Cranswick’s revenue for the quarter ending June 28 was up 9.7% when compared to the same three-month period from 2024.
In its first quarter trading statement, the United Kingdom poultry, pork and pet food producer said the improvements were driven by strong volume growth, closer alignment with key retail partners and “continued outperformance of premium added value ranges,” and an increased demand for “natural protein” by consumers.
“We have made a strong start to the year, delivering volume-led revenue growth across all product categories,” said Cranswick CEO Adam Couch. “We continue to invest at pace across our asset base to drive strong returns.”
The company said revenues for its poultry business grew, and that growth was driven by the onboarding of the new premium retail business at the cooked and prepared poultry sites, “with strong demand from the Eye fresh poultry site’s anchor retail customer.
The pork business also performed well during the quarter. With the company’s Norfolk plant gaining an export license to ship products to China, Cranswick was able to benefit from both volume growth and higher volume.
The pet food business experienced strong revenue, “reflecting the successful ongoing rollout of the Pets at Home business.” The company also announced it has committed an additional GBP14 million (US$18.72 million) at its Lincoln Pet Products site to increase capacity and broaden the product range.
While revenues were up during the quarter, net debt was higher because of the cash spent on the recent acquisition of the Blakemans sausage business. But Couch remains confident in the future of Cranswick, and the benefits Blakemans and its new pet food operations will bring to the company.
“Integration of the Blakeman’s business is progressing well and we have committed to further substantial investment in the Lincoln Pet Products site,” said Couch. “Our continued positive progress reflects the substantial ongoing investment in our asset base and the quality and capability of our colleagues across the business.”
