Riverford Organic: sales growth hits £110M

Credit: Riverford Organic

Lucinda Turner, commercial director at Riverford Organic, has confirmed that sales growth of the employee-owned business has reached £110 million following a ‘period of stabilization’ in 2023/2024.

Turner attributes the profit milestone to consumers ‘choosing better’ in food, farming and the businesses they buy from. “Our sales grew to £110 million because more people are choosing quality, organic food, seasonal eating and fairness to farmers. Our loyal customers also spent more with us last year, and we saw our biggest Christmas ever.

"We worked hard to get the business back to our pre-COVID trading position. We’ve managed the health of the business carefully, proving that you can do business in a better way and still be a strong, successful company.

"Fairness is at the heart of how we run Riverford. Last year, we shared 20% of our profits equally among more than 1,000 co-owners, ensuring that everyone who makes Riverford what it is benefits from its success.

Turner adds that a key moment in 2024 came with the sale of £8.5 million of the company’s final shares, completing Riverford’s transition to a 100% employee-owned business. “From the start, employee ownership has been about protecting what matters: fairness for our co-owners, growers, customers and the planet. This secures those values for the long term."

She notes that 2024 presented Riverford with the same rising costs in raw materials experienced by others in food and farming, including a 10.5% increase to the Real Living Wage which added 2.7 million to overall running costs.

“While we had to adjust some prices, we worked hard to shield key staples to keep organic food as accessible as possible. Being fully employee-owned means that we can make decisions for the right reasons, not just the bottom line. Riverford’s success isn’t just about us — it’s about a movement of people choosing food that’s fairer for farmers, better for the planet and rooted in real seasonality."

By Rosie Greenaway, editor