Trading Statement

Premier Foods plc
22 December 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR TRANSMISSION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE
UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO
SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF LOCAL SECURITIES LAW.



                         PREMIER FOODS PLC ('PREMIER')



              TRADING UPDATE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2006



Brand development and acquisition programme progressing well.



Premier, one of the leading suppliers of grocery products in the UK, is
providing the following update for the year ending 31 December 2006.



We expect total reported sales for continuing operations for the year to be up
by 20% with like-for-like grocery sales growth in line with our targets.



Robert Schofield, Premier Foods plc CEO, said:



'2006 has been a year of transformation for Premier.  The acquisition of
Campbell's in August enhanced our brand portfolio and we are on track to
complete the integration of the business in the first quarter of 2007.  We are
looking forward to completing the acquisition of RHM early next year and are
excited by all the opportunities that bringing these two great businesses
together will offer.



'We are pleased by the progress of our Drive brands which have continued to
perform well throughout the year and we expect that our overall like-for-like
sales growth will be broadly in line with our targets.  However, the warmer
weather, which extended through to early December, has meant that Christmas
trading has commenced later than expected and the out-turn for the year is
dependent on trading in the final two weeks of the year.



'As indicated at the time of the interims, we have continued to see cost
pressures over the second half of the year, which we do not expect to be fully
offset until the early part of 2007.  These pressures coupled with the effect on
volumes of the exceptional period of warm weather which has continued into
December means that we anticipate that trading for the year will be at the lower
end of our expectations while still delivering like-for-like trading and branded
sales growth.'



Convenience Foods, Pickles, Sauces and Meat Free

Sales for this product group are anticipated to be significantly ahead of 2005
due to the acquisition of Campbell's and a full year's sales from Quorn and
Cauldron Foods.  Like-for-like sales are anticipated to be broadly in line with
2005's sales of £347.1m.  The second half has seen the continued strong growth
of our Branston and Loyd Grossman brands but this has been offset by the effect
of the unseasonably warm summer and autumn which impacted our smaller brands
and, particularly, own label convenience foods.  As in the first half of the
year, cost pressures have disproportionately affected our Convenience Foods
business.



We are delighted by the continued progress of Quorn. Our Meat-Free business has
maintained the strong growth rate seen through the first half of the year.
Market share in both the chilled and frozen channels and household penetration
have all continued to grow.  The development of our new Methwold chilled
facility is progressing well with production scheduled to commence over the next
couple of months.



We are pleased by the performance of the Campbell's business.  Sales for the
period from acquisition to December 2006 are anticipated to be approximately
£100m with margins in line with management's expectations at the time of the
acquisition.



Spreads, Desserts & Beverages

Like-for-like growth in both sales and profits continues to be driven by strong
performances from Ambrosia snacking formats and Hartley's jam and jelly.
Reported sales for this product group are anticipated to be lower than the
£256.7m recorded in 2005 due to the replacement of the Cadbury beverages licence
in May 2006 by the co-manufacturing arrangement.



Fresh Produce

Sales for this division are anticipated to be in line with 2005's reported sales
of £106.3m.  The business has been particularly affected by the hot summer
weather, which had a significant impact on the potato harvest across Europe. As
a result, we anticipate that the profitability of the division for the second
half will be in line with that in the second half of 2005.



Campbell's integration

We are pleased by the progress we have made on integrating the Campbell's
business into Premier which is proceeding according to plan.  We have announced
the closure of the Cambourne head office and the integration of administrative
functions into our Long Sutton site.  Accordingly, we expect to complete the
integration of the business control elements of Campbell's into Premier by the
end of the first quarter of 2007.  The manufacturing review to optimise
efficiency across our manufacturing network is ongoing and we expect to announce
the results of this shortly.  We also commissioned an independent review of our
pre-acquisition synergy estimates and we are pleased that this review has
confirmed the potential synergies at £28m per annum from 2009.



Preliminary results for the year ending 31 December 2006 are scheduled to be
announced on 6 March 2007.  We will host a presentation to analysts at 9am at
ABN AMRO, 250 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AA.



Enquiries:
Paul Thomas, Finance Director
Robert Lawson, Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and Investor Relations
Gwyn Tyley, Investor Relations Manager
Premier Foods plc                        Tel:     [phone]


Michael Berkeley
Justin Griffiths
Nicola Smith
Citigate Dewe Rogerson                   Tel:     [phone]



Notes to Editors



Premier Foods plc is a leading UK manufacturer and marketer of grocery products.
Premier manufactures and markets grocery products for the retail grocery and
out of home channels in two principal product segments:

•       convenience foods, pickles, sauces and meat free; and

•       spreads, desserts and beverages.

Premier also operates a potato packing and marketing business in the United
Kingdom, supplying the retail grocery, out of home and food manufacturing
channels.



Premier's branded products include Batchelor's soups, noodles, rice, pasta and
vegetables, Quorn and Cauldron Foods meat alternatives, Ambrosia custard and
milk puddings, Oxo stocks and gravies, Bird's and Angel Delight desserts,
Branston pickles, baked beans and pasta, Hartley's preserves and desserts,
Homepride cooking sauces, Gale's honey and lemon curd, Crosse & Blackwell
convenience foods, Sun-Pat peanut butter, Sarsons vinegar, Fray Bentos meat
pies, Haywards pickles, Smash instant mashed potato, Marvel powdered milk
creamer and Waistline salad dressings, soups and cooking sauces.  In addition,
the Company produces Loyd Grossman cooking sauces and soups under licence.
Premier also produces a range of retailer brand products, principally for the
major multiple retailers.



Premier's current market capitalisation is £1,570 million (at market close on 21
December 2006).



This announcement has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility of,
Premier.



N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial
adviser and sponsor to Premier and no one else in relation to the offer for RHM
plc and will not be responsible to any person other than Premier for providing
the protections afforded to clients of N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, nor for
providing advice in relation to the matters described in this announcement.



This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy new ordinary shares in Premier ('New Ordinary Shares').  The offer
to acquire New Ordinary Shares in connection with the acquisition of RHM plc
(the 'Acquisition') will be made solely on the basis of information contained in
the Prospectus to be published by Premier in connection with the Acquisition.



The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publication
or distribution to persons in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan or any
other jurisdiction where to do so may constitute a violation of local securities
laws.  This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United
States.  The New Ordinary Shares have not been, and will not be, registered
under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be
offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United States absent
registration or exemption from registration.  The New Ordinary Shares have not
been, and will not be, registered with any regulatory authority of any state
within the United States.  There will be no public offer of securities within
the United States.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange