The latest figures show the total value by sales of UK manufactured goods hit £358bn at the end of 2015, up 6% between 2011 and 2015 (the equivalent of £17bn).
The significant growth achieved by UK manufacturing was driven in large part by the success of the nation’s food and drink sector, which increased 31% over the five-year period to reach £68bn in total.
The figures have come to light thanks to analysis of the latest official PRODCOM data by the ONS by Santander Corporate & Commercial.
According to the ONS, the largest individual food manufacturing industry in the UK is the production of dairies and cheese – this has become the fifth-largest manufacturing sector, valued at £8 bn in terms of sales.
The processing and preserving of meat (£7 bn) and the manufacture of bread, pastries and cakes (£7bn) both made it into the UK’s 10 largest manufacturing industries.
Top 10 food and drink manufacturing industries by sales, 2015
| Food and drink sector | 2015
Value (£m) |
| Operation of dairies and cheese making | 7,596 |
| Processing and preserving of meat | 6,687 |
| Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes | 6,673 |
| Production of meat and poultry meat products | 5,510 |
| Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters | 4,596 |
| Manufacture of rusks and biscuits; manufacture of preserved pastry goods and cakes | 4,067 |
| Processing and preserving of poultry meat | 3,854 |
| Manufacture of other food products | 3,828 |
| Manufacture of prepared feeds for farm animals | 3,764 |
| Manufacture of grain mill products | 3,663 |
| Source: Analysis of ONS PRODCOM data by Santander | |
Overall, the manufacture of motor vehicles remains the largest single UK manufacturing sector by sales as categorised by the ONS, worth £37bn as at the end of 2015, a 2% increase on 2014 and an eight-year high for the sector.
Other major sectors include the manufacture of air and spacecraft machinery (worth £21bn) and the manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations (£11bn).
Top 10 fastest-growing manufacturing sectors by sales, 2011-2015
| Sector | 2011
Value (£m) |
2015
Value (£m) |
% growth |
| Games and toys | 162 | 275 | 70% |
| Outerwear | 474 | 719 | 52% |
| Ships and floating structures | 2,903 | 4,325 | 49% |
| Wooden containers | 401 | 581 | 45% |
| Other wearing apparel and accessories | 198 | 285 | 44% |
| Luggage, handbags, saddlery and harness | 119 | 169 | 42% |
| Concrete products for construction purposes | 1,474 | 2,063 | 40% |
| Bicycles and invalid carriages | 113 | 157 | 39% |
| Taps and valves | 1,303 | 1,801 | 38% |
| Repair and maintenance of ships and boats | 331 | 443 | 34% |
| Source: Analysis of ONS PRODCOM data by Santander | |||
The improving economy and increased levels of disposable income has resulted in the manufacture of games and toys becoming the fastest-growing manufacturing sector in the UK over the past five years, expanding by 70% from 2011 to 2015 and now worth £275m to the UK economy.
In addition, the increased confidence in consumer spending is evidenced by the strong growth of other manufacturing industries. Outerwear is the second-fastest growing industry in the past five years, now worth £719m to the UK economy; the manufacture of luggage and handbags is another sector which has seen strong growth, up 42% in the past five years.
Business development director for manufacturing at Santander Corporate & Commercial, Paul Brooks explained: “The success of the UK manufacturing industry is central to the success of the UK economy. UK production has remained strong in recent years, particularly in sectors such as food and drink, and car manufacturing, and potential remains for the UK manufacturing to become even more successful.
“Growth has been helped in part by the global value of ‘Brand Britain’; British food and drink, for instance, is synonymous with high quality and holds a high appeal to people across the globe.
