Family food firm receives investment to grow

A LANCASHIRE business that specialises in the supply of ethnic frozen food is set for further growth after securing investment from one of the UK’s major suppliers of halal food products.

Family-owned Shazans Foods, which employs 150 staff at its Walton Summit manufacturing base, has announced an equity investment and strategic supply partnership with Scottish companyOne Stop Halal Ltd.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The investment will see Shazans enter the chilled market with a new range of products to be sold by independents and major supermarkets.

Nadeem Ayyub, managing director of Shazans, said: “This gives us a great partnership with the major raw material player in the market and allows each business to play to its key strengths. These are very exciting times for Muslim consumers in the UK, with the development of great tasting, new and innovative halal food.”

The corporate finance team at Preston-based Moore and Smalley advised the Ayyub family, which owns Shazans Foods on the deal, while legal advice was provided by Napthens.

Shazans Foods began production 14 years ago with the humble samosa, but now makes a range of over 70 frozen products for leading independent retailers and major supermarkets.

Ian Waddingham, corporate finance manager at Moore and Smalley, said: “Shazans Foods has always been an innovative business and this agreement secures significant new investment that will enable it to continue developing new products and entering new markets.”

Shazans Foods will continue to be led by Nadeem Ayyub and the family will continue to lead the product development pipeline.

Based in Angus in the north of Scotland One Stop Halal was last year.  It supplies halal meat to a number of major retailers and food service sectors.