Northern Foods has reported strong underlying growth in its bakery division, with revenue up by 3.9% for the 26 weeks to 26 September 2009.

Brand investment in Fox’s biscuits helped it achieve its highest brand share since 2006, and the firm also announced that a new marketing campaign for its Matthew Walker puddings brand will be launched ahead of the Christmas trading period.

According to Northern Foods, new discount lines in sandwiches and salads helped drive revenue in its chilled division, up 8.8%. However, its “rationalisation programme” and the closure of a pizza manufacturing site at Poldys in Ireland last year contributed to the 7.5% drop in revenue within its frozen arm.

The firm also relinquished a number of marginal own-label contracts and terminated its Birds Eye co-pack agreement to supply individual frozen pies, thus enabling its McDougall’s brand to compete in this segment.