Crawshaw sees sizzling summer

Chairman Richard Rose said: “Now our recovery in trading performance has become established we are giving consideration to re-starting our expansion program, albeit on a cautious basis, and will report further in due course.”

The Rotherham-based group said it is encouraged by current trading, with a 10 per cent hike in like-for-like sales during August and September.

Reporting half year results, the firm said like-for-like sales rose five per cent in the six months to July 31 while overall sales rose from £9.3m to £9.8m.

Pre-tax profits trebled to £300,000.

The group has stabilised overhead expenditure, which stayed flat at £4m.

Total costs rose one per cent following an increase in staff hours in the group’s 20 butchers shops in order to boost sales.

Following the maiden dividend announced in April, the group will pay out an interim dividend of 0.09p per share.

The group said this reflected its confidence in the business going forward. The dividend will be paid on October 25.