Lifecrown, which owns the fresh produce firm Fenmarc, has bought the ready-to-cook meals producer Pann Krisp for an undisclosed sum. Most of the two firms' sales are with the supermarket Asda; 95% of Fenmarc's £100m-a-year business and 85% of Pann Krisp's £30m business.
Fenmarc has 550 workers on three sites. It will invest £1.5m over two years to begin vegetable processing, with 100 new workers, at Pann Krisp's site at Wrexham, which has some overcapacity.
The former controlling shareholder of Pann Krisp, Harry Rees, has retained the raw ready meals brand Naked, which was launched in January.