Lancashire food company on menu of acquisitive Irish suitor

Kepak, a multinational food company based in Ireland, has acquired Preston’s Abbeydale Food Group, trading as Summit Foods, for an undisclosed sum.

The firm produces Snacksters, East St Deli and Snax on the Go chilled and frozen brands. 

Founded three decades ago, Summit manufactures branded and own label chilled and frozen convenience foods from its AA-accredited factories in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire.

Kepak will integrate Summit Foods into the wider group and leverage its existing distribution network and market expertise to support future growth for the combined entity.

Summit Foods has annual revenues of £24m. It will continue to operate from its current Preston base, with no immediate changes to its operations, branding, or customer offerings.

The leadership team from Summit will remain in place for a six-month transition period to facilitate a smooth transition.

Brian Farrell, CEO of Kepak Foods said: “We are pleased to welcome Summit Foods to the Kepak Group.

“This acquisition aligns with our growth strategy, developing our presence in the UK convenience and out-of-home food channels.

“Summit’s portfolio of fresher for longer sandwiches, chilled and frozen meals and snacks complements our existing micro snacking offerings and allows us to deepen our presence across these markets.”

Full service law firm, Forbes Solicitors, provided buy-side corporate, commercial property and employment legal advice to Kepak.

The deal team was led by Nick Hodgson, together with support from Richard Clithero and Imogen Templeman and their teams. 

Brian Farrell added: “The Forbes’ teams worked collaboratively across specialisms. This specialist experience and sector expertise added significant value to the process and meant we were able to complete within desired timeframes achieving a great result for everyone.”

Nick Hodgson, at Forbes Solicitors, said: “This is a fantastic deal for all involved and great news for the region.

“Kepak is an ambitious, multinational market leader and we’re delighted to have advised the business on this latest transaction. The deal reaffirms its commitment to the North West and is testament to the quality of food and manufacturing businesses based here.”

Walker Morris Leeds provided legal advice to Abbeydale Food Group.