British Sugar facts for kids
 |
|
|
Formerly
|
British Sugar Corporation Limited (1936–1982) |
|---|---|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Sugar beet processing |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Headquarters |
,
England, United Kingdom
|
|
Number of locations
|
5 |
|
Area served
|
United Kingdom |
|
Key people
|
Keith Packer (managing director) |
| Products | Sugar Bioethanol Animal feed Topsoil Soil conditioners |
| Revenue |  £714.1 million (2021) |
|
Operating income
|
£59.8 million (2021) |
| £35.3 million (2021) |
|
|
Number of employees
|
1,400 (2021) |
| Parent | AB Sugar (Associated British Foods) |
British Sugar plc is a company that makes sugar from sugar beet. It is part of a larger group called Associated British Foods. British Sugar is the only company in the United Kingdom that produces sugar this way.
The company processes all the sugar beet grown in the UK. It makes about two-thirds of the sugar allowed for the UK. Other sugar comes from the Tate & Lyle brand or from imports. British Sugar works with farmers to agree on prices for the sugar beet. This agreement is called the "Inter Professional Agreement." The National Farmers Union helps farmers with these talks.
Contents
History of British Sugar
How British Sugar Started
The company began in 1936 as the British Sugar Corporation. At that time, the British government took control of all sugar beet processing. There were 13 different companies with 18 factories across the country. In 1972, the company started selling its sugar products under the name Silver Spoon.
In 1977, the government owned less of the company. In May 1982, the company's name became British Sugar plc. Later that year, another company called Berisford International bought it. After some financial problems, Berisford sold British Sugar to Associated British Foods (ABF) in 1991. In 2004, British Sugar bought Billingtons, a company that started in 1858.
Factory Closures Over Time
Many sugar factories have closed over the years. The factory in Cupar, Scotland, closed in 1971. This stopped sugar beet farming in Scotland. In 1981, factories in Ely, Felsted, Nottingham, and Selby closed. This happened because the amount of sugar allowed to be made was reduced.
More factories closed later, including Spalding (1989), Peterborough and Brigg (1991), King's Lynn (1994), Bardney and Ipswich (2001), Kidderminster (2002), and Allscott and York (2007). The Allscott factory closed because it was too small to be profitable. The York factory closed because not enough sugar beet grew well in northern England.
Out of the original 18 factories, only four still process sugar beet today. These are in Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk), Cantley (Norfolk), Newark-on-Trent (Nottinghamshire), and Wissington (Norfolk). The Wissington factory is one of the largest in Europe. The Bury St Edmunds site also packages Silver Spoon sugar.
The closed factory sites have been sold or taken apart. Many large concrete silos, which stored sugar, still stand at some old sites. For example, silos remain at the Kidderminster factory, which closed in 2002. The silos at Ipswich were taken down in 2018. The Allscott site has been completely demolished. The Spalding site is now home to a power station. There are also plans for British Sugar to work with BP and DuPont to build a plant that makes bioethanol in Hull.
How British Sugar Works
British Sugar is the main buyer of all the sugar beet grown in Britain. About 2,300 farmers across Britain grow this sugar beet. There is also a new idea to start growing sugar beet in Eastern Scotland again. This sugar beet would be used to make bioethanol.
Leadership
The former managing director of British Sugar, Paul Kenward, is married to Victoria Atkins. She is a politician and a Health Minister.
See also
- Bioethanol
Images for kids
-
The factory at Allscott, Shropshire, closed in 2007. It has since been taken down.
-
The British Sugar factory at Bury St Edmunds can be seen behind the town's railway station.
