ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED
Operating the Allied Bakeries division, the company is the grain milling and bakery subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange-listed multinational Associated British Foods plc.
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Cash
£1.1M
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£19M
Equity attributable
Employees
4,246
Average over period
Profit before tax
-£73M
Period ending 2025-08-30
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Staples median
Accounts
2-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-08-30
| Metric | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-30 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £983,432,000 | £920,226,000 | — | |
| Operating profit | -£23,503,000 | -£69,253,000 | — | |
| Profit before tax | -£28,075,000 | -£73,122,000 | — | |
| Net profit | -£21,753,000 | -£53,839,000 | — | |
| Cash | £3,150,000 | £1,079,000 | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £89,421,000 | £34,669,000 | — | |
| Net assets | £72,670,000 | £18,562,000 | — | |
| Equity | £72,670,000 | £18,562,000 | — | |
| Average employees | 4,308 | 4,246 | — | |
| Wages | £181,529,000 | £182,154,000 | — | |
| Directors' remuneration | £1,974,000 | £2,558,000 | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. Year-on-year comparison hidden: this filing covers about 12 months versus 12 months prior. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -2.4% | -7.5% | |
| Net margin | -2.2% | -5.9% | |
| Return on capital employed | -26.3% | -199.8% | |
| Current ratio | 0.57x | 0.58x | |
| Interest cover | -5.14x | -17.90x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED 2001-09-13 → present
- ALLIED BAKERIES LIMITED 1991-09-15 → 2001-09-13
- SUNBLEST BAKERIES LIMITED 1903-12-30 → 1991-09-15
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The Company has generated a loss in the period and is in a net current liabilities position as at 30 August 2025 and therefore is dependent upon the continued support from its parent in its assessment of going concern. The Company has received a letter of support from its intermediate parent company, ABF Investments plc which in turn has received a support letter from ABF plc, indicating that it will receive the financial and other support necessary for the Company to trade and meet its liabilities as and when they become due for a period of 12 months from the date of signing of these financial statements. After making enquiries and considering the support available from the intermediate parent company described above, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operation for 12 months from the date of signing of these financial statements. These considerations included the ABF group's directors' assessment of going concern (set out in the Annual Report and Accounts dated 4 November 2025 and available at www.abf.co.uk), which included the significant levels of cash and undrawn committed long-term facilities available to the group and the ABF group's directors' stress testing of cash flow forecasts through to 5 March 2027, and an assessment of any developments since that date that would adversely affect that conclusion. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis.”
Group structure
- ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED · parent
- H 5 Limited 100%
- Reflex Nutrition Limited 100%
- Dorset Cereals Limited 100%
- Acetum (UK) Limited (formerly known as Allied Technical Centre Limited) 100%
- Allied Mills Limited 100%
Significant events
- “On 15 August 2025, ABF plc, our parent company, announced the intention to acquire Hovis, subject to regulatory approval. The Company's acquisition is intended to combine the production and distribution of Allied Bakeries and Hovis to create a more sustainable and efficient bread business.”
- “A further decision was taken during the year to close the Ryvita Bardney manufacturing site in Lincolnshire. A sale of the site to a third party has been agreed for completion in March 2026 which resulted in an impairment being recognised against the value of those assets of £25m.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 45 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAHILL, Raymond Gerrard | Secretary | 2021-02-23 | — | — |
| ARROWSMITH, Sarah Carmel Mary | Director | 2019-06-17 | Nov 1963 | British |
| HENDERSON, Stephen | Director | 2021-02-23 | Sep 1971 | British |
| HERRMANN, Nathan Andrew | Director | 2024-12-30 | Aug 1976 | British |
Show 45 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOSTER, Jessica Sophie | Secretary | 2000-07-14 | 2001-02-26 |
| GORE, Malcolm Raymond | Secretary | — | 1999-06-11 |
| RICHARDSON, Lyn | Secretary | 2001-07-24 | 2001-08-13 |
| SCHOFIELD, Rosalyn Sharon | Secretary | 2001-08-13 | 2020-12-24 |
| SMITH, Simon Joseph | Secretary | 2006-07-14 | 2006-09-29 |
| SPRINGETT, Catherine Mary | Secretary | 2001-02-26 | 2001-07-24 |
| WRIGHT, William Bernard | Secretary | — | 2000-07-14 |
| AKERMAN, Stephen Richard | Director | — | 1991-09-14 |
| ASHWORTH, Paul Francis | Director | 1995-01-01 | 1996-12-31 |
| BARTON, David Stephen | Director | 2014-01-13 | 2021-08-23 |
| FAIRWEATHER, Mark Robert | Director | 2008-03-14 | 2015-03-17 |
| FOOT, Peter | Director | 2008-03-14 | 2013-03-01 |
| FOWLE, Mark | Director | 2017-11-13 | 2021-08-23 |
| GARMAN, David Noel Christopher | Director | 1993-11-01 | 1999-04-16 |
| GODDALL, Brian Robert | Director | — | 1991-09-14 |
| HAWKINS, Timothy Glynn | Director | — | 1993-10-15 |
| HUDSON, Wendy Anne | Director | 2013-03-01 | 2014-01-13 |
| JENKINS, Jonathan Howard | Director | 2016-03-24 | 2019-10-14 |
| KENWARD, Paul Robert | Director | 2014-09-14 | 2016-03-24 |
| LAW, Christopher Nicholas James | Director | 2019-06-17 | 2022-10-05 |
| LAWRENCE, Victoria | Director | 2019-01-11 | 2021-08-23 |
| LEE, Robin Anthony William | Director | 2016-10-06 | 2021-08-23 |
| LIGHT, David Andrew | Director | 2000-10-19 | 2006-07-28 |
| LODGE, Arthur | Director | 1993-09-01 | 2000-09-29 |
| MACE, Ian Robert | Director | 2014-09-14 | 2021-02-08 |
| MACEWAN, John Macdonald | Director | 2000-10-19 | 2005-12-31 |
| MCKECHNIE, Gordon Douglas | Director | 2018-03-09 | 2019-01-11 |
| MCNAMARA, Liam James | Director | 2019-06-17 | 2021-04-30 |
| MINTERN, Christopher John | Director | 2017-11-13 | 2021-08-23 |
| MOON, Stephen Derek | Director | 2016-10-06 | 2018-03-09 |
| MURPHY, Alan | Director | 2000-10-19 | 2006-08-31 |
| MURPHY, Paul Simon | Director | 2014-09-14 | 2021-02-01 |
| PLACE, Eric | Director | — | 2001-07-31 |
| PULLEN, Des | Director | 2001-10-03 | 2006-01-05 |
| RICHARDSON, Alan | Director | — | 2000-01-21 |
| ROBINSON, Brian David | Director | 2006-01-09 | 2008-03-14 |
| SLOAN, Richard | Director | 1992-06-29 | 2001-07-27 |
| TOON, Nigel Robert | Director | 2006-01-09 | 2013-12-31 |
| WARD, Mark Andrew | Director | 2013-03-01 | 2019-04-05 |
| WESTON, Garfield Howard | Director | 1991-09-16 | 2000-12-15 |
| WESTON, George Garfield | Director | 1999-01-01 | 2013-03-01 |
| WIGHTON, Thomas Greig | Director | — | 1991-09-14 |
| WILLIS, Jonathan Paul | Director | 2014-09-14 | 2018-10-09 |
| WILSON, Jonathan | Director | 2006-09-04 | 2016-01-31 |
| WOODWARD, David Christopher John | Director | — | 1994-06-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunblest Bakeries Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 265 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-06-26 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-03-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-12-30 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-24 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-12-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-06-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-03-21 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-10-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-06-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-06-13 | RP04AP01 | officers | Second filing of director appointment with name | |
| 2022-06-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-08-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-08-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-08-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-08-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-08-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-07-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-06-13 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-05-04 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 1
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.