FDBusiness.com

UK poultry processor Faccenda Foods has agreed to acquire Cherry Valley Farms’ duck processing business, Cherry Valley Foods, by the end of December 2014.

With a turnover in excess of £400 million and employing 3,000 people across its chicken and turkey operations, Faccenda Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, delivering fresh and convenience food to the UK retail and food service sectors. The business has been supplying the UK market for over five decades.

Cherry Valley Foods is a highly successful duck producer with a turnover of £45 million and 320 employees. Its facilities include a factory in Caistor supported by a local agriculture operation of farms and a hatchery. It is one of two major duck producers in the UK and has a strong reputation in the food service sector.

The planned acquisition of Cherry Valley Foods for an undisclosed price will strengthen Faccenda Foods’ market position, as the only UK supplier of chicken, turkey and duck creating further opportunities for growth in all three areas across a broader customer base.

Between now and the end of December, the management teams of both businesses will work closely together to finalise the acquisition and ensure a smooth transition.

The deal would follow a number of investments by Faccenda Foods following its entry into the turkey market in 2012 with the acquisition of Cranberry Foods and the building of a £35 million, 125,000 sq ft advanced processing plant at its Telford site, which will be fully operational in 2015.