Daylesford Organic has seen losses grow sharply in what the company has called a “challenging” year. 

Pre-tax losses grew to £3.6m, from £291.1k, in the year to 1 April 2023, according to latest accounts filed at Companies House.

Daylesford, founded and owned by Carole Bamford, operates four London retail outlets as well as its flagship organic farm shop in the Cotswolds. The company also has a growing range of branded organic food and grocery lines, supplements and wellness products and homewares, which it sells in its own stores, online an through selected retailers, including Planet Organic, M&S and Ocado. 

The company says that its retail stores “performed strongly”, delivering 10% growth, while ecommerce produced more “modest growth” of 5%. However, wholesale suffered a 7% decline and that historically high inflation creating a “tough trading market”. 

The directors say they “intend to continue increasing turnover and achieving profitability through growing the grocery retail, wholesale and online operations, making further investment in the Daylesford Farm site and implemented operational improvements to drive efficiency and profit conversion”. 

Building work on heritage house, a new event based located at the Daylesford farm site, is now also at an advance stage. This intended to enhance the attraction of the site and provide fresh growth opportunities.