UK-based The Compleat Food Group has made another acquisition, snapping up local sandwich-filling manufacturer Freshpak for an undisclosed sum.
Freshpak, owned by Sun European Partners since 2016, supplies private-label food-to-go products, deli fillers and poached eggs, in addition to providing egg processing services.
The business operates out of a 40,000m² production facility in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and employs approximately 500 people. In 2024, it recorded revenues of £93m ($125m).
Its products are sold by major UK supermarket chains including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and The Co-op. The company also supplies the foodservice sector.
In a statement, The Compleat Food Group described the deal as a “strategic” step towards becoming the UK’s “number one” producer of chilled prepared foods.
Acquiring Freshpak will add “new capabilities” in egg processing, helping it respond to what it described as a “growing” demand for protein-rich and health-focused food options, The Compleat Food Group added.
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By GlobalDataCEO Nick Field said: “Its [Freshpak] market-leading position in added-value egg products, deli fillers and chilled food-to-go is a perfect complement to our existing portfolio, allowing us to extend our capability and category leadership role to deliver further value and category growth with our existing partners, whilst also opening up new opportunities in both retail and foodservice.”
The acquisition is expected to increase The Compleat Food Group’s annual turnover to more than £1.3bn and boost its workforce to over 6,000 employees.
In March, the company purchased The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., which supplies both own-label and branded chilled Yorkshire puddings.
Last year also saw The Compleat Food Group take over SK Foods and Zorba Foods – businesses involved in private-label chilled party foods, dips, and deli fillings – along with Harvey & Brockless, a producer and distributor of food products.
The Compleat Food Group was formed in 2021 when private-equity owner – Paris-headquartered PAI Partners – merged its UK portfolio companies Winterbotham Darby and Addo Food Group, which it had bought the year before.
The group’s operations span categories including baked goods such as pies and quiches, sausages, plus deli items like olives, antipasti and pickles. Its brand portfolio includes Pork Farms, Wall’s Pastry, Squeaky Bean, Unearthed and Vadasz.
In January, it was announced The Compleat Food Group had drawn up plans to reduce the number of jobs at a pie-making facility in Nottingham in England’s east Midlands.
A company spokesperson said the move was the result of a “comprehensive review of cold pie volume” at the site.
