UK meat giant Cranswick has acquired a stake in The Jolly Hog, a local business focused on “higher welfare” pork.

In a statement, the companies said Cranswick will be The Jolly Hog’s “long-term manufacturing partner”.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. A filing with Companies House, the UK business register, said Cranswick’s stake in The Jolly Hog is more than 25% but less than half the business.

Publicly listed Cranswick is one of the largest suppliers of pork products in the UK, supplying retail and foodservice customers in the country.

The Jolly Hog, set up in 2007 by brothers Olly, Max and Josh Kohn, sells sausage and bacon products to UK retailers.

In the statement, Cranswick said The Jolly Hog would attain “a stronger platform for growth through increased capacity, greater supply security and access to world-class technical expertise”.

Jim Brisby, Cranswick’s chief commercial officer, added: “The Jolly Hog is a brand with a clear purpose, a loyal following and a reputation for delivering exceptional products.”

The Jolly Hog is based in Bristol in south-west England. The business will be “independently run from the same team and HQ”, the statement read.

The three brothers issued a joint statement in which they said the deal was “a major milestone for our business”.

They added: “With Cranswick alongside us, we have the investment, expertise and manufacturing capability to scale faster without compromising on the quality, flavour or values that define our brand.”

Cranswick reports its revenues through five business units. Convenience products – including sous vide lines and Mediterranean foods like halloumi – is the largest division by sales and accounted for 35% of the company’s £2.98bn ($3.98bn) sales in its year to 28 March.

Sausages and bacon product sit in Cranswick’s Gourmet Products business, which generated 19.7% of the group’s revenues during the year. The unit’s sales rose 15.3%, helped by the acquisition of UK sausage supplier Blakemans.