The UK Food Manufacturing - Essay Example

The paper has deployed several strategic management techniques to determine market conditions, consumer demand, and the position of the companies thereof. SWOT, PEST, and Porter’s five force analyses were considered appropriate. Besides the business environment, the financial and non-financial performance of each company has been assessed along with their cumulative performance for five years. The paper has elaborately discussed every aspect of business concerning the subject companies using ratio analysis.

The outcomes have also been critically assessed and recommendations have been provided keeping in view the future scope of growth and development for the firms. The food sector in the United Kingdom (UK) can be chiefly segmented into four areas, namely, food manufacturing, food retailing, food wholesaling, and non-residential catering. Food is an essential purchase among all others by consumers and the growth of the food sector is being significantly driven by the increasing population. Between 1992 and 2008, the food sector of the UK grew in parallel with the economic boom and stabilized by 2012.

The food manufacturing sector is significantly dominated by different kinds of foods that can be conveniently categorized as necessity food and luxury food and be further subdivided into other categories (DEFRA, 2014a; Manley, 2010). The diversified nature of the UK food industry and its contribution to the UK economy makes it an interesting choice of research. The food manufacturing sector is an essential part of the food industry as it acts as a link between the agro-food industry of raw materials and food retailing and wholesaling.

Food manufacturing is also essential for the food industry because it generates employment, provides export opportunities, minimizes the scope of import, and results in great value addition to local produces and local crop producers (ILO, 2014). The research paper presents an analytical insight into the sector by thoroughly evaluating every aspect of the sector.
1.3. Aim and objectives
The paper aims at analysing the business environment of the food manufacturing sector of the UK as a whole along with that of certain prominent players in the industry such as Hilton Food Group PLC, Unilever, and Tate & Lyle PLC.