A heartfelt end of year message from our usually camera shy and awkward CEO Richard Reeves 😂 Perfectly timed as we prepare to close our office on the 19th December to enjoy a well deserved break with our loved ones 🎅 🎄 We will be toasting to another record breaking year of sales, growth and teamwork with glasses in hand on the 20th December at our Christmas party!! 🥂 Continue to watch this space for projects we'll be brining in 2025 on our return to the office 6th January! 💥 💥
What a year 2024 has been!!! 🚀 so time for a obligatory Linkedin post! 😂 To kick things off, we've hit some amazing milestones 🎯 ✅ Solidifying our position as the UK’s leading Belgian waffle supplier, growing our branded market share from 67% to 87%, thanks to new listings in Sainsbury's’s and Asda. ✅ Increasing revenues from our Oreo & Milka chilled snacks by 67%, driven by distribution gains and new listings in Iceland Foods, Sainsbury's, and WHSmith. ✅ Launching our licensed Mars and MilkyWay filled croissants, taking the range into 4,000 distribution points within Asda, Morrisons, Iceland Foods, Ocado Retail, B&M Retail, Poundland & Dealz, Farmfoods and Heron Foods + many more ✅ Growing KuchenMeister GmbH stollen revenues by 28%, taking the brand into 23,000 distribution points across multiple retail sectors such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Iceland Foods, Poundland & Dealz, Farmfoods + 1000's of independent chains. ✅ Making a small but serious entrance into Food-to-Go for the first time, securing listings in Sainsbury's’s Local and WHSmith Travel & Leisure. All this accounts to 33% annual growth in 2024 for United Food Brands Ltd - a testament to the incredible hard work of our team. 🚀 This year, we also welcomed some fantastic new talent: - Neil Pittman joined us as Sales Director 💥 - George Gryzlov came on board to strengthen Operations 🚚 - And this Friday we welcome Chetan Chaudhary as our new Creative Designer. 🎨 I’m incredibly proud of our team and the hard work that goes into running this business. It is no easy task and demands entrepreneurial thinking every day, with each brand holding on to that start-up mindset. We wouldn’t be where we are without this agility. The business is closing early this Christmas with everyone getting a complimentary 7 days of extra holiday. This is about taking the time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the season with loved ones because we believe a thriving, refreshed team is the key to long-term success. It’s a reflection of what I believe: "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success." I hope everyone has a great Christmas and spends some special time with loved ones. I can’t wait to catch up on some sleep - you wouldn’t believe how many 4 a.m. starts I have had this year!! 🎄 🍻