UK: Hilton Food Group acquires Icelandic Group’s Seachill unit

Hilton Food Group, a UK meat firm, has acquired Icelandic Group’s Seachill unit in a deal worth £80 million ($106 million).

Seachill, one of the UK’s leading fresh fish processors, is the owner of The Saucy Fish Co brand and operates two facilities in Grimsby, Humberside employing around 700 staff. The firm markets a range of pre-packed sea food  including fishcakes and fish and sauce, as well as a ‘foil bake bag’ line.

It had been reported in April that Icelandic Group was looking to sell off its Seachill unit, in a move it described as “a very positive next step” for the business.

Commenting on the acquisition, Seachill chief executive Simon Smith said: “Under the ownership of Hilton we will be able to invest further in our facilities and improve our organisational capability to serve our customers better”.

Hilton Food Group CEO Robert Watson OBE added: “The processing and supplying of fish and seafood into the UK is an attractive and growing market and one where we see considerable opportunities to build Hilton’s business. Our initial discussions with key customers support this view and we look forward to broadening our offering to both our UK and overseas customers alongside our existing meat business”.

Source: Hilton Food Group / BBC