Page 29 - Food&Drink Magazine November-December 2021

AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 FOOD & DRINK COMPANIES 2021
SPONSORED BY DATA SOURCED FROM
AUSTRALIA’S
FOOD & DRINK COMPANIES 2021
Food & Drink Business, in collaboration with IBISWorld, presents this year’s Top 100 companies, a ranking by revenue of Australia’s heaviest hitters in the food and beverage sector.
THIS year’s Top 100 reflects financial reporting from calendar year 2020 and financial year 20/21 and as such, there is a dominant theme – Covid Data. Some results clearly reflect the upside of people being at home, while others felt the brunt of people not being out and about. Trade tensions impacted two industries at opposite ends of the beverage spectrum – wine and infant formula – the latter buffeted by pandemic disruptions even more than most.
TOP 10
The old guard are still standing at the front of the line. Fonterra is in top spot for the fifth year in a row, followed by JBS, which had an active 2021 with the acquisition of
Huon Aquaculture for $425 million and pig processor Rivalea for $175 million, although that deal is still in the hands of the ACCC and FIRB.
If Fonterra achieves its goal to offload its Australian business, as CEO Miles Hurrell announced at this year’s AGM, the Top 10 may look a little different in the future.
Coca-Cola Amatil makes its final appearance due to its sale to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and we welcome Asahi to the Top 10, jumping eight places to #5, its purchase of Carlton & United Brewing clearly having quite the impact. Lion (#4) and Treasury Wine Estates (#7) round out the alcohol contingent, while Teys (#6) and Ingham’s (#9 ) ensure most animal proteins are covered.
There’s always jostling at the tail end and this year was no different, with Nestlé edging out George Weston Foods for tenth spot.
REVENUE CHASERS
Asahi powered into the Top 10 with the addition of CUB to the books providing a 76 per cent revenue boost in CY20. Similarly, Bega Cheese recorded a 45 per cent revenue jump after its absorption of Lion Dairy & Drinks.
The a2 Milk Company registered a 33 per cent revenue rise in FY20, which after four profit downgrades in this year must feel like quite the distant memory.
Privately owned Tasmanian aquaculture company Petuna made its first appearance on the list this year and was in the top five for revenue growth, growing 30 per cent to enter neatly at #100.
FASTEST MOVERS
Five companies recorded double digit climbs in 2021. Bega moved up 11 places from #24 to #13 as its acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks started to show. Two sugar companies featured: MSF Sugar (up 20 places to #65) and Mackay Sugar (up 14 places to #77) a reflection of the turnaround of a volatile market and also reflecting more home cooking. Brown-Forman Australia made the most of people drinking more spirits, and drinking them at home as reflected in its 15 place climb to #71.
BIGGEST LOSERS
Two companies fell
heavily this year – MPD
Dairy dropped 12 places
from #64 to #74 and Moet Hennessy Australia fell 18 spots from #67 to #85. Seven companies all up experienced
double-digit revenue falls, including Allied Pinnacle (27 per cent), Unilever (26 per cent), Bindaree Beef (29 per cent), NH Foods (18 per cent), Select
Harvests (14 per cent), and KB Food (13 per cent).
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
There were a few new recruits this year as well as the return of some alumni as we continue to refine eligibility requirements and definitions. Kraft Heinz is back (#30) after not appearing in 2020 due to its restructuring at the end of 2018 impacting its reporting period. Arnott’s appears as a new entrant at #33 due to it creating a new business entity, but was most definitely on the list last year at #29. There are two new aquaculture businesses this year – Safcol at #97 and Petuna at #100; and grocery line companies Bright Food Group (#34) and Oriental Merchant (#45). ✷
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