Total Produce has retained its crown as Britain's biggest fresh produce company for the fifth straight year, fending off tough competition from Muñoz Group and G's for top spot.
The Irish multinational's UK division recorded a turnover of £533.4m in its latest accounts, figures produced for the FPJ Big 50 Companies report reveal. That was enough to secure top spot ahead ofMuñoz Group, which moves up two spots to second place, and G's Group (£484m), which holds on to third.
It was a good year for soft-fruit companies, with BerryWorld (£405.4m) making its Big 50 debut in fourth place, Berry Gardens (£338.7m) rising two spots to sixth, Angus Soft Fruits (£156m) moving up three places to 24th and Asplins PO (£81.9m) rising five places to 44th.
This year's biggest riser was Direct Produce Supplies, which had a superb year of growth to move up 11 places with a turnover of £117.6m. For context, the firm's revenue in 2014 was just £40.8m.
In a sign that price inflation is hitting the sector, as well as the positive suggestion that the health agenda is boosting sales, the entry point for this year's FPJ Big 50 is £63.1m, up from £43.6m five years ago. A record 38 companies achieved a turnover of £100m or more in the latest financial year.
FPJ editor Michael Barker said: 'As ever, the FPJ Big 50 has thrown up numerous fascinating stories. It's a tale of achievement in the face of huge industry challenges, and highlights again the resilience of a sector that manages to innovate and progress despite issues around weather, labour, Brexit and currency volatility. These top 50 operators continue to find new ways of evolving their business to stay at the forefront of their trade.'
Subscribers of FPJ will receive their copies of the FPJ Big 50 Companies 2019 in the post and via their digital channels. Additional copies are available for £25 each. Contact lucy@fpj.co.uk for more information.
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