One of Scotland’s leading soft fruit companies has hailed a successful year despite its pre-tax profits halving.
The latest accounts for Angus Soft Fruits – a soft fruit producer organisation based near Arbroath – show a 50% decrease in pre-tax profits to £574,356 for the year to April 30, 2021. This is down from £1,157,701 the year before.
The accounts, filed with Companies House, also reveal a slight increase in turnover to £193.371 million, from £190.815m previously.
Sales to the UK were down 8% to £158.592m, from £172.927m before, however overseas sales increased by 94% to £34.778m from £17.887m in the previous year.
In his report accompanying the accounts, company secretary Neil Redford said Angus Soft Fruits had “performed well in respect of the current climate” in the year to April 30, 2021.
“At the time of this report the company is currently facing uncertainties surrounding Covid-19 and the impact that this will have on the group’s trade, customers, suppliers and wider economy,” added Mr Redford.
“The group believes that is has sufficient reserves and resources together with any possible utilisation of government support schemes to be able to prepare the accounts on a going concern basis.”
The accounts also reveal the company employed an average of 247 staff in the year – this is up from 206 the year before.
They also reveal the highest paid un-named director took home a pay cheque of £202,305 in the year – down from £284,571 in the year before.
Angus Soft Fruits was formed in 1994 by the Porter and Gray families.
Its members are primarily located in Angus, Fife and Perthshire, and it also sources fruit from growers in the Netherlands, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, the US and South America.
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