The food and drink industry remains strongly represented in the 10th annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250, the league table of the UK’s leading private mid-market growth companies.
The food and drink industry, with 40 companies listed, is second only to the automotive industry with 50. The combined sales of all 40 companies was £10.5bn, a year-on-year increase of 13%, while profits totalled £490m, up 20%. The companies also employed a total of more than 80,477 people.
The largest food and drink company in the league table is R&R Ice Cream at fifth place (up from 23 in 2013), with sales of £605.5m. Other food and drink companies to feature in the upper scale of the list include Warburtons, Hillesden Investments (owner of Faccenda poultry), food distributor Argent Group Europe, Burton’s Biscuit Company, protein distributor Westbridge Foods, Nando’s, Pret A Manger and Direct Wines. 17 of the companies are new to the league table for 2014.
The following list shows the top 10 of the top 40 private mid-market growth companies in the UK, with their actual ranking in brackets. Operating profit is shown in millions.
*Pro forma, draft or not filed at Companies House.
“It’s fantastic to see privately owned, mid-sized food and drink businesses making such a positive contribution to the UK economy, several of which we have helped on their journey,” said Trefor Griffith, head of food and beverage at Grant Thornton UK. “These mid-sized businesses play an integral part in driving the UK’s strengthening recovery. Many are renowned for their innovation and perform strongly in international markets as well as on their home turf.
“Despite the recent challenging trading conditions, it’s encouraging to see these businesses prosper and thrive. Through our ‘Agents of growth’ campaign, we champion policy changes that will help this dynamic segment of the market and support them to find a voice and be heard, and I hope that this will help them grow further.”
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