Britain’s top private food and drink companies

The catering supplier is number 11 on the list of the nation’s top 100 private companies. The Kent-based food distributor has experienced rapid expansion since Bain Capital bought a £1.3bn majority share in the company in 2007 and grew sales by 4.2% in the past year. Former Greggs boss Ken McMeikan was also appointed ceo of Brakes last year.

Annual sales of £2.85bn​

The second food and drink business in the list of Britain’s top private food and drink companies with the largest sales is 2 Sisters Food Group, which is wholly owned by Baljinder and Ranjit Boparan.

Coming in at number 14 on the list, the leading manufacturer of frozen, chilled and bakery products employs nearly 23,000 staff and has annual sales of £2.85bn and profits of £178M.

Malcolm Walker’s frozen food chain Iceland foods has maintained its place at number 16 on the list, with sales of more than £2.7bn and annual profits of £202M.

Next on the list is travel food service provider SSP, with £1.9bn in sales and £153M in profits. The company, which provides food and drink to airports, train stations and motorway service stations, operates in 30 countries, employs nearly 30,000 people and is part-owned by private equity firm EQT and management.

Fresh prepared food producer​

Fifth on the list is fresh prepared food producer Bakkavor, which saw its sales grow in 2013 by 3.9% to £1.7bn and has annual profits of £110M.

Although the frozen food producer Iglo saw its annual sales slump by 4.3% to £1.2bn – losing it three places on the list – it is still Britain’s 37^th​ top private company with profits of £225M.

Food distributor AF Blakemore and Son also experienced a drop in sales of 1.1% to £1.1bn, bringing it down seven places on the list to 43. However, the family-owned company still has profits of £21M and employs 7,878.

Findus, Europe’s largest frozen and chilled food company, also has sales of £1.1bn – up 1.7% – and profits of £90M. The company, which was hit by last year’s horsemeat scandal, finished a £410M refinancing plan in 2013 and dropped five places down the list to number 44.

West London-based United Biscuits dropped 14 places on the list, despite growing its sales by 4.3% to £1bn and having profits of £164M. Its chief executive Martin Glenn said, within the next three years, he planned to turn the company into the Cadbury of the biscuit world.

Rising one place to number 49 is Britain’s 10^th​ private food and drink company – the spirits distiller William Grant and Sons.

Sales for the producer of whisky brand Grant’s and the gin brand Hendrick’s grew by 1.4% to £1.6bn. The company also has profits of £149M and employs 1,696 staff.

Britain’s top private company with the largest sales was the pharmaceuticals retailer Alliance Boots, with sales of £23.67bn and profits of £1.5bn.

More information on the Top Track 100 can be found here​.

Britain’s private food and drink companies with the largest sales: ​

1. Brakes Group £3bn +4.2%
2. 2 Sisters Food Group £2.85bn +23.3%
3. Iceland £2.7M +2.7%
4. SSP £1.9 +5.2%
5. Bakkavor £1.7bn +3.9%
6. Iglo Group £1.2bn -4.3%
7. AF Blakemore and Son £1.1bn -1.1%
8. Findus Group £1.1bn +1.7%
9. United Biscuits £1bn +4.3%
10. William Grant and Sons £1.6bn +1.4%
11. Samworth Brothers £767M +3%
12. Dunbia £765M +6.3%