The ethnic cuisine arm of Associated British Foods, AB World Foods, today announced plans to extend its Patak’s Indian sauce range with a Hot & Spicy line. The manufacturer said that it is launching the range in response to consumer demand for hotter food. According to the manufacturer, research has found that British consumers are eating food over 400 times hotter than during the 1960s, “reflected in the 20% rise in sales of hot food products over the last year,” and in the... ...Read more »

Associated British Foods has announced that its Allied Bakeries business is investing in growing its healthy bread brand Burgen in the United Kingdom. Burgen, developed by ABF’s Australian subsidiary George Weston Foods in 1994, was the first soy linseed bread on the Australian market, and has a substantial market share in Australia. Associated British Foods, which also manufactures the Allinson and Kingsmill bread brands, will invest GBP 200,000 (A$305,496) in a bid to increase awareness of... ...Read more »

Shares in Associated British Foods tumbled in morning trade yesterday after the George Weston and Don/KR Castlemaine parent company cut its full-year profit outlook, despite an improved first-half performance from its sugar and grocery businesses. The company, which had predicted a rise in full-year earnings, said that price competition and higher cotton prices were hitting its Primark discount fashion business, and that profits are “now expected to be similar to last year’s”. The... ...Read more »

Today George Weston Foods Limited (GWF), a division of Associated British Foods (ABF), announced Andrew Reeves as its new Chief Executive, to lead the company’s future growth.Andrew starts his new role with GWF in April 2011, following the departure of the company’s previous Chief Executive, Geoff Starr. Over the past five years, Geoff led significant change at GWF and the broader industry through his board membership of the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Foodbank Australia. Andrew... ...Read more »

Associated British Foods said yesterday (13 September) that it had seen a “substantial increase” in adjusted operating profit in the second half of its fiscal year after a “strong” trading period. The UK-based commodities and grocery group, which owns Australian companies George Weston Foods and Don KR Castlemaine, as well as international brands Twinings, Ryvita, Ovaltine and Pataks, said it expects earnings for the full year to show “very good progress”. ABF,... ...Read more »

UK company Associated British Foods has today announced an expected strong increase in revenue for the period to 27 February 2010, on the back of strong sugar performance and Australian grocery profits. ABF, Australia’s second-largest food business, owns George Weston, including brands such as Tip Top, Burgen, Don smallgoods and KR Castlemaine.  Their companies also include Twinings, Patak’s, Maille and Tabasco. According to ABF, in addition to the Australian dollar, infrastructure improvements... ...Read more »

Associated British Foods, the owner of George Weston Foods, has reported revenue growth of 19 per cent in the third quarter as the weak sterling and price increases make a positive impact. “The food businesses … benefited from the flow-through of price increases, most of which were achieved in the first half of last year, and some volume growth,” the company advised. “There was continued strong trading from Primark. Group revenue unadjusted for the impact of disposals was... ...Read more »