A significant financial turnaround at Fox’s Burton’s Companies has been driven by a celebrity-backed marketing push and a shrewd capitalisation on a viral food trend, new figures reveal. The UK’s second-largest sweet biscuit producer reported a pre-tax profit of £14.3 million for the year ending August 2025, a stark reversal from a £6.4 million loss the previous year, on revenue that climbed 9 per cent to £695 million.
Strategic Campaigns Fuel Growth
Central to this resurgence was the “Fox’s Fabulous” campaign, a relaunch of the Fox’s Chocolatey range fronted by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood. Launched in June 2025, the initiative featured Horwood in a chocolate face mask urging indulgence with his signature “fabulous” catchphrase. The campaign, which research indicated tapped into a feeling among 47 per cent of Brits that they had less “me time”, garnered over three million views across social media and PR channels and offered a chance to win a £1,000 spa voucher.
Simultaneously, the company moved quickly to exploit the viral “Dubai-style” chocolate trend, characterised by pistachio cream and filo pastry. Fox’s claims it was the first major biscuit manufacturer to launch such a product, introducing its “Fox’s Chocolatey Dubai Style Pistachio Indulgent Creams” exclusively at Tesco in July 2025 before a wider rollout. The biscuit features a chocolate-encased shortcake with a creamy centre and crispy pistachio filling, capitalising on a flavour that was the fifth most searched-for food or drink in 2024. The trend was initially inspired by viral creations from Dubai-based chocolatier Sarah Hamouda, with confectionery giant Lindt among other major brands to launch an iteration.
These specific launches were underpinned by what the company calls an “aggressive innovation strategy”. This included the debut of the Maryland S’wich, marketed as the UK’s first chocolate chip cookie sandwich, as part of a strong new product development pipeline.
Market Outperformance and Expansion
The strategy propelled FBC to outperform the wider market. The company increased its branded sweet biscuit market share to 13 per cent, up from 12.5 per cent, and was the only major manufacturer in the category to grow both value and volume sales—by 10 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. Operating profit saw a major leap to £31.2 million, up from £11.5 million. European sales also surged, rising 57.3 per cent or £24.7 million to reach £68 million.
This growth comes against a mixed backdrop for the UK biscuit aisle. While the market has shown resilience with volume sales up 1.5 per cent in 2023, partly due to an affordable treat image according to Mintel, forecasts suggest a potential annual decline in market value per capita from 2024 to 2028. Consumer trends are bifurcating, with growing interest in health-conscious options featuring less processed ingredients alongside sustained demand for premium indulgence and nostalgic flavours.
The company’s performance contributed to a robust year for its Italian parent, the Ferrero Group, which reported a 4.6 per cent increase in turnover to €19.3 billion for its last financial year, driven by innovation and acquisitions including WK Kellogg Co.
Consolidation and Operational Footprint
FBC itself is a product of recent consolidation, formed in early 2022 from the merger of Fox’s Biscuits and Burton’s Biscuits after both were acquired by Ferrero in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Simon Browne, the group’s chief executive who previously served as managing director of Burton’s, credited the “positive year of growth” to maximising opportunities from consolidating the legacy businesses.
The group employs over 3,800 people in the UK, having generated hundreds of new roles last year. Its production network includes the Llantarnam site in South Wales where it makes Jammie Dodgers, the Thomas Fudge bakery in Dorset, the Fox’s Biscuits plant in Batley, West Yorkshire, and production hubs in Blackpool and Kirkham, Lancashire.
The partnership with Craig Revel Horwood leveraged the substantial cultural footprint of Strictly Come Dancing. The BBC show, which debuted in 2004 and averages around 10.5 million viewers per episode, has significantly boosted mainstream interest in dance and is noted for increasing the social media following and endorsement potential of its participants.
On sustainability, FBC UK has taken steps to align its operations with environmental goals, receiving validation for its climate targets from the Science Based Targets initiative following its first comprehensive carbon footprint analysis. The company stated a commitment to integrating environmental resilience into its long-term growth.
Summarising the year, CEO Simon Browne said the group had “successfully outperformed the market” despite a challenging operating environment through a focus on innovation and business consolidation.
