What we do

Northern Foods plc is in the business of making great tasting food. We are one of the UK’s leading food producers with revenues* of £888.5 million (2006/07) and around 11,000 employees based at sites across the UK and Ireland.

Our business is focused around five markets; Pizza, Biscuits, Ready meals, Sandwiches & salads and puddings. 

We are well known for the quality of our food and our commitment to customer service. We also enjoy a long-standing reputation for innovation. 

We were behind the creation of the chilled ready meal, we’ve led the frozen pizza market with our Goodfella’s range, and we’ve built on a heritage dating back to 1853 to develop our Fox’s biscuits brand.

Today we continue to innovate, developing great new food ideas in line with changing food trends.

The company's has a clear strategy to:

• focus on attractive market segments;
• partner with customers who require quality, innovation and high levels of customer service;
• delivery through a low cost, high performance business model
   

Key facts

• Northern Foods has 21 operating sites across the UK and Ireland specialising in chilled, bakery and frozen food production
• Each of our chosen markets , Biscuits, Ready Meals, Sandwiches & Salads and Puddings - markets has strong potential and satisfies one or more of the consumer drivers of convenience, indulgence and living a healthy balanced lifestye
• We produce innovative own-label ranges for the UK's leading retailers across all of our chosen markets.   
• We also produce a wide range of well-known branded products for UK and Irish retailers and including Fox’s, Goodfella’s, Holland’s Pies, Grassington’s Food Co, Dalepak, and, in Ireland only , Donegal Catch and Green Isle frozen foods.
• Our brand and own label split is approximately 40:60 and sales to our top five customers – Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco - represent 76% of total revenue
• Northern Foods formally began life in 1937 as a family-run dairy business. In 1942 the business was registered as Northern Dairies and became a public company in 1956. The company changed its name to Northern Foods in 1972 to reflect the range of food it sold.
• Northern Foods' executive directors are Chief Executive - Stefan Barden and Chief Finance Officer - Jez Maiden. The Northern Foods Operating Board also includes Sandwiches and Salads business unit director  - Kuldip Kular; Ready Meals business unit director - Robin Walker; Ready Meals & Puddings business unit director - Julian Slade; Frozen business unit director - Garry Walsh and Biscuits business unit director - Graham Hunter.

Key financials

£m	2006/07	2005/06
Revenue*	888.5	862.0
Profit from operations*	58.2	58.2
Profit before taxation*	40.0	33.0
Free cash flow**	83.0	30.6
Loss for the period	(22.5)	(5.0)

^{*An asterisk denotes results for continuing operations and profit is stated before restructuring items.  'Continuing operations' exclude businesses which were sold ('discontinued') in 2006/07.  'Restrucutring items' which relate to significant restructuring events and the impact of the Fletchers fire in the 52 weeks ended 31 March 2007 are presented in their relevant Consolidated income statement category within the 2006/07 Report and accounts.  Presentation of these items in a separate column helps to provide a better indication of the group's underlying performance.  'Restructuring items' includes costs or income associated with the restructuring of the business, gains or losses on the disposal of businessesand assets and financial instrument gains and impairments arising from the group's restructuring activities.}

^{**Free cash flow is net cash from operating activities, adjusted for special pension contributions, less net capital expenditure, less net interest.  Net capital expenditure is purchase of property, plant & equipment (PPE) less grants received and proceeds formsale of PPE.}