Boparan Holdings replaces ABF as UK’s largest food and drink manufacturer: survey

20-Sep-2015 - Last updated on 23-Sep-2015 at 12:42 GMT

Workers on a 2 Sisters production line

The parent company for 2 Sisters Food Group has replaced Associated British Foods as the UK’s largest food and drink manufacturer, according to an index of 150 firms.

Boparan Holdings clinched the top spot in a food and soft drink suppliers survey produced by OC&C Strategy Consultants in collaboration with Food Manufacture’s sister title The Grocer.

The top ranking comes after Boparan Holdings made a string of acquisitions, including Vion meat businesses, Brookes Avana business and Northern Foods, in recent years.

Quadrupled annual revenue

Companies singled out for praise

Moy Park
McCain
Ferrero
Alpro
Adelie

Over the past five years, the company has climbed from 20^th place to number one in the index and has managed to quadruple its annual revenue to £3.36bn last year.

Arla Foods has gone up five places to the third spot and poultry processor Moy Park jumped four places to 15th, compared to last year’s list.

But pork processor Karro Food has plummeted 14 places to 34rd and Premier Foods dropped 12 places to 22nd on the index, based on annual revenues.

The report singled out Moy Park, frozen food business McCains, chocolate maker Ferrero, soya drinks company Alpro and food-to-go business Adelie as companies with “winning strategies”.

‘Ambitions beyond cost-cutting’

OC&C Strategy Consultants partner Will Hayllar said: “The biggest success stories in this year’s Food & Drink 150 have ambitions far beyond aggressive cost-cutting.

“McCain, for example, launched six new products over the course of 2014 to meet changing consumer tastes.

“Equally, Alpro hasn’t rested on its laurels – innovating on its core offering with new tastes and pack sizes, and expanding into adjacent categories such as yogurt and cream delivered a step change in the company’s performance over the past year.”