For the latest fiscal year (52 weeks ended March 29, 2025), Cranswick plc reports increased revenue and production volume.
Even compared with the previous year, which covered 53 weeks, total revenue was up 4.8% at over GBP2.72 billion (US$3.65 billion).
Based in the United Kingdom (U.K.), Cranswick is a leading supplier of premium, fresh, and added-value foods. Predominantly in the fresh category, its products include fresh pork, poultry, convenience foods, and gourmet products, as well as pet food.
At GBP190.6 million for the latest 12-month period, the group’s operating profit is up 14.2% year-on-year, while profit before tax is 14.6% higher at GBP181.6 million.
Compared with the previous financial year, adjusted operating profit is up by 11.8% at GBP206.9 million. This helped to raise the adjusted operating margin by half of one percent to 7.6% for the year just ended. The firm reports that this reflects a combination of growth in its agricultural operations, as well as optimized capacity utilization and effective cost controls.
Commenting on the results, Cranswick’s CEO Adam Crouch highlighted the group’s strategic and financial progress over the past year.
“We have also continued to make substantial investment across our industry leading asset base, our farming operations, and in acquisitions to support our long-term growth ambitions,” he said.
Group chairman Tim J. Smith called for changes to the nation’s current planning system to lift significant barriers, and allow the group to achieve its full potential.
“Excessive bureaucracy conflicted with our objective to enhance U.K. food security, and significantly delayed important projects such as the redevelopment and expansion of the Methwold and Feltwell farms in Norfolk, and the construction of a second poultry facility at Eye in Suffolk,” he said. “These projects are essential prerequisites to enhancing capacity, improving food resilience, and meeting rising consumer demand. A more streamlined and responsive planning framework is, therefore, essential to unlocking capital investment, supporting job creation, and growing regional economies."
Operations impacts on revenue growth
Overall revenue growth on a like-for-like basis was reported at 6.4% across the group.
Record Christmas trading and growth in premium product sales helped to drive up total volume by 7.7% year-on-year, Cranswick reports.
Key developments contributing to this growth include the reinstatement of the export license by China for a facility in Norfolk. This increased revenue generated by the Fresh Pork business by more than 10%. For Poultry, new cooked and prepared products drove up the revenue for this sector by over 20%.
As the previously acquired Pets at Home business continues to integrate into the group, revenue from the Pet Products business increase by close to 48% year-on-year.
By revenue, Cranswick’s largest business is the Convenience category (which covers a wide range of lines such as deli meats, houmous, and snacks) at 36%. Fresh Pork (live production and primary processing) accounts for 24% of revenue, Gourmet Products (cooked sausages and bacon) 19%; Poultry (live production, primary and further processing) 18%; and Pet Products 1.3%.
More on Cranswick plc
With annual slaughtering of more than 59 million birds, Cranswick plc is among the leading poultry meat producers in Europe, according to the WATTPoultry.com’s Top Poultry Companies survey for 2023. Its production makes it the fifth largest producers in the U.K.
At the end of 2024, the firm announced it was investing to expand its chicken production in Great Britain.
Earlier this year, Cranswick completed the acquisition of JSR Genetics, one of the country’s leading pig genetics companies.
Just last month, the local authority rejected the firm’s proposal to redevelop and upgrade its poultry and pig farming sites in eastern England.
Since it was founded by farmers in East Yorkshire to produce animal feed 50 years ago, the company has greatly expanded its activities. According to the firm’s web site, it now has 23 facilities across the country, and a workforce of 15,400 people.
Across its product range, Cranswick supplies leading grocery chains in the U.K., as well as the premium and discount retailers. It holds a strong position in the “food-to-go” (ready-to-eat; RTE) sector, and also exports its products.
