The biggest companies in UK fresh produce supply are doing all they can to make their businesses resilient and ready for growth
When instability and unpredictability is all around you, taking control of your destiny becomes essential.
Climate change, stubbornly high energy prices, the rising cost of labour, changing government priorities – all of these and more are spicy ingredients in the cocktail of challenges that make up modern fruit and vegetable supply.
It’s no surprise then that some of the best operators are making moves to bolster their resilience by taking more control over their supply chains, bringing farms and suppliers fully under their wings to align with strategies that seek 360-degree visibility. That’s being backed by a drive to inject new cash to fund ambitious expansion plans and improvement projects to take their businesses forward.
Two leading companies have exemplified that approach to rise up the FPJ Big 50 rankings this year. Albert Bartlett acquired the Jersey Royal Company in 2024, bringing control of the island’s iconic potato production fully under its umbrella. Combined with investment in new potato processing infrastructure, it has enjoyed a huge boost in turnover to help it vault into the top 10.
Fresca, meanwhile, acquired the shares of Thanet Earth from joint venture partner Rainbow Growers in October 2023 and the glasshouse giant’s revenue is now included in this year’s figures, driving it up the rankings. Further boosting its stake in UK protected horticulture, Fresca has now added a seventh glasshouse to the Kent site and moved into lettuce production following its acquisition last year of Madestein (UK)’s Leythorne Nurseries site.
One of the themes of this report a year ago was the fact that the big are getting bigger, and economies of scale are another route to navigating the tightrope of narrow margins that many suppliers walk. In recent years we’ve seen Total Produce’s merger with Dole, Berry Gardens brought into the Driscoll’s family, and AgroBerries’ acquisition of Berry World, to name just three examples.
That trend has accelerated further this autumn with deals such as Natures Way Foods being acquired by US outfit Taylor Farms and Burgess Farms being sold in a management buyout with private equity support from Chiltern Capital. At the time of writing, major prepared salad giant Bakkavor was also on the verge of becoming part of Greencore.
There are now no less than six fresh produce suppliers with a turnover in excess of half a billion pounds, with the top 41 in this year’s ranking all having nine-figure income. We are arguably seeing the emergence of a two-tier marketplace, wherein smaller, more nimble innovators coexist alongside mega suppliers.
There are plenty of issues to overcome, not least an uneasy relationship with government and grumblings that the “food security is national security” mantra is not being backed up with hard action.
It’s a period of change within the UK fresh produce industry, but as ever, the best will continue to find ways to get ahead.
Check out The FPJ Big 50 Companies 2026 on the FPJ app to find out which businesses made this year’s list and read our analysis of the top 30 companies’ financial performance and key developments.
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