British Gas profits normalise, Brooklands pays £45m

The Centrica domestic supply subsidiary saw operating profit fall 76% to £290.9m as turnover dropped 32% to £14.5bn. The filing points to a £134m voluntary support package provided during the energy crisis, with the prior year's record £1.2bn profit not repeated in the current period. Total staff costs rose 14% to £336.6m as average headcount grew to 6,970. A tidier, albeit much smaller, set of returns.

The enterprise software developer returned to a statutory profit, posting a £4.1m operating profit against last year's £5.6m loss. Turnover grew 12% to £58.4m while the period saw average headcount fall from 321 to 306, as total staff costs edged down to £30.5m. The accounts are signed off on a going-concern basis, though the filing notes this relies on a letter of support from its parent company.

A meaty set of results from the Smithfield Market wholesaler, where operating profit more than doubled to £965k while turnover held broadly flat at £39.7m. The filing links a fixed price on premises and an increase in direct-to-client deliveries to the wider operating margin. Elsewhere in the notes, a £1.27m interest-free, on-demand loan to a director remained outstanding at the year-end.

Turnover at the Northern Irish nursing home operator rose 24% to £25.9m alongside a rise in rates, though a jump in administrative expenses saw operating profit fall by 17% to £3.9m. The largest movement occurred below the line: a £15.0m investment income credit pushed pre-tax profit to £19.7m. The period culminated in a £45m dividend being paid out to the parent company following a group restructure in August.

The online art platform swung to a £3.45m operating loss as turnover dropped 27% to £23.0m. The filing cites a challenging art market that experienced a moderate recalibration, while rising operating overheads accompanied a contraction in the gross profit margin. The going-concern note confirms the main funder has pledged not to call in debt for the foreseeable future.