Hilton Food Solutions buys 25% stake in sausage brand

Hilton Food Solutions specialises in exports and global imports to the EU and UK and exports to Australasia, as well as supplying foodservice, retail, manufacturing, wholesale and e-commerce customers.

Alf Turner was established in 2010 by Paul Turner from the family butchers in Aldershot. The brand operates out of three licensed manufacturers: Addo Food Group (now under the umbrella of The Compleat Food Group) in Nottingham, Black Country Snacks in Walsall and Leonards Ingredients in Uckfield. It has been an official charity partner of Help for Heroes since 2010 and through direct donations from every product sale across the range has managed to raise almost £250,000 to support UK men and women in the armed forces. 

Having launched products across multiple categories in retail and wholesale, Alf Turner plans to diversify into different channels while continuing to expand its portfolio.

Direct-to-consumer and social media​

Huntingdon Hilton Food Solutions, which was set up in January 2016, said the 25% shareholding purchase would improve its access to the direct-to-consumer channel and ensure it was the partner of choice for customers across the world. The social media presence of the Alf Turner brand would also expose Hilton Food Solutions to a new audience. 

"Hilton Food Solutions pride themselves on being able to maintain longstanding customer and supplier relationships and Peter and the team at Hilton Food Solutions have been as invested in the brand as my own family which is paramount for this brand to succeed," ​said Alf Turner's managing director, Paul Turner. "I am confident we have partnered with the right business to develop the brand as we envisioned over ten years ago when starting Alf Turner.​ ​

"Hilton Food Solutions' omnichannel expertise, operational excellence and methodology of being consumer focused and customer led, together with our stable reputation for award-winning products, our partnership with Help for Heroes charity and our social media presence will be a huge opportunity for all."​ 

'All about diversifying'​

Hilton Food Solutions managing director, Peter Hounsome added: "This investment is all about diversifying across different channels as well as the products we can offer consumers. This is another step towards our goal of being the partner of choice for customers across the UK and on a global scale."​

Hilton Food Solutions is a member of the Hilton Food Group group of companies and has access to ten European processing sites and three Asia Pacific sites. It recorded operating profit of just over £2m on turnover of £71.6m in the 53 weeks ending 2 January 2021.