Acquisition strengthens poultry farm’s market presence

Family business Dinsdale Farming has strengthened its presence in the market following the acquisition of Musterfield Poultry Growers.

The takeover, which will almost double the size of the broiler chicken farm operation run by Henry Dent, along with his parents Trevor and Sue, sees the family acquire the site and equipment of Musterfield Poultry Growers.

The Dent family, who also have a 130 hectare arable enterprise, wanted to grow their business and have expanded in an area they are familiar with and where they know they can get sustainable returns.

They currently rear 270,000 birds, seven times a year but planning and environmental legislation meant they had limited room to increase production at Manor House Farm, near Darlington.

The addition of a second, ready-made site in York will mean that in 2025, they can produce hundreds of thousands more stock for the retail market.

Henry Dent said: “It has been a long-term goal for me to be able to expand the family business and this was achieved with the exceptional support received from Armstrong Watsons and Muckle LLP all of whom had my best interests at heart and working as one team throughout the process.”

A long-standing accountancy client of Armstrong Watson, the family engaged with the firm’s corporate finance and tax teams to advise on the acquisition and project manage the transaction.

Lawyers Mike Spetch and Charlotte Patterson-Ryan, of Muckle LLP, also advised on the deal.

Corporate finance partner, David Wilson, who worked alongside Helena Lorimer, Hayley Deeming, Hydeam Sulton, Brian Rudkin and Andrew Robinson, said: “We were happy to support and advise Henry with this significant transaction.

“Dinsdale Farming has been a hugely successful, family business for decades and this acquisition further strengthens their presence in the poultry farming sector.”

Andrew Robinson, senior agricultural partner, who has supported the Dent family for more than a decade, said: “It’s fantastic to see a family business pushing on but also seeing Trevor and Sue backing Henry, who has driven this acquisition. This is great to see in a farming family. W

“We wish them all the best and will continue to support them in their future endeavours.”

Charlotte Patterson-Ryan, partner, of Muckle LLP, added: “It’s fantastic to see Dinsdale Farming acquire an asset that provides a valuable opportunity to upscale their operations.

“This was an incredibly fast-paced transaction with many moving parts. Working around the clock, ensured we achieved the result needed within tight timescales.

“Transactions like this highlight a potential growth area as farmers increasingly look to restructure how they hold their assets, particularly following announcements in the 2024 Autumn Budget.”