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Finsbury Food Group Plc

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FY2023 Annual Report · Finsbury Food Group Plc
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Finsbury Food Group plc
Full Year Results
Year ended 1 July 2023 

John Duffy Chief Executive Officer
Steve Boyd Finance Director

One of the largest speciality bakery groups in the UK

Diversified by
category, channel
and geography

Operating
in large markets

Broad range
of customers 
across channels

Diversified
manufacturing 
capabilities

Strong and
evolving brand
portfolio

#1 in a number of speciality categories 
including Celebration Cakes, Artisan Bread & Premium 
Round Cakes

2

Successful navigation of sector headwinds has enabled a robust 
performance for the year 

Group revenue up 16.0% to £413.7m, driven by price 
and volume with:
•
A robust performance in UK retail, up 11.8%
• Ongoing recovery in foodservice, up 25.1%
•

Continued growth in Overseas division, up 25.0%

Lees acquisition earnings enhancing and performing 
in line with expectations

Acquisition is in line with carefully calibrated M&A 
strategy to diversify product capability into areas 
with high growth potential

Continued focus on and delivery of Operating 
Brilliance Program

Group EBITDA up 8.8% to £31.3m

Profit before tax up 4.2% to £17.7m

Diluted adjusted EPS 10.1p 

Proposed final dividend of 1.73 pence per share, 
which will take total dividend for the year to 2.60 
pence per share

Now a stronger Group able to leverage scale, 
diversified product range and channels 

Recommended cash offer by Frisbee Bidco Limited of 
110 pence in cash per Scheme Share

3

Market Overview

Current macro-economic challenges

A lot of the challenges from last year persist, or have evolved into new challenges

Complex & Inter-connected issues

High Interest rates

• Macro-economic  environment  remains  volatile 

• UK interest rates are at the highest level since 

with challenges creating:

2008 resulting in:

•

•

Headwinds and uncertainty 

Complexity and higher costs

•

•

Increased strain on UK households

Borrowing and debt now more expensive

Food Inflation & Standard of Living stagnation

Labour Market

•

•

Food inflation continues to be a large contributor 
to overall cost of living increases

Concern over food inflation now matching that of 
future energy price rises

•

Recruitment and retention remains a challenge

• UK unemployment remains low

•

•

High level of vacancies

High wage inflation

5

 
Inflation indicators

CPIH (Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs) is at 6.4%, vs. the October 2022 peak of 9.6%

•
• Other than transport there is no deflation, only reduced inflation
•

Food and non-alcoholic beverage is the second largest contributor to overall CPIH 

6

Source: ONS to July 2023

Grocery Inflation indicators

Volume remains a challenge in the face of high price inflation. Shoppers buying smaller baskets, 
and less often to manage their spending

+8.2%
Growth

-1.8%
Volume

+12.7%
Price Inflation

+0.5%
-0.5%
Frequency
Frequency

-2.0%
Basket Size

+0.7%
Population

+9.7%
Own Label

+6.4%
Own Brand

-0.6%
NPD

+1.4%
Vol on Deal

7

Source: Kantar Worldpanel to 6 August 2023

A robust performance

Retail Bread and 
Morning Goods

Retail Cake

Foodservice Bread 
& Morning Goods

Foodservice Cake

Overseas

Finsbury

Finsbury

Finsbury

Finsbury

Finsbury

+6.4%^

+10.4%^

+27.1%^

+19.7%^

+25.2%^

VS

VS

VS

VS

VS

Market

Market

+18.1%* ^

+8.8%* ^

Market

N/A

Market

N/A

Market

N/A

*Cricana 52 w/e 15 July 2023

^52 week data

9

Figures exclude Lees

A diversified, 
well invested and 
innovative Bakery Group

Well diversified across category, channel and customers

By Business

By Channel (UK Bakery)

By Customers (UK Bakery)

15%

37%

48%

Foodservice 22% 

2%

20%

21%

Cake

Bread

Overseas

Cake

Bread
Cake

57%

Retail 78% 

11

Figures include Lees

Tesco  27%

Other foodservice customers  12%

Waitrose  8%

Brakes 6%

Discounters  4%

M&S  4%

Co-op  12%

Asda 11%

Morrisons  6%

Sainsburys 6%

Bidfood 4%

Financial Review

Financial summary

The resilient full year figures reflect another period of persistent significant cost inflation and macroeconomic 
uncertainty. A strong performance was delivered with growth driven primarily by price, the incremental 
volume from Lees and overseas.

Revenue 

+16.0%

Gross margin 

-2.4%

Operating profit1
+10.9%

Operating margin1
-0.2%

FY 2023

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2022

£413.7m
£356.8m

30.0%
32.4%

£19.8m

£17.8m

4.8%

5.0%

EBITDA1
+8.8%

PBT1
+4.2%

Diluted EPS2

flat

FY 2023

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2022

Bank debt3
Increase of
+£0.8m FY 2023

FY 2022

£31.3m

£28.7m

£17.7m

£17.0m

10.1p

10.1p

£21.4m

£20.6m

1 Profit is before significant non-recurring and other items.
2 Profit before significant non-recurring and other items and amortisation of intangibles.
3   Bank debt excludes £4.9m selective receivables financing 

13

Sector revenue and operating profit

UK Bakery

Overseas

FY 2022

FY 2023

Change 

FY 2022

FY 2023

Change 

Revenue (£’000)

306.7

351.1

14.5%

50.1

62.7

25.0%

Gross margin (% of NSV)

34.5%

32.0%

-2.5%

19.0%

19.4%

0.4%

Operating profit (£’000)

14.9

15.4

3.7%

2.9

4.3

48.0%

Operating margin

4.9%

4.4%

-0.5%

5.8%

6.9%

1.1%

14

Cashflow

EBITDA

Net working capital movement

Lease payments*

Capex

Interest

Tax

Free Cashflow

Minority interest dividend (FY22 £2.5m, FY23 £0.4m) and FX

Free Cashflow after MI dividend 

Dividend paid (FY22 1.67p final, FY23 0.87p interim) 

Shares (purchased for employee benefit trust)

Decrease in Debt before closure and acquisition costs

Acquisition consideration

SNR items

Decrease / (increase) in debt

15

FY 2022 £m

FY 2023 £m

28.7

(2.5)

(2.2)

(12.5)

(0.7)

(2.0)

8.8

(2.5)

6.3

(4.0)

(0.5)

1.8

(7.1)

(2.3)

(7.5)

31.3

(3.3)

(2.1)

(8.8)

(2.1)

(3.9)

11.1

(0.9)

10.2

(3.2)

(0.5)

6.5

(5.7)

(1.6)

(0.8)

Strong balance sheet supporting investments and growth

Debt

• Acquired 100% share capital of Lees for £6.2m 

Pensions

• IAS19 Deficit - £6.5m (FY21 - £6.6m)

(incl £0.5m costs)

• Capex of £8.8m 

• Net bank debt is up £0.8m to £21.4m

• Actuarial valuation as at 31 December 2021 

complete with deficit of £13.6m

• Annual contribution to deficit of £763k. 

• Debt: EBITDA is 0.7x (pre-IFRS measure in line 

SNR items

with banking covenants)

Facilities

• A four year £120m credit facility (£60m core + 

£60m accordion) from June 2022

• Credit facilities provide financial flexibility for 
the Group to pursue its significant growth 
ambitions

• £3.1m in the year relating to litigation, 
acquisition costs and restructuring.

16

Strategic update

Overview of three strategic pillars

Excellence

Growth

Responsibility

Invest in our people and our
operating sites to form
a strong foundation to underpin
our strategy.

Create innovative high-quality
bakery products that anticipate
key market trends.

Ensure that customer and 
consumer needs are at the
heart of our decision making.

Drive growth through 
a combination of organic growth
and targeted acquisitions.

Aim to succeed in both the retail
grocery and out-of-home channels
in the UK and Europe.

Develop a strong licensed brand 
portfolio to complement our core
retailer brand relationships.

Our commitment to building
a sustainable operating model
is built on a holistic framework that
puts our people’s development, 
engagement and health and 
wellbeing at the heart of our
business.

We strive to continually reduce 
our impact on the planet
by investing in technology, expertise
and driving shared ownership 
across our growth partners.

18

Progress on three strategic pillars

Excellence
•

Implementation and full 
commissioning of a new Buns 
and Rolls line.

•

•

Continuation of our Systems 
Excellence strategy and the 
commencement of our People 
system implementation.

Commencement of our five-
year automation capex 
strategy across multiple 
locations. 

Growth
• Growth and new business 
wins driven by category 
expertise, longstanding 
customer relationships 
and market insight. 

•

•

Lees acquisition 
performing in line with 
expectations.

Created refined Group 
commercial structure to 
improve focus.

Responsibility
•

Continued to invest in 
developing key skills and 
capability. 

•

•

•

Employee Engagement survey 
demonstrated increased 
engagement. 

Reduced ‘‘Scope 1 and 2’’ 
emissions against our 2016 
base line by 43%. 

Further developed D&I 
strategy 
as well as Health and 
Wellbeing and Community 
Engagement programmes. 

19

Outlook

Opportunity 
for significant 
sales growth

Organic growth through:

• Gaining market share in existing areas, such as 

licenced celebration cakes (UK and overseas), artisan 
bread and free from

• Further diversifying existing product capability into 
new channels and customers such as foodservice, 
food-to-go and discounters

• Improving competitiveness and ability to fulfil 

customers and consumer needs 

Targeted acquisitions with a clear strategic fit:

• Accelerate market consolidation in our core 

product areas

• Further diversify the business through new product, 

category, customer, channels by geography

• Recent successful track record of bolt on acquisitions 

in Lees and Lightbody Europe

Future acquisition 
timing dependent 
on meeting our 
returns criteria

Current market 
rating makes 
transformational 
acquisitions difficult

22

A resilient & 
agile business 
despite 
persistent 
challenges 

Outlook:

• Macro-economic and inflationary headwinds set to 

persist

• Focus remains on managing these challenges through 
operational improvements, capital investment and 
product re-engineering

• Steady ongoing demand for our product range whilst 
we will continue to make progress in line with the 
Group’s three strategic pillars 

• Proven model and strong track record of dealing with 

adversity and emerging a stronger business

• Remain aligned with the consumer trends within the 

sector and to ensure that our proposition is as 
competitive as possible

“Over the past six years 
our Group has faced a 
series of unprecedented 
challenges. 
Notwithstanding the 
scale of these challenges, 
we have been able to 
deliver strong growth 
and continued financial 
progress. This is possible 
due to the resilience and 
agility achieved on the 
back of consistent 
investment strategies 
over many years”

23

Q&A

Appendices

One of the 
largest 
speciality
bakery 
groups 
in the UK 

Diversified by category, channel 
and geography

• UK and Europe

• Cake, bread and morning goods

• Retail and Foodservice

Operating in large markets

Diversified manufacturing capabilities 
in cake, bread and morning goods*

• Cake, bread and morning goods 

Celebration, sharing and snacking cakes, 
retailer own label, artisan loaves, buns

Range of Free from products in bread 
and cake

• UK bread and cake retail market of 

Foodservice

over £6.3bn

• UK Foodservice channel serving a UK 

market of over £1.6bn

Broad range of channels and blue chip 
customers

• UK retail

Supermarkets, discounters, convenience

• UK foodservice

• Sweet and savoury baked goods 

Floured baps, brioche buns, bite style cakes

*Increasingly products available in free from and vegan offerings

A strong and evolving branded portfolio

• Longstanding relationships with many 

license brands

Mars, Thorntons, Mary Berry, Disney, Baileys, 
Xbox

Hotels, pubs, restaurants, high-street chains, 
fast food outlets, contract caterers

• Brand portfolio including Kara 

foodservice and Wiso Free From

• International markets

France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, 
Switzerland and Scandinavia

26

Significant shareholders at 1 September 2023

DBAY Advisors 

Ruffer

Fidelity Worldwide Investment

Investec Wealth & Investment 

Finsbury Food Group Employee Benefit Trust

Janus Henderson Investors

Otus Capital Management

Close Asset Management

27

Amount

% Holding

17,714,799

15,982,000

13,038,336

12,683,798

6,308,728

5,600,000

4,562,633

4,435,485

13.59%

12.26%

10.00%

9.73%

4.84%

4.30%

3.50%

3.40%