WHERE GREAT FOOD COMES FROM
A report into the economic and social contribution of Cranswick plc
For over 50 years Cranswick has been getting nutritious, good quality and affordable food onto kitchen tables across the UK.
Cranswick began its Great British food journey in 1975, founded on the entrepreneurial spirit of a group of farmers. As one of the first true farm-to-fork producers, over the past fifty years Cranswick has grown into one of the UK’s leading pork and poultry producers. In the last year we have contributed over £3.3 billion to the UK economy.
This has been underpinned by sustained investment, innovation and a long-term commitment to British agriculture. In the last eight years we have invested over £1 billion across the group.
“In the last year we haveDownload our full report
contributed over £3.3 billion
to the UK economy”
DELIVERING ECONOMIC GROWTH
As a UK listed company and member of the FTSE 250 Index, Cranswick has a sustained track record in creating value for our shareholders - individuals, funds, pension schemes and Cranswick employees who own shares in our business. Between FY20 and FY26, we increased our dividend by 86%, paying a total of £290m and we are proud to have achieved 36 years of unbroken dividend growth.
We also create value for many other stakeholders across the UK, that starts with our colleagues. During FY26, Cranswick directly supported over 16,500 jobs in our farms, sites and operations across the UK. On top of the jobs we create within our operations, our contracts with farmers and suppliers across the UK help to support a further 23,000 jobs in the wider UK supply chain. When we combine this with the jobs that are induced as a result of the wages we pay and support through our supply chain, our business backs over 49,900 jobs across the country.
Our Direct Contribution in FY26
During FY26, Cranswick contributed around £3.3bn to the UK's GDP and over £1bn in Yorkshire and the Humber alone
Contribution to GDP
Cranswick supported a total contribution of £3.3 billion to the UK GDP for the year ending March 2026.
Long-term employment opportunities
The business directly employs well over 16,500 colleagues. In addition, a further 33,000 jobs are supported through the indirect and induced measures.
Investing for growth
Every year, we reinvest around 50% of our EBITDA back into new infrastructure and capital projects. Since FY18 we have invested over £850 million at our sites.
FEEDING THE NATION
Food security underpins national resilience, and in an increasingly volatile global environment, the UK’s food system must be robust, adaptable and future-ready. Rising demand for high quality, traceable food, coupled with pressures from climate change, geopolitical instability and supply chain disruption, is reinforcing the strategic importance of strengthening domestic production.
The UK currently supplies around 65% of the food it consumes, relying on imports for the remaining 35% of food produced. The gap presents both risk and opportunity: with the right level of capital investment, the sector can unlock additional capacity, improve productivity and meet growing demand with high
quality British produce.
THE STATUS OF UK FARMING AND FOOD PRODUCTION
We focus on producing healthy, sustainable, great tasting food with many of our ingredients sourced from British farms. In addition to operating our own farms, we work with over 900 farmers to source grains for our animal feed, or to rear pigs and chickens to the high welfare and sustainability standards demanded by British shoppers.
FY26 CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH FARMING
INCREASING IMPORTS OF POULTRY
Overall, the UK consumes around 2.4 million tonnes of poultry meat each year. It is proving increasingly challenging for UK poultry producers to meet this growing demand.
The UK processes almost 22 million broiler chickens per week resulting in self-sufficiency of around 70%. A growing volume of imports coming from the Netherlands, Thailand, Brazil, and, increasingly, China.
Cranswick produces 7% of all UK chickens, working in partnership with independent farmers across the UK. These birds are reared with 20% more space than the Red Tractor welfare standard, at 30kg per square metre, with access to enrichment and natural light.
Cranswick is the only UK poultry producer to invest in the NestBorn system. This means chickens are born in the barn, rather than at a hatchery facility, and transported as live birds. They are born with instant access to feed, water, space and natural light, improving welfare standards.
HEALTHY DIETS
Buying fresh meat increases purchases of fruit and vegetables. Analysis conducted by Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) indicates a strong correlation between the purchase of fresh primary meat and the inclusion of fruit and vegetables within consumer shopping baskets.
SHOPPERS BUY MORE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WHEN PURCHASING MEAT
Ensuring diets are balanced, healthy and affordable is a key consideration for the weekly shop, particularly as households navigate another period of significant food inflation.
Consumers are surrounded by advice and commentary about what constitutes healthy eating, often with conflicting messages that make it difficult to know where to focus. At Cranswick, we believe clarity is essential. Natural sources of high‑quality protein, particularly those derived from pork and poultry, remain one of the most effective ways to support a nutritious, balanced diet.
Providing this dependable source of protein is a responsibility we take seriously, and we aim to make it straightforward for everyone to build meals that deliver on both health and value.
A good diet includes the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates and dairy, alongside fruit and vegetables. Protein is a fundamental building block of health - and lean pork and poultry naturally provide it in abundance, along with a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. These foods offer nutrient density, versatility and affordability, making them a vital component of a balanced plate.
Balancing nutrition and affordability in everyday eating
As part of our nutrition research, we took a recipe built around lean meat and vegetables and adapted it for two different recommended diets, swapping in more vegetables, pulses and legumes wherever animal protein was reduced or removed. This enabled a true like-for-like comparison on calories and portion size.
What we found was significant: the cost to create each of the dishes at home, based on buying the ingredients from a major UK supermarket in June 2026, shows the plate with the largest proportion of meat is the lowest in terms of cost; helping to dispel the myth that eating meat is expensive.
PRODUCING RESPONSIBLY
At Cranswick, we understand the importance of sustainability and take our responsibilities as farmers and a food producer extremely seriously. We recognise the risks posed by climate change and understand the need for regenerative practices to be applied to our agricultural systems.
We launched our Second Nature strategy back in 2018 and continue to focus on reducing our environmental impact and making a meaningful difference to the food system in which we operate.
Producing more food at home is as important as mitigating the impact our farms have on the natural world. We are committed to using natural fertilising techniques to boost biodiversity, protect water quality, and recycle animal waste into clean energy.
BUILDING CAREERS
A significant part of Cranswick’s contribution to the UK economy comes from the jobs we create and sustain across our supply chain.
Every colleague plays a vital role in keeping Britain fed and in supporting the 49,900 jobs nationwide that depend on Cranswick — through the wages we pay and the businesses we partner with.
Cranswick would not be the successful business it is without the passion, commitment and skill of our colleagues.
We are always looking for ways to ensure our colleagues are supported and can develop further in their work. We are keen to recognise and nurture talent in all parts of the business to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled professionals.
Cranswick provides entry-level jobs for people looking to enter the world of work, from school leavers all the way up to Degree Level Apprenticeships. In FY26, we recruited 57 Apprentices across a range of roles including Butchery, Operations, Technical, New Product Development (NPD) and Commercial roles.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES
Giving Back Where it Matters Most
We recognise that our responsibility extends beyond our sites and into the communities that surround them. The wellbeing and resilience of these communities matter to us because they are home to our colleagues and their families.
Over £300,000 donated to charity in FY26 supporting over 150 organisations
HULL
£532,000 RAISED FOR KIDS CHARITY
A bi‑annual charity golf day brings together colleagues, suppliers and customers, helping secure Cranswick’s total fundraising for KIDS to more than £532,000 since 2007.
MILTON KEYNES
HELPING TO PROVIDE SHELTER
Supporting UnityMK through regular volunteering and fundraising, helping provide safety, dignity and vital assistance to people experiencing homelessness.
BURY
OPERATING OUT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY HUBS
A food club that aims to provide nutritious and affordable high-quality food to low-income families through its mobile food clubs. This partnership has helped feed 11,242 households between January to December 2025.