Panicium acquires The Bury Black Pudding Company

It follows a string of acquisitions by the group, including handmade cakes and biscuits producer Margaret Hall and specialist potted meats and spreads manufacturer Binghams Food in 2018 and 2021 respectively.

Managing director Debbie Pierce and production director Richard Morris will remain in their roles post-acquisition and will join Panicium’s senior management team. Business for BBP will remain ‘as usual’ for the manufacturer, according to Panicium founding director Graham Norfolk.

Next phase of the business

Commenting on the sale, Pierce said: “Having steadily grown our sales and developed new business, Richard and I decided that it was time to start the next phase of business growth through becoming part of a group that is committed to the quality of its products and maintaining the family values of which we are so proud. ​

“BBP is poised for step-change growth and will benefit from investment and market extension available through the Panicium group. Our product range is complementary to the Panicium strategy and we share a number of routes to market – ultimately, our products are consumed by people who love artisan, quality food.”​

Panicium planned to invest further into the newly acquired company to build on its strong foundations and introduce new product ranges to increase its market share and develop customer relationships.

Developing its portfolio

Norfolk added: “The Bury Black Pudding Company makes artisan, high-quality, delicious products with a distinctive brand, and complements Panicium’s strategy of acquiring companies in the UK artisan food sector to develop a portfolio of brands characterised by their hand-made, high-quality nature with a distinctly regional identity.”​

Founded in by Pierce, BBP has expanded into a business with turnover of £11.5m, employing 122 staff operating from a 25,400sq ft factory in Bury. As well as its continued focus on the production of traditional black pudding, BBP has developed vegan, gluten-free and chilli varieties.

Meanwhile, Roebuck Food Group has announced the acquisition of Scottish ingredients supplier Moorhead & McGavin.​​