Craig Revel Horwood campaign and Dubai-inspired biscuits drove revenue to £695m
Batley has become famous as the home of Fox’s Biscuits(Image: Lucy Marshall)
The confectionery behemoth behind Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels experienced a surge in profits, thanks to a Strictly Come Dancing judge and a “Dubai-inspired” biscuit driving up sales.
The conglomerate, encompassing Burton’s Biscuit Company and Fox’s Biscuits, reported a nine per cent increase in revenue, reaching £695m for the year ending August 2025.
Fox’s Burton’s Companies (FBC) recruited Strictly Come Dancing panellist Craig Revel Horwood to spearhead the relaunch of its Fox’s Chocolatey range.
The group posted a pre-tax profit of £14.3m, marking a turnaround from a pre-tax loss of £6.4m in the year to August 2024, as reported by City AM.
FBC employs over 3,800 individuals in the UK, having generated hundreds of new roles last year. The company makes Jammie Dodgers at its Llantarnam site in South Wales, with other UK hubs including its Thomas Fudge bakery in Dorset, the Fox’s Biscuits plant in Batley, West Yorkshire, and production hubs in Blackpool and Kirkham, Lancashire.
The firm maintained its position as the second-largest sweet biscuit producer in the UK and expanded its market share to 13 per cent.
FBC, also the maker of Party Rings and Maryland Cookies, credited its encouraging performance to “innovation”.
The group was established following a merger between Fox’s and Burton’s, both of which were acquired by Italian chocolate firm Ferrero.
Its “Fox’s Fabulous” campaign featured dance show judge Horwood sporting a chocolate face mask and urging Brits to indulge themselves, using his signature “fabulous” catchphrase.
FBC also launched a “Dubai-style” version of its Fox’s Chocolatey brand, capitalising on the craze for chocolate made with pistachio cream and filo pastry that took the UK by storm last year.
Simon Browne, the group’s chief executive officer, said: “This financial year has been a positive year of growth across all key financial metrics, delivered through maximising the opportunities of consolidating the legacy businesses and a strong new product development pipeline.
“Despite a challenging operating environment, we have successfully outperformed the market and increased our branded sweet biscuit market share.”