Alfesca on the prowl as Lyons roars ahead

The Icelandic owner of Lyons Seafoods and Farne Salmon and Trout is on the lookout for more UK acquisitions after a record year in which both subsidiaries posted double-digit growth.

Jakob Sigurdsson, the president of SIF, which last month changed its name to Alfesca, said: "The UK is a core market for us and we have put significant investment into Lyons and Farne in the last couple of years to support product development and customer requirements."

Chilled capacity at Lyons' Warminster factory had doubled in the last two years, while Farne was now one of the most efficient producers of smoked salmon in Europe, he said.

"We are always looking for further acquisitions here. The UK now represents about a quarter of our global business and we are expecting to see a significant increase in sales this year. We will also be looking at developing more value-added, ready-to-eat foods under retailers' own-labels."

Alfesca, which also has an importing business based in Hull, snapped up Lyons in a £14m deal in 2003 from its venture capital owners Bridgepoint, 3i and PPM Ventures. Farne was acquired in December 2004 as part of SIF's purchase of parent company, Groupe Labeyrie.