Ranjit Boparan has acquired MuscleFood, adding the Nottingham-based protein food business to his private investment portfolio after it entered administration.<\/p>\n
Boparan Private Office (BPO) has bought the business and assets from administrators at Mackay Goodwin, providing MuscleFood with new ownership and access to Boparan’s wider food supply chain and operational expertise.<\/p>\n
The deal comes less than a year after MuscleFood was rescued from financial difficulties by former chief executive Nick Preston, who acquired full ownership of the business from GPS Food Group in August 2025.<\/p>\n
MuscleFood supplies meat hampers alongside a range of high-protein ready meals, snacks and other products through its direct-to-consumer operation.<\/p>\n
The business had been under financial pressure before its latest administration, with turnover falling from \u00a330.7m in the year to June 2024 to \u00a323m in the year to July 2025.<\/p>\n
Its latest accounts also show it employed 92 people in 2025, with a number of staff understood to have been retained following the acquisition.<\/p>\n
The administration application was lodged by Bizcap, a non-bank lender to SMEs. MuscleFood chief executive Preston previously said the business had been working with Begbies Traynor on a debt restructuring plan before one of its lenders took a different approach.<\/p>\n
Boparan said: \u201cWe can confirm the acquisition of the business and assets of Muscle Food by Boparan Private Office, following a short period of administration after the business experienced difficulties.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe business aligns well with the existing BPO portfolio, being a protein-focused operation. Going forward we will be fully evaluating the business, using the strength of our established supply chain to deliver a great product and service to Muscle Food customers in this new era.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preston described the administration as \u201can incredibly difficult time\u201d for employees, suppliers and customers.<\/p>\n
He said the company had been pursuing a restructuring plan with advisers and speaking to lenders in an attempt to secure a longer-term solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought Begbies Traynor in at the start of June to support us through a debt restructuring project that fitted with our plans for FY28,\u201d Preston said. \u201cEverything was going fine until one of our current lenders took a different path.\u201d<\/p>\n
The acquisition gives MuscleFood a route forward under an established food investment group, with BPO expected to assess the operation, supply chain and product range as it determines its next phase.<\/p>\n
For Boparan, the deal adds another protein-led food business to his portfolio and creates scope to draw on the group’s experience in food production, distribution and supply chain management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nottingham food brand has a new owner after a turbulent year<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2113891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53262],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2113890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","tag-nottinghamshire","tag-top-story"],"yoast_head":"\n