‘Chicken King’ gobbles up turkey giant in pre-pack deal

The head of a food processing firm which has operations throughout the East Midlands has bought stricken turkey giant Bernard Matthews in a pre-pack deal.

Ranjit Boparan, known as the “Chicken King”, is the owner of 2 Sisters Food Group, which is the largest chicken processing company in the UK. Boparan Private Office has bought Bernard Matthews from private equity firm Rutland Partners.

The deal will mean that 2,000 jobs at Bernard Matthews will be saved.

A statement from the new owners said: “We intend to respect and build on the 66-year heritage of a much-loved British brand and crucially help to deliver Christmas 2016, which would have been at risk without our intervention.

“We have a proven track record in turning around businesses and we aim to make Bernard Matthews great again.”

2 Sisters also makes food under brands such as Fox’s Biscuits, Matthew Walker and Goodfella’s pizza.

Ranjit Boparan

The firm’s Solway Foods chilled divsion is based in Worksop, Matthew Walker in Heanor and has its microbiology testing lab at BioCity in Nottingham.

The Unite union has given a cautious welcome to the deal.

The union said that the sale looks like it will secure the jobs of the 2,000 workers employed by the firm in Norfolk and Suffolk, but it is seeking clarification on future employment, pay, and terms and conditions under the new ownership.

Unite is due to meet the management team at Bernard Matthews’ headquarters at Great Witchingham, Norfolk tomorrow (Wednesday 21 September).

Unite regional officer Steve Harley said: “The announcement that Bernard Matthews has been sold by its owners Rutland Partners to the 2 Sisters Food Group appears to be good news for the 2,000-strong workforce. We are giving the news a cautious welcome.

“However, in takeover situations, there are always matters that need to be clarified. Unite is meeting the company tomorrow where searching questions will be asked on future employment, pay, and terms and conditions.

“We will also be asking about the status of the pension scheme under the new owners, although it is expected that our members won’t be affected in this respect by today’s takeover.

“Bernard Matthews is a major employer in East Anglia and the union wants to work constructively with the new ownership to ensure the continuing success of this iconic company.”

Unite represents about 800 of the 2,000-strong workforce at the producing sites at Great Witchingham and Holton in Suffolk, as well as the animal food mill at Bawsey, near King’s Lynn.

There was speculation over the future of Bernard Matthews over the summer after Rutland Partners appointed PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to look for possible buyers.

Last month 2 Sisters came under fire after it revealed it could make up to 325 people redundant at its Pizza Factory site in Nottingham because of the loss of a contract with Tesco.