UK bakery report - Food Industry Report - top performing bakery companies - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Eurofood, Nov 8, 2001

A new report from UK research firm the Prospect Shop reveals the UK's top ten performing bakery companies.

The report is based upon pre-tax profit margins from the last complete financial year, 1999/2000, but covers information from the last three full accounting years.

COVERING 133 BAKERIES

Covering some 133 leading bakeries in the UK, the report supplies several tables based upon varying factors. A table based in pre-tax profit margin, shows that Kettle Foods is the industry leader based on its 12.9% pretax profit margin, which clocks in three times higher than the industry average of 6.2%.

Kettle is followed by Walkers Shortbread (16.0%), Maison Blanc (15.2%), and Warburtons (14.6%).

UNITED BISCUITS BIGGEST TURNOVER

Based on turnover, the report has United Biscuits on top with some 878.6m [pounds sterling] in sales for the year 1999/ 2000.

Top ten UK bakeries by pre-tax profit margin 1999/2000
(m [pounds sterling])

                                     Pre-tax     Sales
                               profit margin

Kettle Foods                           19.2%      26.2
Walkers Shortbread                     16.0%      46.8
Maison Blanc                           15.2%      13.3
Warburtons                             14.6%     183.3
Northern Foods Grocery Group           14.6%     218.2
Simmers of Edinburgh                   14.6%       5.7
Lisa Bakery                            13.4%       5.5
Bonne Bouche Catering                  13.4%       3.3
Kerry Savoury Foods                    12.1%      17.4
Delifrance (UK)                        11.8%      19.7

Industry average                        6.2%         -

                                       Compound
                               sales growth (1)

Kettle Foods                                14%
Walkers Shortbread                           1%
Maison Blanc                                33%
Warburtons                                   8%
Northern Foods Grocery Group                 2%
Simmers of Edinburgh                        11%
Lisa Bakery                                 32%
Bonne Bouche Catering                        6%
Kerry Savoury Foods                         21%
Delifrance (UK)                             14%

Industry average                             4%

Top ten UK bakeries by turnover 1999/2000
(m [pounds sterling])

                                       Sales   Pre-tax
                               profit margin

United Biscuits                        878.6      3.4%
ABF Grain Products                     445.4     -4.1%
British Bakeries                       411.7     -0.5%
Greggs                                 308.7      7.0%
Manor Bakeries                         260.4      9.6%
Northern Foods Grocery Group           218.2     14.6%
Warburtons                             183.3     14.6%
Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits           170.4      4.0%
Burton's Foods                         165.9     -2.5%
The Jacob's Bakery                     155.5      6.9%

Industry average                                  6.2%

                                       Compound
                               sales growth (1)

United Biscuits                              2%
ABF Grain Products                          -2%
British Bakeries                             0%
Greggs                                       8%
Manor Bakeries                               1%
Northern Foods Grocery Group                 2%
Warburtons                                   8%
Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits                -2%
Burton's Foods                               -%
The Jacob's Bakery                          -3%

Industry average                             4%

(1) - 1997/2000

Source: The Prospect Shop