Ginster clan basks in £15m dividend: payout to Samworth brothers

The family behind Ginsters cakes and Soreen malt loaf have received a £15m dividend despite claiming holiday pay from the government during Covid.

Leicestershire-based Samworth Brothers, which employs 10,000 people, made the payout after sales at the company rose 11 per cent to £1.2bn.

The company, chaired by Mark Samworth, made a profit of £17m last year, from a loss of £32m the previous year.

The interim dividend was paid in the same period as the 126-year-old group claimed more than £1.7m to put staff on holiday during the pandemic.

In total, the firm received £13 million of taxpayers’ money for holidays over two years.

Politicians and campaigners throughout the pandemic did not look to pay dividends during the holiday.

The business benefited from a surge in demand as Covid restrictions forced households to dine at home.

Founded by George Sumworth in 1869, it became one of the largest suppliers of chilled and ready meals to supermarkets, including Melton Mowbray pork pies.

It has grown significantly in recent years through new factories and the acquisition of more brands, including premium cake and pie brand Higgidy, which it acquired in 2020.