Boparan rescues Grimsby fish processor
MORE than 300 jobs have been saved following the sale of a fish processor and supplier to the West Midlands entrepreneur who bought Harry Ramsden’s.
The business and assets of Grimsby-based Five Star Fish have been sold to the Boparan Group.
Five Star Fish supplies products to the catering and foodservices markets and has customers including Bradford-based Morrisons and pub and restaurant chains.
The Boparan Group is run by West Bromwich-based entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan.
Mr Boparan acquired Yorkshire fish and chip brand Harry Ramsden’s in January.
Five Star Fish, which has turnover of more than £60m and employs 332 people, went into administration in February following problems at its parent company, British Seafood Group.
Mr Boparan said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have bought this fantastic business.
“It’s a brilliant, innovative company with a terrific team of people who have skillfully guided the business to its present heights and we’re going to do everything we can to help them continue to build and expand upon that success.”
The Boparan Group includes 2 Sisters Food Group, an international processor of chicken products with facilities in the UK, the Netherlands and the USA which supplies Marks & Spencer and is based in West Bromwich.
Matt Smith, joint administrator and partner in the reorganisation services practice at Deloitte, said: “After a short period of trading during administration, we are delighted to have successfully completed the sale of the Five Star Fish business, which will secure the employment of the workforce at Grimsby.
“Five Star Fish is a strong, profitable business and the sale is sure to be welcomed by the stakeholders of FSF, both locally and globally, who are eager to see the FSF business survive.”
The sale includes the transfer of FSF’s manufacturing facilities at Great Grimsby Business Park, Grimsby.
Under the sale agreement, the employment of the entire FSF workforce will transfer to the purchaser, safeguarding the jobs of 332 employees.
Five Star Fish’s coldstore has a capacity of 5,000 pallets located on a four acre site.
Mr Boparan has plans to open 100 new Harry Ramsden’s restaurants over the next five years.
His food empire has more than 6,000 staff and sales approaching £1bn.
