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ARLA FOODS LIMITED

Operating as the British subsidiary of the Danish-Swedish cooperative Arla Foods, this unlisted company produces and wholesales fresh milk, cream, and dairy products under major household brands including Lurpak, Anchor, Cravendale, and Lactofree.

#02143253 · Active · Incorporated 1987-06-30 (39y 4m) · Last filing 2026-10-01 (this month)
Consumer Staples · SIC 10511 · C Manufacturing · Full accounts
Accounts due 2027-09-30 (in 12 months) · Confirmation due 2026-10-11 (in 5 days) · No watchouts on the register

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Cash

—

Latest balance sheet

Net assets

£448m

+7% highest in 3 filed years

Employees

3,482

-8% lowest in 3 filed years

Profit before tax

£38m

-12.7% lowest in 3 filed years

Watch the reel

Our short-form breakdown of ARLA FOODS LIMITED's latest filing

Arla Foods' UK arm turns over £3.27bn, but the real story is the split between their trading profit and their bottom line. 🥛📉 #BusinessNews #ArlaFoods #DairyIndustry #UKBusiness

Accounts

3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31

Metric Trend 2023-12-312024-12-312025-12-31 Δ vs prior
Turnover £3,048,988,000£3,032,722,000£3,270,147,000 +7.8%
Operating profit £64,797,000£14,350,000£35,860,000 +149.9%
Profit before tax £44,743,000£43,041,000£37,557,000 -12.7%
Net profit £36,161,000£30,798,000£29,274,000 -4.9%
Cash ——— —
Total assets less current liabilities £533,876,000£650,676,000£695,759,000 +6.9%
Net assets £397,839,000£418,865,000£448,304,000 +7%
Equity £397,839,000£418,865,000£448,304,000 +7%
Average employees 3,8063,7833,482 -8%
Wages £176,240,000£185,353,000£190,078,000 +2.5%
Directors' remuneration £1,108,000£1,050,000£1,223,000 +16.5%
Directors' pension contributions £112,000£69,000— —
Highest paid director £308,000£374,000£490,000 +31%

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 —. About these numbers

Ratios

Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest

Ratio Trend 2023-12-312024-12-312025-12-31
Operating margin 2.1%0.5%1.1%
Net margin 1.2%1.0%0.9%
Return on capital employed 12.1%2.2%5.2%
Gearing (liabilities / total assets) 70.7%50.7%51.2%
Current ratio 0.82x0.89x0.83x
Interest cover 1.30x0.62x1.69x

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 4 times since incorporation

  1. ARLA FOODS LIMITED 2004-03-17 → present
  2. ARLA FOODS PLC 2000-06-02 → 2004-03-17
  3. MD FOODS PLC 1992-03-02 → 2000-06-02
  4. ASSOCIATED DAIRIES LIMITED 1987-08-25 → 1992-03-02
  5. LUSHJUST LIMITED 1987-06-30 → 1987-08-25

Audit & accounting basis

Accounting basis
United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice
Reporting scope
Standalone (parent only)
Auditor
Ernst & Young LLP
Audit opinion
Unqualified (clean)
Going concern
Affirmed

“Therefore, the directors are satisfied the company will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities for a period to 30 June 2027, keeping within current funding facility limits.”

Group structure

  1. ARLA FOODS LIMITED · parent
    1. Arla Foods (Westbury) Limited 100% · Dormant company
    2. Arla Foods Ingredients UK Limited 100% · Holding company
    3. Arla Foods Cheese Company Limited 100% · Holder of cheese inventory rights
    4. Westbury Dairies Limited 100% · Dormant company
    5. Arla Foods Hatfield Limited 100% · Non-trading company
    6. Arla Foods Pension Plan Trustees Limited 50% · Trustee company
    7. Yeo Valley Dairies Limited 100% · Brand licence holder
    8. The Cheese Company Limited 100% · Dormant company
    9. Cornish Country Larder Limited 100% · Dormant company
    10. TCC Pension Fund Trust Limited 100% · Dormant company
    11. Arla Foods Ingredients Taw Valley Limited 100% · Processing of whey
    12. Lockerbie Biogas Limited 100% · Manufacture of biogas

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

People

7 active · 65 resigned

Name Role Appointed Born Nationality
JAQUES, Richard Charles Secretary 2019-06-17 — —
ALI-BRETT, Ruby Director 2024-04-30 Mar 1978 British
BALL, Anne-Frances Director 2022-08-01 Jun 1972 British
BOOT, Philip Mark Director 2025-01-10 Apr 1969 Dutch
KASPERSEN, Mogens Director 2022-04-19 Oct 1965 Danish
PADBERG, Sebastiaan Augustinus Johannes Maria Director 2024-01-01 Apr 1971 Dutch
RUTTER, Louis Director 2023-07-17 Mar 1978 British
Show 65 resigned officers
Name Role Appointed Resigned
FIRTH, David Alwyn Secretary 1997-04-22 2001-09-30
FIRTH, David Alwyn Secretary — 1994-05-19
PRICE, John Philip Secretary 2003-11-28 2007-07-01
RAMSDEN, Andrew Nicholas Secretary 2001-10-01 2003-11-28
SOAR, Tanjot Secretary 2007-07-01 2016-11-10
TURNER, Granville John Secretary 1994-05-19 1997-04-22
WILLIAMS, Lucy Kate Secretary 2018-04-16 2019-04-18
AAGAARD, Claus Director 1998-10-01 2001-04-05
AJERIO, Kingsley Director 2017-02-21 2019-06-28
ALLINSON, Anthony Director — 1999-01-19
AMIRAHMADI, Afshin Director 2011-01-04 2023-07-31
ANDERSEN, Kalle Braa Director 1992-03-12 1995-07-05
BALDWIN, Sarah Jane Director 2014-04-01 2016-02-12
BARBER, Annette Director 2013-04-26 2015-08-31
BLAKE, Frank George Bennett Director — 1994-04-08
CHRISTIANSEN, Mikael Director 2003-03-17 2004-04-30
CLARKE, Roger John Howard Director 1994-10-01 1996-02-16
DALSGAARD HOFF, Lars Director 2008-03-17 2014-05-01
DAVIDSON, Richard Colin Neil Director 2003-10-22 2005-06-01
EDGE, Christopher David Director 2001-07-01 2003-11-28
FIRTH, David Alwyn Director — 1999-01-19
FREEMAN, Nigel Director 1992-03-12 1996-12-31
GILBERT, Martin James Director 2004-05-05 2008-04-07
GIOERTZ-CARLSEN, Peter Director 2014-08-04 2025-01-10
HAEGG, Anders Torbjoern Director 2015-01-13 2017-01-06
HALL, Colin Futers Director — 1996-12-31
HO, Simon Kin-Man Director 2019-03-27 2023-07-17
HOGG, Pauline Louise Director 2017-02-21 2024-04-30
INKPIN, Grant Roger Director 2001-07-01 2004-04-09
JENSEN, Morten Holm Director 2021-05-11 2022-04-19
JUSSARA DA SILVA ALMEIDA, Vania Director 2015-08-31 2017-02-21
JUULSEN, Frede Director 1999-05-05 2001-07-01
JUULSEN, Frede Director 1995-10-24 1996-12-31
KIRKPATRICK, Peter John Director 2003-10-22 2005-10-03
KOLDING, Dan Director 2014-05-01 2017-02-21
LAURITZEN, Peter Director 2007-04-20 2014-08-04
MAJGAARD, Jens Director 1993-05-27 1998-10-01
MORGAN, Maxine Director 2008-03-17 2011-11-11
NIELSEN, Kim Director 1993-05-27 2004-10-19
PEACH, Malcolm Trevor Director 2000-06-05 2003-12-02
PEDERSEN, Jan Egtved Director 2007-04-20 2015-10-01
PEET, Nigel David Director 2003-10-22 2007-12-17
PIETRANGELI, Tomas Kirstein Brammer Director 2017-02-21 2018-07-01
PLATT, Neil Director 1994-02-16 1996-12-31
POWELL, David William Director 1998-10-01 2000-04-28
RAMSDEN, Andrew Nicholas Director 1998-10-01 2003-11-28
RANCE, Alison Jane Director 2019-10-18 2022-08-01
SALKELD, David John Director 1995-08-01 2003-05-30
SIMPSON, Andrew Douglas Director 1998-10-01 2002-07-01
SIMPSON, Paul Director 1998-10-01 2002-06-28
SKOVSAGER, Kent Krarup Director 2017-02-21 2021-05-11
SMITH, Joanne Louise Director 2002-12-16 2003-11-28
SMITH, Timothy John Director 2003-10-22 2008-02-26
SOAR, Tanjot Singh Director 2013-04-26 2016-11-10
SONDERGAARD, Hanne Director 2007-04-20 2010-10-31
SONNDERGAARD, Hanne Director 2001-07-01 2005-11-22
STEVENS, Simon Dominic Director 2002-09-23 2017-02-21
TERMANSEN, Jens Director 2007-04-20 2010-03-02
TERMANSEN, Jens Director 2000-06-05 2004-10-28
THOMPSON, Adrian Director 2005-06-20 2007-11-09
VATNE, Ivar Andreas Director 2017-02-21 2019-03-27
VESTERGAARD, Lars Sylvest Director 1998-10-01 2000-08-31
WALKER, Ralph Peter Director 2004-05-05 2007-09-28
WILKINSON, Philip James Director 1996-02-16 2003-11-07
WILLIAMS, Gerald Owen Wynne Director — 1995-07-06

Ownership

Persons with significant control

Name Kind Nature of control Notified Status
Arla Foods Uk Plc Corporate entity Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors 2016-04-06 Active

Filing timeline

Last 20 of 424 total filings

Date Type Category Description
2026-09-11 AA accounts Accounts with accounts type full
2026-01-13 RP01AP01 officers Replacement filing of director appointment with name PDF
2026-01-12 CH01 officers Change person director company with change date PDF
2026-01-10 CH01 officers Change person director company PDF
2025-09-29 CS01 confirmation-statement Confirmation statement with no updates PDF
2025-09-23 AA accounts Accounts with accounts type full
2025-01-17 AP01 officers Appoint person director company with name date
2025-01-16 TM01 officers Termination director company with name termination date PDF
2024-12-20 MR04 mortgage Mortgage satisfy charge full
2024-11-07 CH01 officers Change person director company with change date PDF
2024-09-27 CS01 confirmation-statement Confirmation statement with no updates PDF
2024-09-12 AA accounts Accounts with accounts type full
2024-07-23 CH01 officers Change person director company with change date PDF
2024-05-13 RP04AP01 officers Second filing of director appointment with name PDF
2024-05-03 TM01 officers Termination director company with name termination date PDF
2024-05-03 AP01 officers Appoint person director company with name date
2024-02-07 AP01 officers Appoint person director company with name date
2023-09-29 CS01 confirmation-statement Confirmation statement with no updates PDF
2023-09-27 AA accounts Accounts with accounts type full
2023-08-01 TM01 officers Termination director company with name termination date PDF

Public-record activity

Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months

Filings
4

last 12 months

Capital events
0

last 24 months

Officers appointed
0

last 12 months

Officers resigned
0

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

Official Companies House page