British Sugar

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British Sugar plc
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustrySugar beet processing Cannabis cultivation
PredecessorAnglo-Scottish Beet Sugar Corporation Edit this on Wikidata
Founded1936
Headquarters,
England, United Kingdom
Number of locations
5
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Paul Kenward (managing director)
ProductsSugar
Cannabis
Bioethanol
Animal feed
Topsoil
Soil conditioners
RevenueIncrease £714.1 million (2021)[1]
Increase £59.8 million (2021)[1]
Increase £35.3 million (2021)[1]
Number of employees
1,400 (2021)[1]
ParentAB Sugar (Associated British Foods)
Websitebritishsugar.co.uk

British Sugar plc is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods and is the main producer of sugar from sugar beet in the United Kingdom. It processes all sugar beet grown in the country and produces about two-thirds of the UK's sugar quota. The remaining sugar is produced by Tate & Lyle under license to American Sugar Refining, as well as through imports. British Sugar has a contract called the "Inter Professional Agreement" with growers, which determines the price paid for beet and the allocation of quotas. The National Farmers Union negotiates on behalf of the growers.[2]

The company was established in 1936 when the British government nationalized the sugar beet processing industry.[3] It initially operated under the name British Sugar Corporation and later changed its name to British Sugar plc. In 1991, it was acquired by Associated British Foods.[4] Over the years, several factory closures have occurred due to various reasons, including changes in sugar quotas and economic factors. Currently, four factories remain in operation: Bury St Edmunds, Cantley, Newark-on-Trent, and Wissington.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Annual Report 2021". British Sugar. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. "Tesco drops the Suffolk-produced Silver Spoon sugar in favour of rival". East Anglian Daily Times. 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. "Cupar, Prestonhall, Trading Estate | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  4. "Obituary: Garry Weston". The Independent. UK. 16 February 2002. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2010.