Earlier this year, the Irish meat processor acquired a 25% stake in Waitrose supplier Dovecote Park.
The transaction followed the departure of co-owner and director Amanda Buitelaar, who relinquished her stake in Extra Detail Ltd, Dovecote Park’s parent company, to ABP.
Buitelaar had owned a 25% stake in the North Yorkshire-based business and spent 25 years with the company before leaving in April 2026.
According to sister publication The Grocer, the transaction was completed through the buyout of Buitelaar’s holding company, Benoni Corporation.
The two other directors and co-owners, chairman David Gunner and chief executive Richard Canvin, continue to oversee Dovecote Park independently.
They were joined on the board by ABP director Tom Kirwan in June. Kirwan has served as managing director of ABP’s UK and Ireland business for 10 years and joined the group’s board in 2020.
The CMA is now inviting comments on the acquisition as it seeks to establish whether it has resulted in a relevant merger situation that could affect competition in the sector.
The move follows an initial enforcement order issued by the regulator in September, which prohibited either company from making any significant changes or sharing sensitive information amid concerns the businesses had ceased to be distinct entities.
The CMA will decide by 27 December whether to open a phase 2 investigation.
