Boparan two days away from Northern victory?

NORTHERN Foods shareholders have just two days to accept food tycoon Ranjit Boparan’s £342m offer, as Greencore continues to mull a counter bid.

Mr Boparan has set a deadline for 1pm on Wednesday for shareholders in Leeds-based Northern Foods to accept his 73p per share offer.

However, sources believe Greencore, which wants to merge with Northern, has been in talls with private equity groups in an attempt to add cash to its all-share offer.

Northern’s brands include Fox’s biscuits and Goodfella’s pizza.

Mr Boparan, who already holds an 11.4% stake in Northern, plans to combine the group with his 2 Sisters Food Group to create a £2bn turnover business with access to major UK supermarkets.