- Cranswick plc now supports 49,900 jobs across the UK, including 16,500 direct employees
- Analysis shows how the business boosts the UK economy by £3.3bn, while supporting over £850m of tax contributions last year
- The report also highlights significant health benefits of high quality, natural proteins, including nutrient impact of pork and chicken
Adam Couch, Chief Executive Officer of Cranswick plc, has hailed the role of British meat production in driving “economic prosperity, boosting food security and creating jobs in nations and regions across the UK”.
The business, which was created in East Yorkshire in 1975, has now grown into one of the UK’s leading food producers, working with over 900 British farmers. Cranswick also continues to invest for further growth, reinvesting around 50% of operating earnings (EBITDA) into infrastructure and growth projects, and plans to create a further 2,000 new jobs by 2030.
Cranswick’s report, “Where Great Food Comes From”, sets out how the business now supports a total of 49,900 jobs in the UK, while also contributing £3.3bn GDP to the UK economy and generating £850m in UK tax contributions last year. Its impact is greatest outside London where over 47,000 of those jobs are based. Last year Cranswick supported £1bn of GDP in Yorkshire and the Humber alone.
Introducing the report, Cranswick CEO, Adam Couch, said:
“Cranswick was formed in 1975, founded on the entrepreneurial spirit of a group of farmers. We are proud to have become a cornerstone of Britain’s food industry. In the past year we have contributed over £3.3 billion to the UK economy – backing over 49,000 jobs across the UK. People talk about creating growth in every postcode: Cranswick creates growth in postcodes many businesses never reach – supporting 47,000 jobs outside London and backing over £1bn of GDP in Yorkshire alone.
“Today, our products are available in most major supermarkets, helping consumers access high-quality British food that is traceable, nutritious, responsibly produced and affordable. One of the great strengths of the UK food system is the strong supply of food produced right here in the UK. This matters for many reasons, and one of the biggest is the lower environmental impact of sourcing meat here in the UK. We have produced this report to show the role Cranswick plays in this food system, and to contribute to a national discussion about the future of food.”
The report comes as UK food security remains in the spotlight. Britain currently imports over a third of the food it consumes each year, including half of the pork consumed. Last year, the UK imported more than twice as much chicken by value as it did in 2020 – including from Poland, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Brazil and Thailand. Cranswick produces 32% of British pork, of which 96% is produced for UK consumers.
Writing in the report, Sarah Bradbury, Chief Executive Officer of IGD, warns of a potential decline in production capability in key sectors of UK food and farming. “UK chicken meat production has been an important growth story in domestic agriculture...But this success is now at risk...That is why we have set out a series of urgent actions for government... We also need to fast track the approval process for new poultry sheds”.
The report also sets out the health benefits which are associated with pork and chicken. According to analysis carried out by Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), buying fresh meat significantly increases purchases of fruit and vegetables, with shopping baskets that contain red meat or chicken almost twice as likely to contain fruit or vegetables.
Cranswick has built on these findings by modelling different ways of creating a balanced meal – comparing the diets recommended by the UK Eatwell Guide and a healthy, balanced meal based on World Trade Organisation (WHO) guidelines. A protein rich plate, with the largest portion of lean meat, delivered the greatest nutrient and calorie density whilst providing double the protein of the Eatwell Guide and still providing around a third of the recommended fibre intake.
Cranswick’s report, which draws on research and analysis conducted by Oxford Economics, also sets out how the business contributes to wider society and local communities, from employing over 1,250 young people, including hundreds of apprentices, to making a positive local impact through partnerships like local charities, food donations and school partnerships.