Sales of gluten and milk-free cookies have slowed down at Tyneside manufacturer Biscuit International, but the firm has still grown profits.
Accounts for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ arm of the French business show sales volume growth of 8% across 2024, compared to growth of 25% the year before. The firm - which employs more than 200 people at its Team Valley factory site - saw turnover grow to £77.8m over the year, up from £72.2m.
Operating profits rose to £2.3m from £924,000. And pre-tax profits were up from more than £54,000 to £1.43m.
Bosses said growth had come from cross selling of products and an increase in customer prices, brought in to combat significant rises in the cost of cocoa. Data shows the price of cocoa peaked at more than £8,000 per tonne at the end of 2024, from below £2,600 about two years ago. It has since come down significantly.
Biscuit International's Gateshead operation specialises in gluten and milk-free biscuits - claiming to be the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's number one producer of such products. It is part of Europe's largest private label cookie making group, which boasts products such as sandwich cookies, cakes and stroopwafels.
The Team Valley factory began production in the late 1930s and was branded as Northumbrian Fine Foods in the mid-1980s. In 2018 the business was sold to Biscuit International and was last year rebranded as Biscuit International º£½ÇÊÓƵ. It now turns out more than 5,000 tonnes of biscuits every year and is behind the Prewetts brand and its range of plain, chocolate digestives, shortcake, jammy wheels and all-butter cookies.
Writing in the accounts, Biscuit International º£½ÇÊÓƵ managing director Neil McAndry said: "The company operates in a highly competitive market where consumer habits are evolving, but the directors remain confident in the future prospects of the business. The strategy is to enhance profit margins and deliver sustainable growth through customer retention and expansion, developing opportunities across retail, non-retail, and food service markets, and growing export sales.
"Strengthening relationships with major retail and wholesale partners remains central to increasing both market reach and profitability. To achieve these objectives, the company is investing in its commercial organisation to drive cross-selling, in plant and machinery to improve capacity and efficiency, and in continuous improvement programmes to optimise operations.
"These measures, alongside ongoing product innovation and expansion of cross-sell opportunities in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ market, are expected to maintain and enhance profitability, ensuring the company remains competitive and positioned for long-term growth."
The wider Biscuit International group now operates 32 factories in Europe, including other sites in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Spain and Germany.
