Profits up at William Jackson

FOOD firm William Jackson, the company behind the Aunt Bessies brand, has posted much increased annual profits.

Profits before tax and interest were £7.21m, up from £674,000 the previous year. Operating profit before exceptional items was £7.2m, an increase of more than £1.3m.

Sales were slightly up for the year to the end of April 2011 at £168.4m.

In the company’s annual report filed at Companies House, William Jackson chairman Nicholas Oughtred said the performance over the financial year “represents a positive step towards achieving an adequate level of return for the group”.

“Overall performance improved as management effort was focussed on ensuring our businesses were in a position to deal with the current difficult trading conditions,” Mr Oughtred said.

He said a challenging economic environment for the group was compounded by rising raw material costs.

“Capital spending has been carefully controlled but the board have agreed to support capital plans where we believe the market is attractive and where our strong and capable management teams can deliver,” Mr Oughtred added.

The group’s profits were hit in 2010 because of costs related to the closing of William Jackson’s Kwoks operation.

The Hull-based business was founded by William Jackson in 1828 who opened his first shop in the city in 1851.

It later invented the first commercially produced Yorkshire puddings and launched the Aunt Bessie’s Brand in 1995.

William Jackson sold its Jacksons convenience store operation, which it had grown to 114 outlets, to Sainsbury’s in 2004.

It now has four operating businesses: Aunt Bessie’s, Jackson’s Bakery, Hazeldene Foods, Parripak Foods.