The Billington Group

What The Billington Group does

The Billington Group is a UK family-owned conglomerate founded in 1858 by Edward Billington, operating today as Edward Billington and Son Limited out of Liverpool and Cunard Building headquarters. The group operates across two divisions — food manufacturing and agriculture — through four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Billington Foods (chilled and frozen sauces, soups, pies and desserts, with centres of excellence in Scunthorpe and Wellingborough), English Provender Company/EPC (sauces, dressings, condiments, mayonnaise and marinades, manufactured in Newbury and Newport, South Wales), Carr's Billington (agricultural retail, feed, machinery, fuel and online products spanning Brecon in Wales to Oban in Scotland), and Criddle & Co (Liverpool-based agricultural commodity trading supplying feed manufacturers and processors). The group also owns The Billington Foundation, a charity supporting young people connected to the food and agriculture industry.

The company serves three primary customer segments in the UK: foodservice operators (hotels, restaurants, caterers), retail chains (branded products such as Glorious! plus private label), and B2B food manufacturers requiring ingredient supply, alongside UK agricultural and rural communities through the Carr's Billington network. Manufacturing technology is conventional food-processing equipment, with selective recent capital investments including the Stone Grinder upgrade at Carr's Billington Agriculture (CBAL) designed for future capacity expansion. Billington Foods Wellingborough holds the highest AA grade BRCGS food safety certification, and the group is a UK Soy Manifesto signatory with net-zero operational commitments targeted for 2040.

The business model is a direct B2B sales-led approach across both food and agriculture divisions, supplemented by industry events (Massey Ferguson Experience Tour, Food Division Supplier Conferences, STAR Team Conference) and an online retail channel for Carr's Billington launched in 2023. Revenue is generated from one-time product sales (food manufacturing SKUs, agricultural commodities, feed, machinery, fuel) with no subscription, licensing or pricing model publicly disclosed. The company employs 1,800+ people across its sites, is led by CEO Gary Blake (since 2011) and CFO Stephen Hughes (since 2003), with fourth-generation family member James Viner serving as Senior Non-Executive Director, and has no private equity, venture capital or institutional ownership. The group has been actively consolidating its portfolio, having acquired full ownership of Carr's Billington Agriculture in 2022 while divesting its Wholesome Sweeteners US stake and closing the EPC Chester site post-COVID.

Name

The Billington Group

Legal name

Edward Billington and Son Limited

Website

https://thebillingtongroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Billington Group is a UK family-owned conglomerate founded in 1858, operating four wholly-owned subsidiaries across food manufacturing (Billington Foods, English Provender Company) and agriculture (Carr's Billington, Criddle & Co), serving foodservice operators, retailers, B2B food manufacturers and UK rural communities with 1,800+ employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Agriculture Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Entrées & Complete Meals (CRADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soups, Broths & Meal Starters (CRADAAAF), Refrigerated Dough & Batters (Biscuits, Cookie Dough, Pie Crust) (CRADACAI), Baking Ingredients & Desserts (Flour, Mixes, Frosting, Gelatin) (CRADAAAD)

Keywords

• Food manufacturing
• Agricultural supplies
• Animal feed production
• Commodity trading services
• Rural retail distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food Manufacturing: Two food manufacturing businesses (Billington Foods and English Provender Company) producing chilled and frozen sauces, soups, pies, desserts, condiments, dressings, mayonnaise, and marinades for retail, foodservice, and UK manufacturers. Includes branded products.
2. Agriculture Products and Services: Carr's Billington provides rural and agricultural communities with products and services including retail, feed, machinery, and fuel. Criddle is an agricultural commodity trading business sourcing and supplying products to feed manufacturers and processors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Billington Group manufactures and supplies food and agriculture products through four wholly owned subsidiaries. Billington Foods produces chilled and frozen sauces, soups, pies, and desserts from sites in Scunthorpe and Wellingborough. English Provender Company (EPC) produces sauces, dressings, condiments, mayonnaise, and marinades from Newbury and Newport. Carr's Billington supplies rural and agricultural communities with feed, machinery, fuel, and retail products across the UK. Criddle sources and trades agricultural commodities to feed manufacturers and processors.

Product overview

The Billington Group is a family-owned food and agriculture business founded in 1858, operating as a portfolio of four distinct subsidiaries across two divisions. The Food division includes Billington Foods (chilled/frozen soups, sauces, pies, desserts), English Provender Company (EPC) (sauces, dressings, condiments, mayonnaise, marinades), and the Agriculture division includes Carr's Billington (agricultural retail, feed, machinery, fuel) and Criddle (agricultural commodity trading). Each subsidiary operates independently with its own brands (including Glorious!, Very Lazy, and Newmans Own) while sharing group values and governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Billington Foods: Food manufacturing business supplying UK foodservice, retail and B2B markets with chilled and frozen sauces, soups, frozen pies and desserts
• English Provender Company (EPC)
• Very Lazy
• Newmans Own
• Carr's Billington
• Criddle
• GLORIOUS!

Products and services

• Billington Foods Food manufacturing business supplying UK foodservice, retail, and B2B markets with chilled and frozen sauces, soups, frozen pies, and desserts. Operates from the Scunthorpe Soup & Sauces centre of excellence and the Wellingborough Pies & Desserts centre of excellence.
• English Provender Company (EPC) Food manufacturing business creating sauces, dressings, condiments, mayonnaise, and marinades for UK food manufacturers and retailers. Operates purpose-built manufacturing sites in Newbury (head office) and Newport, South Wales.
• Carr's Billington Agricultural business providing rural and agricultural communities with support including retail, animal feed, agricultural machinery, fuel, and online products, with divisions spanning Brecon in Wales to Oban in Scotland.
• Criddle & Co Agricultural commodity trading business sourcing and supplying a wide range of products to feed manufacturers and processors across the UK. Based in Liverpool.
• Glorious! Brand under Billington Foods offering frozen pies and desserts for retail customers.
• Very Lazy Prepared food ingredients brand under English Provender Company offering prepared garlic, ginger, chilli, and other cooked ingredient products for retail and foodservice customers.
• Newman's Own Food brand under English Provender Company offering sauces and food products to UK consumers and retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• BRCGS AA grade certification achieved and retained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Massey FergusoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2026Carr's Billington Machinery is a partner/distributor hosting Massey Ferguson Experience Tours and participating in Massey Ferguson's Red Injection training programme. The partnership provides customers access to latest agricultural machinery innovations.
• WRAPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Colleagues from English Provender Company contributed to wider industry discussions alongside WRAP and The Chancery Lane Project around strengthening food waste management, food waste reporting, and supply chain sustainability practices. WRAP is a climate action NGO working to accelerate progress on limiting climate change.
• The Chancery Lane ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Collaborated with The Chancery Lane Project (a collaboration of legal professionals developing climate-focused contract clauses) alongside WRAP to strengthen food waste management and supply chain sustainability practices.
• The Parent Network LTD CaerphillyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Supported by The Parent Network LTD Caerphilly, the chosen charity of EPC Newport, through the Billington Foundation. The partnership supports Ynys Hywel Farm community initiatives.
• Ynys Hywel FarmminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Community farm hub where Billington Group colleagues volunteer. Carr's Billington supports the farm's feeding requirements, supplying feed for ducks, chickens, birds, and Welsh Mountain ewes. Farm provides educational experiences for corporate organisations and local authorities.
• IGDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025The Billington Group collaborated with IGD and five other food manufacturers (Bakkavor, The Compleat Food Group, Greencore, Premier Foods, and Samworth Brothers) to create a new Food Supply Chain Sustainability Framework. The framework provides guidance to integrate sustainability into businesses and identify priorities, building on IGD's Net Zero Transition Plan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bakkavor Group plc: UK-listed fresh prepared foods manufacturer supplying major retailers and foodservice operators with chilled meals, sandwiches, salads and prepared produce — directly comparable customer base, channels, and chilled/frozen product approach to Billington Foods.
• Cranswick plc: UK-listed food producer with major operations in pork, sausages, cooked meats and pastry products including pies — direct competitor to Billington Foods' frozen pie and savoury pastry lines for UK retail and foodservice.
• Greencore Group plc: UK and US convenience foods manufacturer focused on sandwiches, ready meals, and chilled prepared foods supplied predominantly to UK and Irish supermarkets — comparable in chilled/frozen prepared foods channel and customer base to Billington Foods.
• The Compleat Food Group: UK-based prepared foods manufacturer producing chilled and frozen meals, sauces, and desserts for foodservice and retailers — closely aligned with Billington Foods' product mix (chilled/frozen sauces, soups, pies, desserts) and channels.
• Samworth Brothers: Privately held UK chilled and ambient food manufacturer producing sandwiches, ready meals, pork pies and savoury pastries for UK retailers — directly comparable to Billington Foods' pies, desserts and prepared foods business.
• Princes Group: UK-based food and drink group with significant presence in canned foods, sauces, condiments and edible oils — directly comparable to English Provender Company's sauces, dressings, condiments, mayonnaise and marinades portfolio serving UK retailers and manufacturers.
• Mole Valley Farmers: UK agricultural retail cooperative supplying farmers and rural communities with feed, machinery, fuel and other agricultural inputs — direct comparable to Carr's Billington's agricultural supplies, feed, machinery and fuel offering to UK farming customers.
• Wynnstay Group plc: UK-listed agricultural supplies group focused on animal feed, farm inputs and arable products sold to UK farmers — directly comparable agricultural-side peer to Carr's Billington's feed and rural supplies business.

Broad incumbents

• Premier Foods plc: UK-listed branded food manufacturer across ambient grocery categories including sauces, soups and meal solutions (e.g., Batchelors, Ambrosia, Sharwood's) — broad incumbent whose branded ambient sauces/soups overlap with Billington Foods' and EPC's categories.
• 2 Sisters Food Group: One of the UK's largest privately held food manufacturers with chilled, frozen, and ambient prepared foods across multiple categories — scaled competitor operating broadly in the same UK food manufacturing space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/billingtongroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-billington-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/billingtongroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Billington Group