LONDON: Bakkavor Group plc, the leading provider of fresh prepared food, has entered into an agreement to purchase the trade and assets of Blueberry Foods, a desserts business owned by Samworth Brothers Limited.[the_ad id=”31605″]Blueberry operates from a custom-built facility in Leicestershire with approximately 420 employees and produces a range of desserts for the UK’s leading grocery retailers.
A capital investment of more than £10 million over the last 18 months has expanded the factory footprint and upgraded equipment to deliver new capabilities and competencies. In the financial year ended 31 December 2018, revenues were £42 million and the business made a loss of £1 million at an EBITDA level.
“The acquisition of Blueberry is a strong strategic fit and will build on our leading position in chilled desserts, providing both additional capacity and new capabilities such as hot desserts;bring operational synergies over the medium term as we incorporate Blueberry into our existing business; further strengthen our desserts offer to our two largest customers, both of whom are also important customers of Blueberry,” a release issued by Ballavor said.
The acquisition is conditional on completion of a TUPE process with affected employees and of other customary pre-closing conditions. It is expected to complete by mid-June 2019 and will be funded from existing facilities, with marginal leverage impact.
Commenting on the transaction, Agust Gudmundsson, Chief Executive Officer of Bakkavor, said: “The acquisition of Blueberry is a great strategic fit for Bakkavor. Together with our recent addition of Haydens Bakery and a major investment at our site at Newark, our long-term commitment to growing our desserts category in the UK is clear. The team at Blueberry share our passion for providing outstanding service, quality and value to customers and we look forward to welcoming them to the Group.”