Mackenzie buyer to build £80m foodservice empire

The new owner of London-based fish processor MacKenzie Brothers has unveiled ambitious plans to build a £70-80m food empire over the next two years.

Arnold Lewis, who last week led a management-buy-in at MacKenzie backed by Bank of Scotland Corporate, said his holding company Hydra Food Group expected to announce four to five further deals in the coming months.

Lewis, who has spent 33 years in the food industry at companies including Sainsbury, Northern Foods and Grampian Country Food Group, said: “There is a big opportunity to build up a company able to offer a major hotel chain such as Hilton with products right across the menu, from breads to desserts.

“I'm talking about products across six or seven different categories with the buzzwords being quality, provenance, authenticity, regionality and seasonality.”

He added: “I'm looking at companies of up to £20m in turnover and I would like the business to be turning over something in the region of £70-£80m in a couple of years' time so that we have some real scale to play with.”

MacKenzie turns over £8m and employs 40 staff at its site at Gillender Street in Bromley by Bow, producing ready prepared and frozen fish for leading hotel chains and restaurant groups.

The company also buys and distributes frozen fish.