Geest's chairman, Sir John Banham has announced that trading in the current year was in line with expectation, reflecting sound growth across all major business.

Speaking at the company's agm, Banham said: 'In the UK, our customer-focused organisation is showing its worth and we have gained business with retailers in deserts, ready meals and salads. Our new acquisition, Crudi, is operating profitably under our ownership and we have achieved new business with McDonald's both in the UK and France. Collectively, these sales gains will accelerate our momentum into the second half as they come on stream.

'The Board continues to be confident of the sound underlying growth of the fresh-prepared foods sector. Given out valuable customer and market positions, our efficientcy programmes and lower start-up costs going forward, we are confident of our ability to make good returns. We expect these to be increasingly visible towards the end of the current year and particularly in 2004.'