Uniq plc facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Industry | Foods |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Gerrards Cross, UK |
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Key people
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Ross Warburton, Chairman Geoff Eaton, CEO |
| Revenue | £736.1 million (2007) |
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Operating income
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£(3.6) million (2007) |
| £(41.7) million (2007) | |
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Number of employees
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6,559 (2007) |
| Parent | Greencore |
Uniq plc was a British company that made and sold food. It was once known as Unigate plc. For many years, it was a very big company. Its shares were traded on the London Stock Exchange. In 2011, another food company from Ireland, called Greencore, bought Uniq.
Contents
History
How Uniq Started
The company began in 1959. It was formed when two big UK dairy companies joined together. These were United Dairies and Cow & Gate. When they merged, they created a new company called Unigate.
At first, Unigate was famous for delivering milk to homes. They also made many food products. These included Cow & Gate baby foods and Farmer’s Wife cream. Later, they created popular products like St Ivel cheese spreads and Utterly Butterly.
Trying New Things
In the 1960s, people started drinking less milk. So, Unigate decided to try new types of businesses. They bought grocery stores and restaurants. By the 1970s, they owned a supermarket chain called Kibby's. They also had clothing shops, laundromats, and even some Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
Unigate also bought other food companies. In 1973, they bought Scot Bowyers, which processed meat. They also bought cheese makers in the United States. These included Frigo in 1975 and Gardenia in 1978.
Changes and Challenges
In 1977, John Clement became the boss of Unigate. He tried to help the dairy business. He sold a large part of their milk-making business. After this, Unigate bought more different companies. These included a moving company, a turkey farm, and a Mexican food chain called Casa Bonita.
They also bought a chicken processor and car auction businesses. In 1986, they bought Prufrock, a company known for its southern-style restaurants.
However, these new businesses did not help the company's money problems. By the late 1980s, Unigate started selling off these new businesses. Even though Unigate was still the biggest milk supplier in the UK, dairy products made up only a small part of its total sales. Because of money losses, John Clement left the company in 1991.
Focusing on Food
In the 1990s, Unigate decided to focus mainly on food and delivery. They sold businesses that were not making money. This helped them earn a lot of money. They sold their share in Nutricia, which owned the Cow & Gate brand.
The company also bought new food brands. They spent money on French companies that made yogurts, desserts, and spreads. In 1996, Unigate bought the margarine and spreads business from Kraft Foods International. This included the brand Vitalite.
In 1998, Unigate tried to buy another big food company, Hillsdown Holdings, but it didn't work out. In 1999, they bought Fisher Quality Foods, which made sauces and dressings. Later that year, Unigate successfully bought Terranova, a company that made chilled convenience foods.
The Final Chapter
By the late 1990s, fewer people were getting milk delivered to their homes. Also, supermarkets were putting pressure on prices. This led to more money losses for Unigate. In 2000, they sold their milk and cheese business to Dairy Crest. After this sale, the company changed its name to Uniq in July 2000. In 2001, they separated their logistics (delivery) business, Wincanton, into its own company.
In 2002, Uniq sold its yogurt business. They wanted to focus on the convenience foods market. These are foods that are easy and quick to prepare. In 2009, Uniq sold its chilled fish business.
Finally, on July 12, 2011, the company Greencore announced it wanted to buy Uniq. The deal was completed in November 2011. Now, Uniq is part of Greencore's operations.
Operations
Uniq had several locations where it made food. For example, in Spalding, they made prepared salads. The site in Paignton produced all of Cadbury's chilled desserts, like chocolate mousse. The Northampton site made most of the prepared sandwiches for stores like Marks & Spencer and Morrisons.
