Global food producer Princes Group has posted a trading update for the three months ended 31st March 2026.
Revenue at the manufacturer increased 6% year-on-year to £506.6 million, which it said was supported by recent perimeter expansion and “resilient” performance across the Group’s core categories.
Princes said its Q1 performance reflected the “normal seasonal profile” of the food and beverage sector, with softer volumes in the early part of the year following the festive period, alongside typical retailer inventory optimisation dynamics. Its Foods and Fish categories were “broadly stable” year-on-year, with positive momentum in Oils and particularly strong growth in Italian Products.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increase by 17% to reach £38.2 million.
Princes said its current trading had seen “positive momentum” entering Q2, describing April performance as ahead on the year. This comes as the producer revealed that it had continued to optimise its manufacturing processes, focusing on capacity utilisation, SKU rationalisation and cost structure improvements.
‘’Whilst the broader macro-economic environment remains uncertain, we remain confident in the resilience of the business and our ability to continue delivering profitable growth.”
Simon Harrison, CEO of Princes Group, commented: “The Group has yet again demonstrated the resilience of our operating model and the continued execution of our margin-accretive growth strategy. The Group delivered strong EBITDA growth, continued margin expansion and a further strengthening of its net cash position.
‘’Trading trends have improved entering the second quarter, while our highly cash-generative business model and strong balance sheet continue to provide substantial strategic flexibility. Alongside ongoing operational and commercial initiatives across the Group, we continue to see a strong pipeline of value-accretive M&A opportunities consistent with our long-term strategy, and we remain confident in our ability to complete at least one transaction in the near term, whilst maintaining our strict acquisition criteria.
‘’Whilst the broader macro-economic environment remains uncertain, we remain confident in the resilience of the business and our ability to continue delivering profitable growth, strong cash generation and long-term value creation.”
