Dairy Crest sees big profit rise

Dairy Crest makes a range of dairy products

Food group Dairy Crest has announced its annual profits have risen by nearly a quarter.

Surrey-based Dairy Crest said it had halted the decline in the doorstep business and was now planning to capitalise on its customer base.

The company reported an adjusted pre-tax profits increase of 24% from �54.8m last year to �80.5m.

It said the acquisition of Express Diaries helped drive sales in a sector that had otherwise seen modest growth.

Diary Crest chief executive Mark Allen said: "This year's financial year was an active one in which we significantly reshaped the group and continued to drive performance.

"We have a full programme of new product launches focused on healthier variants of our leading brands."

The company, whose head office is in Esher, said its expansion into Europe following the takeover of St Hubert French and Italian spreads business from Uniq in January had also boosted its performance.

But last week the firm announced that its depot in Totnes, Devon, would be closed, because it was unable to expand and modernise the site in Station Yard.

Production at the plant, which opened in 1934, will be transferred to Gloucestershire and east London.

Union officials said they intended to fight the plans.

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