Organic snacking proves healthy for Glisten
to strength, according to UK snack group Glisten who posted
encouraging preliminary results today.
The company said turnover had increased 35 per cent to £55.6m (€81.6m) while profit before tax, amortisation and exceptional items jumped 60 per cent to £4.84m (€7.1m).
With its range of organic cereal bars, fair trade,'free from' products and nut snacks, Glisten has made inroads into a market driven by the consumer trend for healthy, ethical snacking.
Tapping into the health market and expanding focus from its confectionery and ingredients divisions has paid off for the company who acquired British firm Lyme Regis Fine Foods (LRFF) in December last year as part of a move into the niche organic and health sector.
Chief executive Paul Simmonds said: "Our strategy has taken us to the most dynamic and exciting part of tomorrow's snacking and impulse-foods market and we believe that the prospects for continued growth and above average margins remain strong."
Since the takeover of LRFF, which produces organic cereal and fruit bars, sales at Glisten have risen by 16 per cent to £2.6m (€3.8m).
The company are now a leading player in the healthy snack market due to ownership of the LRFF branded La Fruit and Fruitus ranges, which are all either organic, natural or 'free-from', as well as own-label products made by subsidiary group Halo.
In addition, Glisten recently secured the rights to use Disney and Warner Brothers characters on its fruit and cereal bars - opening the products up to a children's market.
As well as Halo and LRFF, Glisten owns confectionery ingredients manufacturer Nimbus Foods.
