Profits have more than quadrupled at Cawston Press, as sales growth helped the juice maker regain margin, according to its latest company accounts.
It registered sales growth of 7.8% to £21.9m in 2024 despite battling a number of challenges, including an “exceptional operational failing” at its third-party warehousing and distribution partner during the crucial summer trading period. The disruption resulted in unfulfilled orders and held back the top line.
Normal service had resumed at the business by the autumn.
Even with the blow to sales and intense cost pressures, including a 28% bump in the price of not-from-concentrate apple juice, Cawston was able to post a pre-tax profit of £592k, compared with £130k in 2023.
The company’s operating profits increased more than threefold to £616k.
Cawston Press managing director Steve Kearns said the team had “focused hard” to develop the business in the face of pressure on “all parts of the P&L”.
“I was pleased with our performance overall given another tough competitive year, with vast investment being put behind existing soft drinks brands and plenty of new and emerging entrants into the market,” he added.
“The improvement to operating profit has been largely delivered through sales growth and attracting new consumers into the brand. Like all businesses, we have faced varying cost pressures, so a tight focus on central overhead costs and operational efficiencies has continued to be necessary throughout this trading period.”
Cawston expanded its gross margin from 31.7% to 34.8% in the year.
Star performers for the brand included its one-litre Tetra Pak Brilliant Beetroot Juice carton, which achieved “record sales” – thanks in part from positive PR coverage from “influential medical professionals” highlighting the health benefits of beetroot.
Its Sparkling Rhubarb SKU continued to be its bestseller, but growth of the brand’s sparkling canned drinks and fruit water cartons flatlined as the ranges were hardest hit by the disruption in the summer.
Marketing spend at the brand grew 9% over the year, focusing on mass-media ads for Sparkling Rhubarb and a new partnership with Disney to promote its film Inside Out 2 with fruit waters.
The campaign “proved to be a strong platform to help increase brand awareness”, Kearns said, particularly for its juice box cartons.
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