last year’s record turnover of £141M.
Nearly 40,000 new food and drink manufacturing jobs could be created within the next year, as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prepare to spend more money on staff.
Bakkavor delivered strong growth in fresh prepared food ahead of the UK market as a whole in the past financial quarter and is significantly boosting investment to support customers’ growth plans.
Ingredients firm Orchard Valley Foods is targeting sales of £30M following its acquisition of Food Ingredients International (FII), an increase of almost a third on projected figures for this year.
Coca-Cola Enterprises’ (CCE’s) planned £13M bottle production line at its Wakefield facility could help Yorkshire attract global investment and boost the UK economy, according to prime minister David Cameron.
Oils and fats company AAK will have pumped around £30M into its production facilities by the end of the decade as part of a continuing investment programme to improve its production capabilities.
Biscuit heavyweight United Biscuits (UB) has reaffirmed plans to grow its UK savoury biscuit retail sales value by 20%, challenging competitor Burton’s Biscuits Company’s announcement it would storm the category.
Burton’s Biscuit Company plans to invest £15M across its factories to equip it to grow its share of the savoury snacking market, according to the firm’s chief commercial officer Stuart Wilson.
AG Barr’s relocation of carton production from its Tredegar site in Wales to Milton Keynes could result in a net loss of 40 jobs as it closes the Tredegar factory.
Food distribution firm ACS&T has secured £1.1M profit growth for the year ending December 31 2013, attributing this to its commitment to customer service, investment and increased staff training.
Convenience food manufacturer Greencore’s latest financial results have impressed the City – with group revenue climbing by 8.2% to reach £619.8M – as the firm announced the disposal of its foodservice desserts business.
Bakkavor has invested millions of pounds in four prepared salad facilities, prompted by high demand from customers, according to chief finance officer Peter Gates.
Tulip has invested £2.3M in what it claims is the largest UK facility dedicated to barbecue, slow cooked and pulled meat products at Wednesbury in the Midlands.
Southern-fried chicken giant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) will pump £21M into the opening of 32 new restaurants this year, creating 1,300 new jobs and setting the pace for five years of expansion.
Quorn Foods aims to invest £30M at its Billingham site, creating 400 jobs, it claims, to keep pace with soaring consumer demand for meat-free products.
