FDBusiness.com

Sysco Corporation is to acquire Kent Frozen Foods, a successful UK-based food service distributor with revenue in the year ended 31st December 2016 of £47 million. The acquisition, which is conditional upon approval from the Competition and Markets Authority, will see Kent Frozen Foods join Sysco’s other UK businesses, including Brakes, Fresh Direct and M&J Seafood.

Kent Frozen Foods is headquartered in Kent, with distribution facilities in Aylesford (Kent) and Witney (Oxfordshire).

“Kent Frozen Foods will complement Sysco’s other UK businesses perfectly,” says Ajoy Karna, Sysco’s senior vice president, International Foodservice Operations – Europe. “Our businesses share many values, including a strong family heritage and customer-led culture and will benefit from complementary strengths in product offering and geography.”

Ajoy Karna adds: “The management team at Kent Frozen Foods has done a fantastic job building their business, which focuses heavily on independent customers, making it a perfect addition to our portfolio of businesses in the UK. We’re delighted that they and their loyal employees will be joining the Sysco family.”

Kent Frozen Foods will continue to operate as an independent entity, but will enjoy the support of the world’s largest food service company, Sysco, with the opportunity to capitalise on closer working relationships with Sysco’s other UK and European businesses where appropriate.

Sysco operates approximately 300 distribution facilities worldwide and serves more than 500,000 customer locations. For fiscal 2017 that ended July 1, 2017, the company generated sales of more than $55 billion.