Rating Rationale
April 29, 2022 | Mumbai
Mrs.Bectors Food Specialities Limited
Ratings reaffirmed at 'CRISIL AA- / Stable / CRISIL A1+ '
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.270 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL AA-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+ ratings on the bank facilities of Mrs Bectors Food Specialities Ltd (MBFSL).

 

The ratings factor in the company’s strong business risk profile, supported by improving geographical diversity, strong product portfolio, strengthening distribution network and expansion in capacities. The ratings also factor in comfortable financial risk profile supported by healthy networth and robust debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by modest scale of operations in the intensely competitive biscuits industry and susceptibility to volatility in raw material prices and foreign exchange (forex) rates.

 

Going forward, revenue is likely to grow 12-15% over the next two fiscals, driven by revival in domestic and export demand, new product launches, ramp up of new capacities, and established retail and institutional bakery business. Operating profitability is estimated to moderate to 13-14% in fiscal 2022 due to input cost inflation. The operating margin is expected at around 14% on the back of price hikes, better absorption of fixed costs with improved capacity utilisation, and cost rationalisation initiatives. 

 

The financial risk profile is expected to remain healthy, supported by healthy cash accrual of Rs 100-120 crore per annum over the medium term. The capital structure and debt protection metrics are expected to remain strong, despite capital expenditure (capex) due to prudent funding and healthy accrual.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL Ratings has combined the business and financial risk profiles of MBFSL and its wholly owned subsidiary, Bakebest Foods Pvt Ltd (Bakebest; rated 'CRISIL A/Stable’), because of their strong operational and financial linkages.

 

Please refer Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

Strong presence of brands in North and Northwest India and improving revenue diversity

MBFSL earns 76% of its biscuit revenue from North and Northwest India and is among the top three biscuit manufacturers in many states (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi National Capital Region). The company distributes across 23 states in India through a network of more than 250 super stockists and 900 distributors that supply to a wide range of clients through 550,000 retail outlets.

 

Furthermore, the company has been increasing its premium product portfolio and leveraging its presence with focus on high-margin biscuits, such as cookies, creams and crackers; and reduced dependence on low-margin glucose biscuits. Strong growth in the bakery segment is reflected in its contribution of 33-36% to the overall revenue in the nine months through December 2021. English Oven is among the leading premium bakery brands in India. With addition of new lines and new products (premium breads, croissants and buns), the growth is likely to continue over the medium term.

 

* Established relationships with large institutional players

The company remains a preferred supplier of buns (for the past 15 years) to McDonald’s (Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd in West and South, Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt Ltd in North and East), Burger King and KFC (Devyani International Pvt Ltd). It is also targeting new quick-service restaurants, supported by continued focus on quality. Longstanding relationships with large institutional customers have resulted in steady source of revenue over the past few years. MBFSL also supplies to Subway and Faasos.

 

The company exports biscuits to around 59 countries as of December 31, 2021. It also undertakes job work for Mondelez International Inc.

 

Established customer relationships should continue to provide stability to operating income and profitability, given the revenue visibility and cost-plus profitability built into long-term contracts.

 

* Strong financial risk profile

The financial risk profile continues to remain strong, with estimated gearing of below 0.3 time, and robust debt protection metrics with net cash accrual estimated at Rs 80-90 crore in fiscal 2022. Interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios are expected to remain healthy at over 14 times and 0.7 time, respectively, over the medium term. Going forward, gearing is expected to remain at 0.2-0.3 time, despite debt-funded capex.

 

Weaknesses:

* Modest, though improving, scale of operations in the intensely competitive biscuit industry

MBFSL is a relatively small player in the biscuits industry vis-à-vis other manufacturers, with estimated revenue of over Rs 900 crore in fiscal 2022. Although the Cremica brand has an established presence in North and Northwest India, it has limited presence in other parts of the country. Furthermore, the biscuit industry is intensely competitive, with large players (such as Britannia; rated ‘CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+’) vying for a greater market share. With the entry of ITC, Mondelez and Unibic, the competition has intensified across product categories.

 

* Susceptibility to changes in raw material prices and forex rates

The biscuits segment, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the company’s total revenue, is price-sensitive with little product differentiation, especially in the low-end biscuits segment. Thus, players have limited ability to pass on increase in input prices (wheat, sugar and oil comprising 50-60% of total cost) to customers. Operating profitability will likely remain exposed to sharp fluctuations in raw material prices and forex rates. Though the company undertakes forward contracts to hedge against forex risk, it is able to pass on price rises to consumers only with a time lag.

Liquidity: Strong

MBFSL has strong liquidity profile on account of healthy expected cash accrual and robust debt protection metrics. Cash accrual is expected to improve further in the next two fiscals and will be adequate for moderate capex and debt repayment. Also, MBFSL has pre-paid large portion of its term loan obligation due till March 2023 in the current fiscal. The company has cash surplus of over Rs 60 crore as on March 31, 2022.

Outlook Stable

MBFSL is expected to achieve healthy revenue growth over the medium term, on the back of improving business risk profile, established market position, better geographical diversity, and strong customer profile and brands. The financial risk profile is likely to remain comfortable.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Substantial increase in scale of operations and rise in operating profitability to 13-15%, leading to healthy cash generation of over Rs 200 crore
  • Improved market share through geographical and product expansion
  • Build-up of cash surplus while maintaining gearing and capital structure

 

Downward factors

  • Sluggish revenue and moderation in operating profitability to below 10%
  • Weakening of the capital structure due to substantially large, debt-funded capex or acquisition leading to total outside liabilities to tangible networth ratio of above 1 time on sustained basis

About the Company

Mr Anoop Bector set up MBFSL as a joint venture (JV) with Quaker Oats (now a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc) to supply packaged ketchup to McDonald's, in addition to buns, batter and bread. Quaker Oats withdrew from the JV in 1999. In fiscal 2014, the company underwent a business reorganisation and demerged its food supplements (sauces, spreads and namkeen) division.

 

MBFSL operates in three segments: it sells biscuits under the Mrs. Bectors Cremica brand. It also sells buns and other bakery items to institutional investors, such as KFC and Burger King. It supplies bread and bakery items under its English Oven brand to modern retail chains (Easy Day, Reliance Retail, Big Bazaar, More and Spencer's) and distributors. MBFSL is the sole supplier of buns to McDonald's in India.

 

For the nine months through December 2021, the company reported profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 46.9 crore (Rs 59.5 crore for the same period in the previous fiscal) on net sales of Rs 736 crore (Rs 657 crore in the corresponding period of last fiscal).

Key Financial Indicators (CRISIL Ratings adjusted financials)

As on March 31, Units 2021 2020
Revenue Rs crore 872 760
PAT Rs crore 70 30
PAT margin % 8 4
Adjusted debt/networth Times 0.3 0.41
Interest coverage Times 14.77 6.17

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)

ISIN

Name of instrument

Date of Allotment

Coupon rate (%)

Maturity date

Issue Size (Rs. crore)

Complexity level

Rating

NA

Bank guarantee

NA

NA

NA

3.5

NA

CRISIL A1+

NA

Letter of credit**

NA

NA

NA

10

NA

CRISIL A1+

NA

Cash credit*

NA

NA

NA

35

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Overdraft

NA

NA

NA

10

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

23-Mar

3.24

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

23-Mar

0.58

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

26-Mar

6.21

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

25-Mar

3.99

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

25-Mar

5.01

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

27-Mar

45

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

26-Mar

21.12

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

26-Mar

6.74

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

26-Mar

2.8

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

29-Mar

23.69

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

29-Mar

0.83

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Term loan

NA

NA

27-Mar

1.14

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Export Packing Credit

NA

NA

NA

5

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

NA

Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility

NA

NA

NA

86.15

NA

CRISIL AA-/Stable

*Includes Rs 20 crore of sublimit for export credit packing credit.
**Includes Rs 10 crore of sublimit for bank guarantee

Annexure – List of entities consolidated

Names of Entities Consolidated

Extent of Consolidation

Rationale for Consolidation

Bakebest Foods Pvt Ltd

Subsidiary

100%

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2022 (History) 2021  2020  2019  Start of 2019
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 256.5 CRISIL AA-/Stable   -- 01-02-21 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 05-03-20 CRISIL A+/Positive / CRISIL A1 31-12-19 CRISIL A+/Positive / CRISIL A1 CRISIL A+/Positive / CRISIL A1
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 13.5 CRISIL A1+   -- 01-02-21 CRISIL A1+ 05-03-20 CRISIL A1 31-12-19 CRISIL A1 CRISIL A1
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Bank Guarantee 3.5 CRISIL A1+
Cash Credit& 35 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Export Packing Credit 5 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Letter of Credit^ 10 CRISIL A1+
Overdraft Facility 10 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 86.15 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 1.14 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 21.12 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 6.74 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 3.24 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 2.8 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 0.58 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 6.21 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 3.99 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 5.01 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 45 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 23.69 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 0.83 CRISIL AA-/Stable
& - Includes Rs 20 crore of sublimit for export credit packing credit
^ - Includes Rs 10 crore of sublimit for bank guarantee
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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