Sunny times for Primark

"We got the weather we really wanted when we wanted it," said John Bason, finance director of Primark owner Associated British Food (ABF), as the discount fashion chain revealed same-store sales soared 9% in its second half.

Bason said: "Most people think of a fairly disappointing August this year, but in fact from Easter into the early summer the weather was pretty good, particularly compared to the previous year which was terrible. We want good weather when people start buying their summer clothes."

Primark's continued ability to outstrip the rest of the High Street, coupled with the first return to growth in European sugar production and strong growth in African sugar profits, saw analysts scurrying to upgrade their profit forecasts for ABF.

The firm put it more modestly; "We now expect some progress in adjusted earnings for the full year."

On the grocery side, ABF saw strong demand for its home baking ingredients like Silver Spoon sugar and Allinson flours. In hot drinks Twinings tea and Ovaltine both showed good growth.

One dull area in groceries was the ethnic food business Westmill which owns brands like Patak's, Amoy and Rajah.

Bason said that while the consumer brands had faired okay, supplies to the catering trade had fallen by up to 20% last autumn and not recovered as Chinese and Indian restaurants suffered through the recession.