Private equity firm Blackstone is reportedly hoping to create a European frozen food empire through the purchases of businesses being separately sold off by Unilever, Findus and Heinz.


Analysts believe that if successful, Blackstone’s frozen food business would be worth around £2bn (US$3.5bn) and include brands such as Findus, Birds Eye, Weight Watchers and Linda McCartney, reported The Sunday Times.


Unilever said it September that it would consider a sale of its frozen-food business, which includes the Birds Eye brand, while Findus was also put up for sale by Scandinavian private equity firm EQT this autumn. Heinz announced in September that it planned to sell its European frozen food and seafood units, including the Linda McCartney, Weight Watchers and John West brands.