Operational efficiencies, increased distribution, and new products drove growth at Jacksons of Yorkshire, according to recently filed accounts on Companies House.
Full-year results for William Jackson Food Group (WJFG) – which counts Jacksons among its portfolio alongside veg box brand Abel & Cole and ingredients firms Belazu and Wellocks – reported growth for all its businesses for the year ended 27 April 2024 despite a ‘challenging’ year.
Turnover for the group’s continuing operations hit £334.3m in 2023 compared to £314.6m in 2023, an increase of 6.3%. EBITDA was broadly flat, however, at £16m for 2024 and £16.3m for 2023 while operational profit before exceptional items fell from £1.6m in 2023 to £0.5m in this year. This, it said, was due to investment in ‘acquisitions, marketing, people and systems to drive future growth’.
One such acquisition, right at the end of the financial period, was fellow Yorkshire business Lottie Shaw’s. Under the deal, Lottie Shaw’s joined Jacksons but operates as a standalone business with its own name selling sweet treats direct to consumers, retailers, and wholesalers. Founders Ian and Charlotte Shaw retained roles at the company along with around 30 existing staff members.
Although figures for individual brands weren’t provided, WJFG said Jacksons experienced further growth by improving operational efficiency and launching new products. Jacksons specialises in sliced sandwich bread and supplies most of the major sandwich makers and foodservice companies in the UK, as well as providing all Co-op own-label bread, from bakeries in Hull and Corby.
Innovation for its brand Jacksons of Yorkshire included a tiger bloomer which was branded with beloved children’s book The Tiger Who Came To Tea, ‘appealing to younger families, gaining distribution and wider recognition of this fabulous brand’.
“This was another challenging and successful year for our group,” said Sonya Eastaugh in the chairwoman’s statement. “The cost-of-living crisis continued to influence consumer behaviour. However, guided by our family business values, we have navigated the conditions well, launching new products and winning new customers. We delivered sales growth for the third consecutive year and achieved a record colleague engagement score.”
Alongside its financial update, WJFG also outlined its progress on sustainability goals in 2024 as well as its targets for 2025, with emissions, plastics, traceability, and food waste among the topics covered. On the bakery side, progress included the development and trial of a bread bag with 30% recycled plastic content, which is expected to roll out in the 2025 financial year. It will also install submetering at its bakeries to assist with monitoring and energy reduction.
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