Premier Foods enjoys ‘really good Christmas’ as sweet treats drive growth

Another year of strong Christmas trading at Premier Foods was supported by growth across its entire sweet treats division.

The St Albans-headquartered manufacturer had largely only seen gains from its Mr Kipling and Cadbury cake product ranges in recent financial periods however, a trading update for its latest quarter covering the 13 weeks to 27 December 2025 revealed that own-label sweet treats had returned to growth, with sales rising 2% to £39.7m due to contract wins on tarts and seasonal ranges.

Branded sweet treats revenue of £68.6m in Q3 – an improvement of 3.1% – was delivered after lapping strong comparatives from last year and also gained market share. As in the first half of the financial year, this growth was fuelled by its extensive product innovation programme, including ranges such as Mr Kipling Cake Bites, Breakfast Mr Kipling Bakes, and Cadbury Caramel Mini Rolls.

The premium range of Mr Kipling Signature mince pies continued an upwards sales trajectory, having shifted 20% more in 2024 than the previous Christmas. This time around it grew by a further 19% through increased distribution levels, benefitting from even more consumers trading up over the festive period.

Premier Foods noted that it had resumed a quarterly growth trend in its international business, led by increased sales of cake in Australia and new or improved distribution of Mr Kipling apple pies and slices. The company also reported market share growth in its grocery division including a 5.8% increase in branded revenue, which incorporates brands such as Oxo, Paxo, Ambrosia, Angel Delight, and Fuel10K among others.

“We had a really good Christmas,” said Premier Foods CEO Alex Whitehouse, referring to the 5.2% growth in branded revenue which hit £314.8m in the quarter. Non-branded sales in Q3 totalled £60.3m, while overall revenue in the financial year to date has reached £877.1m, up by 2.1% from a year ago.

“These results demonstrated strong delivery against all pillars of our strategy, with consumers continuing to choose our brands for their quality and value,” he added. “Both our Grocery and Sweet Treats businesses made strong progress in the period, and we returned to double-digit revenue growth overseas with particularly good performances in Australia and the US.”

Following the strong trading performance in its key quarter, Premier Foods noted that its trading profit for the FY25/26 financial year is now expected to be at the upper end of market expectations.