The Oxfordshire-based team fell from a £1 million pre-tax profit the previous year to a £7.8 million loss in 2018 driven by a boost in spending, accounts show.

Costs accelerated by £18.6 million to £152.3 million, outstripping a 7.6% rise in revenue to £146.6 million as it spent on hiring staff and improving its Chipping Norton factory.