Harrogate Water

Harrogate Water’s anti-roll bottles

Harrogate Water Brands is eyeing more supermarket listings after posting another year of stellar annual sales.

The Harrogate Spring Water and Thirsty Planet producer grew sales 21% to £15.9m in the 12 months to 31 March 2017, taking its growth to almost 55% over the past two years.

The company, which launched its award-winning diamond patterned bottles in 2014, has predominantly concentrated on food-to-go, but is now branching out into retail and growing exports.

Sales and marketing director Rob Pickering noted the brand had secured a national listing with Sainsbury’s from June, adding: “Previously we were just touching the edges of the retail sector, but the investment we’ve made in people and our kit has opened up opportunities in that market.”

Harrogate Spring replaced its glass production line in 2014 and has opened a further new line in the past six months capable of handling both glass and PET plastic products. The bottled water category overall is in strong growth in the UK, with the market up 8.2% overall according to Nielsen.

But Harrogate Spring’s export sales are also rising rapidly, including securing business with a number of airlines. Non-UK sales rose almost 90% last year to £1.6m and it sees further potential in the Middle and Far East. It is now in supermarkets across the Gulf, after securing its largest international distribution deal.

Pre-tax profits rose 8.8% to £1.75m despite investment in infrastructure and staff, partly due to “tight control of overheads”. Average staff numbers rose to 65 employees from 51 last year, meaning staff costs were up 31% to £2.2m.

Last week the company was named as one of The Grocer’s Fast 50 list of the fastest growing UK food and drink brands for the first time.

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