Last Updated on: 18th January 2024, 08:57 am
Hill Biscuits, the renowned biscuit manufacturer based in Manchester, has reported a significant surge in sales since 2021. In 2023, the company experienced an impressive 50% growth, with expectations for even greater increases in 2024.
Celebrating its 170th anniversary, Hill Biscuits, famous for its traditional British biscuits, continues its journey, deeply rooted in a rich heritage and commitment to value.
Under the guidance of CEO Frank Bird, who took on the role in May 2023, Hill Biscuits is strategically navigating towards sustained expansion. Frank, who boasts extensive experience in the bakery industry, including leadership roles at Delifrance and Aryzta, is proud to lead the company in this dynamic phase, acknowledging Hill Biscuits’ remarkable resilience through the years.
The focus now shifts to the new senior team, consisting of Operations Director Simon Worth, CFO Brendon Ward-Banner, and Commercial Director Tracey Meadows. They are driving transformative changes, aiming to improve business performance and setting new standards in Quality Control, People Development, and Process Control. This emphasises Hill’s dedication to operational excellence and customer-focused values.
Frank Bird brings a unique perspective to food manufacturing, reevaluating processes for efficiency gains that benefit both the bakery and its clients. Substantial investments are planned for 2024 to increase on-site capacity, catering to the growing demand for Hill’s products and the evolving needs of their client base.
Frank Bird commented: “The senior team is now leading a transformation of the working practices at the factory, establishing new standards across the company with a data-driven approach. Our focus spans all areas of the business, developing a pivotal point on efficiency and bakery performances, whilst ensuring that quality is at the heart of our enhancements. The delivery of our plans will be supported through improving our emphasis on people development and acquiring natural succession within the business in all key roles, while also having an adaptive focus on process improvement and preventative maintenance.
Growing in a Changing Sector
As the biscuit industry sees a shift towards premium products, Hill Biscuits is seizing opportunities in traditional biscuit lines like Custard Creams and Fruit Shorties.
Frank explained: “There has been a lot of movement in the market recently with some manufacturers making the decision to follow the premium trend which in turn has created opportunities for Hill’s to expand on its ability in producing traditional quality biscuits, which is what Hill is all about.”
Frank also shared his vision for 2024: “It would be great to explore potential co-manufacturing partnerships where we can relaunch our Sarah Hill brand, named after one of the founders of the company in 1855, a premium product range that includes cookie type products and potentially even coated biscuits. This move could also increase Hill’s overall market presence, creating innovative opportunities in new product ranges and for further partnerships.”
Hill Biscuits plans significant capital investment over the next 12 to 18 months, focusing on key projects to meet both demand and customer needs.
Frank added: “There is an equal significance placed on process and product development, creativity should always extend to operating methods as much as product design, this is where we are focussing our capital investments. Leveraging my experiences, along with the knowledge within the team, we are meticulously scrutinising our business, identifying inefficiencies, and adjusting practices to optimise productivity, enabling us to manage capability and costs without compromising quality.”
Steve Greenhalgh, Executive Chairman, Hill Biscuits, reflecting on the recent changes and future investments, stated: “We are confident in our strategies and excited about developing the future of the company to meet the demand for our everyday biscuits. We are in a strong position where we can lead on cost and value, with a quality range of products.”
Backed by LDC Private Equity, Hill Biscuits is set for a future of growth and innovation.
