Primark's headline-grabbing results overshadowed a return to profits growth for owner AB Foods' portfolio of kitchen cupboard brands, which include Ryvita, Ovaltine and Silver Spoon sugar.
The FTSE 100 listed conglomerate, whose operations cover sugar, agriculture, retail, grocery and ingredients, lifted overall adjusted profits by 13% to £1.1 billion in the year to September 14.
As well as the 44% rise in profits at retail arm Primark, AB Foods said its grocery division showed a "substantial improvement" on last year's performance after a 24% rise in profits to £232 million.
AB Foods pointed to better fortunes for its Allied Bakeries division, which has struggled in recent years in the face of tough competition.
It said a supply contract with Co-op in April helped its Kingsmill brand become the UK's second largest player, while its sister brand Allinson benefited from its first television advertising campaign in ten years to reclaim top spot in the UK premium wholemeal sector.
Despite the progress, AB Foods said the UK bakery market remained "intensely competitive" with some pressure on margins.
Other positive factors for the division included the continued popularity of tea brand Twinings and the introduction of malt-based drink Ovaltine into new markets in Asia and South America.
New pack formats also helped Jordans achieve its highest market share since its acquisition by AB Foods five years ago, while Ryvita has benefited from new varieties of Crackerbread and Thins.
But AB Foods said Silver Spoon's revenues and profits were below last year due to competition in the packed sugar market and the impact of the warm summer on demand for home baking products.
Elsewhere in the group, last year's record performance in sugar was followed by a 15% drop in profits to £435 million, driven by falling EU sugar prices.
British Sugar produced 1.15 million tonnes of sugar, which was lower than last year due to poor growing conditions in 2012.
Overall, chief executive George Weston said the company had delivered a "great set of results".
He added: "Grocery was much improved. Agriculture achieved record profits, sugar was in line with our expectations and it was a remarkable year for Primark."
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