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Food & Drink - 2004
Gardner Fine Foods is expanding its sandwich manufacturing business with the acquisition of a new site in Walsall, and has also announced the acquisition of Snack Attack Catering of Flintshire and Fetchers Foods of Walsall.
27-Dec-2004
Diageo is to acquire Chalone Wine, the US winemaker, for £134m, adding to its two existing Californian vineyards.
21-Dec-2004
Devro has acquired Biofilm, the Glasgow-based developer of dissolvable thin film technology that can be used as carriers for flavours and other active ingredients.
20-Dec-2004
McLelland Cheese of Glasgow has been acquired by Lactalis of France for an estimated £170m.
20-Dec-2004
Ilchester Cheese, the blended cheese producer, has undergone a management buy-out backed by Inflexion Private Equity.
17-Dec-2004
Inter Link Foods has acquired Cukiernia Mistrza Jana, the Polish cake manufacturer, for up to £1.2m.
14-Dec-2004
IAWS has acquired Groupe Hubert, the French bakery products supplier, from Apax Partners for £90m.
14-Dec-2004
Elizabeth Shaw is planning to close its confectionery factory in Bristol and relocate production to a new site nearby.
13-Dec-2004
Tenderlean Meats is planning a £1.2m expansion at its factory in Fermanagh, having secured a £0.4m EU grant.
10-Dec-2004
Premier Foods is to acquire Bird's Custard, Angel Delight and associated brands from Kraft Foods for £70m, and production will be integrated into its Knighton factory in Staffordshire.
10-Dec-2004
Robert Wiseman Dairies is planning to invest up to £30m in a new dairy and distribution depot in Somerset, and is currently seeking a suitable site.
10-Dec-2004
Napier Brown Foods is to relocate production of icing and marzipan from Runcorn to Liverpool in March, with the loss of 75 jobs.
09-Dec-2004
Arla Foods is to merge with Campina of the Netherlands, creating a combined dairy business called Campina Arla with 28,000 staff.
09-Dec-2004
Glanbia has acquired Kortus Food Ingredients Services of Germany for £10m.
08-Dec-2004
Morrisons is planning to acquire Kepak Buchan, the Turriff-based abattoir with 200 staff, for undisclosed terms.
08-Dec-2004
NWF Group has acquired JGW Thomas & Son, the Devon-based animal feed manufacturer, for £3.6m.
06-Dec-2004
Unilever has agreed to sell its frozen pizza and baguette business to Dr Oetker of Germany for undisclosed terms.
02-Dec-2004
Sleaford Quality Foods, the supplier of dried foods with 120 staff, has undergone a management buy-out backed by Lloyds TSB Commercial.
01-Dec-2004
Tate & Lyle has acquired Dolcre Food Ingredients, the South African fructose importer with net assets worth £1.4m.
30-Nov-2004
Glisten is to acquire Halo Foods, the manufacturer of cereal, energy and diet bars with 450 staff at three sites in Wales, for £5.6m.
29-Nov-2004
Northern Foods is to create 100 jobs at the Palethorpes manufacturing plant in Market Drayton over the next few months, in order to produce sausage rolls and other products for Marks & Spencer.
29-Nov-2004
Wilson Storey Halliday has merged with Baxter Smith, creating a combined contract catering business known as Baxter Storey with annual sales of more than £100m.
29-Nov-2004
Cereal Partners UK is investing £12m in the expansion of its cereal manufacturing plant in Wirral, with the creation of 30 jobs.
26-Nov-2004
Dairy Crest has acquired Coombe Farm Dairies of Sussex, and the milk bottling and processing plant will close with distribution moved to Dairy Crest sites in Eastbourne, Brighton and Worthing.
24-Nov-2004
UA Group, the Scottish livestock auctioneering company with 90 staff, has accepted a £52m takeover offer from Elphinstone of Glasgow.
24-Nov-2004
Invest NI has announced that O'Kane Poultry has been granted £1m from the EU Processing & Marketing Grant Scheme to expand its poultry processing facilities in Ballymena.
22-Nov-2004
Sirhowy Valley Foods, the crisps manufacturer with annual turnover of £5m, is to relocate to a larger factory in Newport in March.
22-Nov-2004
Nestle Rowntree is to expand chocolate crumb production at its factory in Girvan, Scotland, with the creation of an unspecified number of jobs, but 57 jobs will be lost with the closure of its Mallow factory in Ireland.
22-Nov-2004
Diageo is to acquire Ursus Vodka, the Dutch owner of two vodka brands, for £102m.
22-Nov-2004
Diageo is planning to expand the Guinness production plant in Runcorn by next summer, with the creation of scores of jobs.
19-Nov-2004
Anglo Beef Processors is creating 300 jobs at a new £18m meat processing factory at West Moor Park in Doncaster, in order to supply meat to Asda.
18-Nov-2004
Kraft Foods is to sell the Altoids and Life Savers confectionery businesses to Wrigley for £795m, which will include the transfer of 100 staff at a manufacturing plant in Bridgend.
16-Nov-2004
Diageo is to invest £4m at the Cameronbridge Distillery at Windygates in Fife, in order to make efficiency and environmental improvements to the production process.
16-Nov-2004
Northumbrian Ice Cream Company is seeking a larger site for its 40-strong workforce in Ashington, which will lead to the creation of ten new jobs, and also wants to open a factory in Australia.
15-Nov-2004
Nichols has completed the sale of Nichols Foods, the Haydock-based beverage supplier, to management for £8.1m.
08-Nov-2004
Northern Foods is to sell the Cavaghan & Gray Seafood chilled and frozen fish business to IFP Holdings, a subsidiary of Icelandic Group, for £13m, which will involve the transfer of 240 staff based in Grimsby and 150 in Aberdeen.
05-Nov-2004
Norbrit Fish Sales of Grimsby has been bought out of receivership by Superior Seafoods, which could lead to the creation of 30 new jobs.
04-Nov-2004
Cadbury Schweppes has acquired the Orangina soft drink brand from Pernod Ricard for £21m.
04-Nov-2004
Britvic has acquired the water division of Huddersfield-based soft drinks company Ben Shaws, which employs 48 staff.
03-Nov-2004
Carr's Milling Industries is to acquire Meneba UK, the operator of flour mills in Kirkcaldy and Maldon, for £4.7m.
01-Nov-2004
Newboulds, the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer of pies and pasties, has undergone a management buy-in backed by Allied Irish Bank.
01-Nov-2004
Evesham Vale Growers is to spend £2m expanding its glasshouse facilities in Worcestershire by six acres, in order to cope with rising demand for tomatoes.
01-Nov-2004
Geest is forming a joint venture with Rannoch Food to produce ready-to-cook meals at Holbeach in Lincolnshire, with the creation of 100 jobs.
28-Oct-2004
Samworth Brothers is to create up to 250 jobs at its various food production sites, including a £10m investment at Walkers Charnwood in Beaumont Leys, £3m at Midshire Foods in Leicester and £2m at Kettleby Foods in Melton.
26-Oct-2004
European Supplies, the supplier of British foods to Spanish retailers, is being acquired by Lennox Holdings, and £4m will be raised in a flotation on Aim.
25-Oct-2004
Heveco Mushrooms is planning to relocate production from its two farms in West Sussex over the next 18 months, and is seeking a site large enough to double its capacity.
25-Oct-2004
Close Brothers Private Equity has provided £16m of development capital to fund the buy-out of Pilgrim, the food ingredients company.
22-Oct-2004
Lerwick Fish Traders has threatened to relocate its salmon processing plant and 140 jobs to the mainland if Shetland Islands Council proceeds with plans to build a bridge across its site.
22-Oct-2004
Glenmorangie, the whisky company with 350 staff, has been acquired by LVMH of France for £300m.
21-Oct-2004
Castle Morpeth Council and Morpeth Pride are working on plans for the development of a £4m business enterprise and visitor centre, which would create 85 jobs in the production of Northumberland food, drink and crafts.
20-Oct-2004
Geest Mariner Foods is to set up a new 60,000 sq ft ready meals factory at Europarc in Grimsby by next April, with the creation of 100 jobs.
19-Oct-2004
Robert Wiseman Dairies is seeking planning permission to build a new milk depot in Market Drayton, with the creation of up to 80 jobs, but alternative sites are still being considered.
18-Oct-2004
FareShare, the food redistribution charity, is planning to open six new depots and expand sites in Yorkshire and London by 2007.
18-Oct-2004
Hill Station is planning to set up a new upmarket ice cream factory in Wiltshire, funded by a £1.4m flotation.
18-Oct-2004
Icefresh has acquired Prospero, the Norfolk-based frozen and chilled desserts manufacturer with 55 staff.
13-Oct-2004
Salad Garden, the York-based supplier of sandwich fillings and salads with 18 staff, has undergone a management buy-in and the plant will double in size over the next two years.
12-Oct-2004
Fastnet Fish, the Grimsby-based fish processing company, has been acquired by Andrew Marr International of Hull for undisclosed terms.
06-Oct-2004
Crown Pet Foods is seeking permission to build a pet foods factory in Castle Cary, Somerset, which would employ about 80 staff.
01-Oct-2004
Robert Wiseman Dairies is to create 175 jobs at a new £7.5m distribution depot in Northampton by 2005.
30-Sep-2004
Virgin Wines is recruiting a further 35 wine advisers at its headquarters in Norwich, taking the total workforce to 135.
29-Sep-2004
White Young Green has been selected as preferred consultant for the development of a £20m national distribution centre in Cannock for Unilever Bestfoods by the end of next year.
28-Sep-2004
Newboulds is to invest £1m in new machinery and building work at its Riverside Park factory on Teesside, having won a contract to supply meat products to Asda.
27-Sep-2004
Del Monte is to create 250 new jobs at its fruit packing site in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
27-Sep-2004
Tamar Foods has awarded a £3m contract to Dean & Dyball to extend its food factory in Callington.
27-Sep-2004
Shire Foods is to relocate its pie production plant and up to 75 staff from Warwick to a new £4.5m factory at Tachbrook Point in Leamington early next year.
23-Sep-2004
Dairy Crest has announced a £4m deal to buy out its partners in the English Butter Marketing Company.
23-Sep-2004
Baxters Food Group has acquired SoupExperts, the Canadian supplier of condensed soup with 100 staff.
22-Sep-2004
Country Style Foods is creating 25 new jobs at its frozen desserts factory in Stockton, taking the workforce to 250.
20-Sep-2004
Daniels Chilled Foods is creating about 140 jobs at its newly-opened £4m prepared fruits factory at Waterside Park in Leeds, with production being transferred from its Seacroft site.
20-Sep-2004
Geest is to acquire Anglia Crown, the supplier of meals to hospitals with sites in Colchester and Manchester, for £14m.
17-Sep-2004
J&J Tranfield has acquired KingsCourt Foods, the Cumbria-based frozen sausage company with more than 200 staff, out of receivership.
14-Sep-2004
Barratlantic is to receive financial support from Western Isles Enterprise for the £0.5m expansion of its fish processing factory on Barra, with the creation of five jobs.
13-Sep-2004
Northern Foods has announced plans to relocate its head office from Hull to Leeds, which will involve the transfer of up to 100 staff to either Leeds or an existing site in Wakefield.
10-Sep-2004
Northern Counties Meat is to close its abattoir in Sunderland, and has applied for planning permission to build executive housing on the site.
07-Sep-2004
Napier Brown Foods has acquired Renshaw Scott, the manufacturer of baking ingredients with 175 staff at sites in Liverpool and Carluke, for £18m.
03-Sep-2004
Humdinger has acquired A Taste of Luxury, the Plymouth-based biscuit importer, for undisclosed terms.
01-Sep-2004
Oakdale Bakeries, the cake manufacturer with sites in Morley, Wigan and Doncaster, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms.
30-Aug-2004
British Cattle Movement Service is to create a further 50 jobs in Workington, assuming it is selected to administer the new National Fallen Stock Scheme.
25-Aug-2004
Eclipse Scientific, the food testing company with 200 staff at eight laboratories, has undergone a management buy-out from Swan Group for undisclosed terms.
23-Aug-2004
Ashbury Confectionery has secured a £2.5m finance facility to invest in new equipment and product development.
23-Aug-2004
Maxxium UK is to invest £2m in the expansion of its alcoholic drinks business, including improved merchandising and the recruitment of 27 extra staff.
16-Aug-2004
Warburtons has confirmed plans to build a £60m bakery in Wakefield by June 2005, with the creation of 200 jobs.
16-Aug-2004
Dairy Farmers of Britain is to acquire Associated Co-Operative Creameries, which has 3,500 staff at sites in Whitby, Cardiff, Llangadog, Llandrynog, Portsmouth, Cricket St Thomas and Nantwich, for £75m.
12-Aug-2004
Arla Foods is planning to build a £10m milk processing plant in Lockerbie by next year, with the creation of about 100 jobs.
11-Aug-2004
Manor Farm Ducklings, the Norfolk-based poultry firm with annual turnover of £17m, has been bought out of administration by MFD Foods.
06-Aug-2004
Western Wines, the wine importer, has been acquired by Vincor of Canada for £135m.
03-Aug-2004
Wrights Pies is planning to set up a new £3.5m confectionery plant in Stoke-on-Trent, with the creation of 150 jobs over the next three years.
03-Aug-2004
Joseph Heler is investing £1m in the expansion of its cheese factory in Nantwich.
02-Aug-2004
Manor Bakeries is to invest £45m in the expansion of its cake manufacturing operations over the next three years, with the creation of 300 jobs at its bakery in Barnsley.
02-Aug-2004
Watton Produce is investing £1.7m in new vegetable packing facilities in Norfolk.
02-Aug-2004
Freshbake Foods has sold its Hartlepool-based frozen desserts plant out of receivership to a management team, creating a new company called Bonne Bouche.
02-Aug-2004
Glisten has acquired a toffee production line in North Shields from House of York for £0.1m.
27-Jul-2004
United Biscuits is to acquire the UK biscuit operations of Danone for about £240m, including factories in Liverpool and Leicester.
26-Jul-2004
Associated British Foods has acquired Burns Philp, the Australian yeast, herbs and spices company, for £730m.
23-Jul-2004
Warburtons has awarded a £2m contract to Hargreaves Contracting to refurbish its bakery at Wednesbury.
22-Jul-2004
Geest is setting up a new business called International Produce at sites in Yorkshire and Kent, in order to simplify the supply of imported produce to Asda.
15-Jul-2004
Moray Council is to consider plans from Walkers Shortbread to set up a new bakery facility at its site in Elgin, with the creation of up to 200 jobs.
13-Jul-2004
Napier Brown Foods has acquired James Budgett Sugars, the sugar processing company, from ED&F Man and Greencore for £17m.
08-Jul-2004
DCC is to acquire Bottle Green, the Leeds-based wine supplier, for an initial £13m.
08-Jul-2004
Young's Bluecrest is creating more than 250 new jobs at its seafood factories in Grimsby, due to an increase in fish consumption.
08-Jul-2004
Aquascot, the Alness-based salmon and trout processing company with 120 staff, has undergone a management buy-out backed by Bank of Scotland.
06-Jul-2004
Yorkshire Forward is assisting Soy Magic of Israel with plans to build a £3m factory at Europarc in Grimsby to produce soya milk, yoghurts and desserts, with the creation of more than 50 jobs.
05-Jul-2004
Macrae Food Group, the seafood company with 1,300 staff in Fraserburgh, Inverness, Edinburgh, Hull and Pewsey, has been acquired by Young's of Grimsby.
02-Jul-2004
Nestle Rowntree is to sell its cocoa processing operations in York to Cargill, which will involve the transfer of 27 jobs.
01-Jul-2004
United Biscuits is investing £5m at its biscuit factory in Carlisle with the creation of 90 jobs, in order to transfer production of Ginger Nuts from Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
28-Jun-2004
Maximuscle, the supplier of sports supplements and drinks, has been acquired by Piper Private Equity for £9.7m.
21-Jun-2004
East End Foods is to create 150 new jobs at its food distribution centre in West Bromwich by 2006.
17-Jun-2004
Scottish & Newcastle is to invest up to £5m at the Federation Brewery in Gateshead, in order to transfer Newcastle Brown Ale production from the Tyne Brewery.
16-Jun-2004
Dove Valley, the Derbyshire-based poultry supplier with about 700 staff, has been acquired by OSI of the US for undisclosed terms.
14-Jun-2004
Kerry Foods Direct To Store is to set up a 60,000 sq ft frozen foods distribution centre on the Dorcan estate in Swindon, with the creation of more than 100 jobs.
11-Jun-2004
Johnson Seafarms is planning to raise £2.5m to develop the UK's first commercial cod farm in the Shetland Isles.
10-Jun-2004
MI Dickson, the pork butcher, is to invest £0.8m in the expansion of its South Shields headquarters and the opening of two new shops, securing the future of its 230 staff.
10-Jun-2004
Princes Foods has acquired Well Well Well, the natural mineral water bottler with sites in Cumbria and Shropshire, in a multi-million pound deal.
09-Jun-2004
Arla Foods is to invest £20m in the expansion of its new Stourton dairy near Leeds, and has also announced a deal with TNT Mail for its Express Dairies subsidiary to deliver letters and parcels to 6m households.
09-Jun-2004
East Riding Council-backed Bridlington One Stop Shop is to help Global Cake Company recruit 120 staff at the former Hibernia Foods factory in Bridlington.
08-Jun-2004
Maple Leaf Bakery is setting up a new £2m bakery at Lillyhall, near Workington, with the creation of about 70 jobs.
07-Jun-2004
Genus is seeking acquisitions to expand its bovine genetics business, and is interested in two UK subsidiaries of international competitors that have been put up for sale.
07-Jun-2004
Scottish & Newcastle is to invest £2m at the Caledonian brewery in Edinburgh, in order to double its capacity and transfer McEwans production from the Fountainbridge site.
04-Jun-2004
Northern Foods has confirmed that moves are underway to relocate its headquarters away from Hull, and sites are being considered in Sheffield, Doncaster, Leeds and Wakefield.
04-Jun-2004
Donegal Creameries is to merge its Carbury Mushrooms business with Monaghan Middlebrook, creating Europe's largest mushroom supplier.
03-Jun-2004
Apetito is to set up a £0.5m frozen foods product development centre at its site in Trowbridge.
01-Jun-2004
Lyons Seafoods is to invest £3m in the expansion of its factory in Warminster by 2005, with the creation of 40 jobs.
31-May-2004
Associated British Foods is to acquire The Billington Food Group, the Ipswich-based importer of unrefined raw cane sugars with net assets of £7.7m.
28-May-2004
Peter Hunt's Bakery Foods has acquired the frozen savoury foods business of Preston-based Ashworth's Foods, and production will transfer to its site in Bolton.
24-May-2004
Cumbrian Seafoods is to create 40 new jobs at its factory in Maryport, having won a contract to supply coated fish to Morrisons.
17-May-2004
Innovate Logistics is to create 150 jobs in Worksop over the next two years, having won planning permission to develop a 140,000 sq ft food distribution centre at the Manton Wood Enterprise Park.
17-May-2004
Carlsberg UK is to open a 60,000 sq ft drinks distribution depot in Croydon in June, with the creation of about 50 jobs.
13-May-2004
Gerber Foods is to build a £35m fruit juice factory near Bridgwater in Somerset, employing 800 staff, and the company will relocate from existing offices nearby.
13-May-2004
Robert Wiseman Dairies is planning to expand its dairy capacity by 2006, possibly by extending its Manchester site, while a new depot will open in the south-east next year.
12-May-2004
Danish Crown has acquired Flagship Foods, the pork producer that includes Roach Foods and Dalehead Foods, in order to expand its Tulip subsidiary.
11-May-2004
Kerry Group has acquired four flavour companies for a total £113m, including Manheimer and Flavurence of the US, Laboratorios Krauss of Mexico and Fructamine of Italy.
11-May-2004
Uniq is to acquire a chilled desserts manufacturing business in Minsterley, Shropshire, from Northern Foods for £16m, which will involve the transfer of 520 staff.
11-May-2004
Kelloggs, the cereals manufacturer, is considering plans to relocate a small number of senior executives from its European headquarters in Manchester to Ireland.
10-May-2004
Northern Foods' Cavaghan & Gray subsidiary has sold Emile Tissot, the Telford-based frozen ready meals supplier with about 100 staff, to Dawn Fresh Foods for £3.5m.
06-May-2004
Tetley is to invest £2.5m in the automation of its tea packing plant at Eaglescliffe in the Tees Valley, but 46 of the 600 jobs will be lost.
06-May-2004
Wilson's Country, the fruit and vegetable processor with 170 staff, is to relocate to a new £3.2m factory at Carn near Portadown in the summer.
29-Apr-2004
Produce World is to set up a new £1m fruit and vegetable packing operation in Peterborough, with the creation of 150 jobs.
29-Apr-2004
J&J Haslett has sold Holmes Catering, the supplier of meals to schools and hospitals in Northern Ireland with 70 staff, to John Henderson Group for undisclosed terms.
28-Apr-2004
Dawnfresh Seafoods has acquired Silver Trout, the Hampshire-based trout producer, for undisclosed terms.
26-Apr-2004
Euro Foods has secured a grant from the National Assembly for Wales to help with the expansion of its office in Newport and the construction of a new chicken processing plant.
22-Apr-2004
Allerdale Council is to consider plans from Dutch consortium Partners in Cheese to build a £37m cheese factory in Workington, with the creation of up to 70 jobs.
22-Apr-2004
GW Padley is in talks to sell most of its Lincolnshire-based poultry business to OSI Group of the US.
22-Apr-2004
Yorkshire Forward is to help fund the development of a £0.3m harbourside shellfish complex at Whitby by mid 2005.
20-Apr-2004
Five Star Fish, the Grimsby-based fish processing company with 250 staff, is to be acquired by the Real Good Food Company for an initial £17m.
20-Apr-2004
Weetabix is planning to expand its cereals factory in Northamptonshire with the creation of up to 150 jobs.
19-Apr-2004
William Ransom & Son is to acquire Health Perception UK, the Berkshire-based supplier of vitamins and health food supplements, for £7.8m.
16-Apr-2004
Hotbed, the private equity house, has supported the £10m management buy-out of the Red Devil energy drinks business.
14-Apr-2004
Cockburns of Leith, the wine merchant, has been bought out of receivership by a management buy-out.
13-Apr-2004
Moorsfresh is to open two new depots in Ripon and Doncaster, in order to distribute locally-produced food products.
08-Apr-2004
Compass is to acquire Mitropa, the operator of concessions in German stations and motorway service areas, for £12m.
06-Apr-2004
Highland Country Foods, the supplier of meat products with 20 staff, has been acquired by ANM Group for undisclosed terms.
05-Apr-2004
Greencore is to sell Rathbones Bakeries, the operator of eight UK bakeries, to Finedon Mill for £20m.
05-Apr-2004
Uniq has sold its poultry operations in Rotherham and Driffield to the Sovereign Food subsidiary of Grampian Country Foods for £12m.
02-Apr-2004
Dawn Group is to expand the workforce at its food processing factory in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire, from 220 to 400, but will close its Pontardawe facility, which employs 50 staff.
02-Apr-2004
Union Snack is planning to expand the 80-strong workforce at its pretzel snacks factory in County Durham by 50% over the next three years, and £1m will be invested in new equipment.
02-Apr-2004
John Palin, the Matlock-based fruit and vegetable wholesaler with 60 staff, has undergone a management buy-out.
31-Mar-2004
Allied Domecq is investing £3.5m at its Scapa and Glendronach whisky distilleries, in order to benefit from rising demand for single malts.
29-Mar-2004
Geest is considering plans to expand its ready meals factory in Grimsby, which currently employs 300 staff, and an announcement is expected later this year.
23-Mar-2004
Jordans is to open a 63,000 sq ft distribution centre in Biggleswade next year, as part of a £20m investment in the expansion of its cereals and snacks business.
22-Mar-2004
Percy Dalton has won planning permission to set up a peanut processing factory in Haverhill next year, with the creation of up to 100 jobs.
19-Mar-2004
Provexis has secured almost £0.6m to fund the expansion of its Liverpool-based medical foods business, which includes a new orange juice drink designed to reduce the chance of blood clots.
18-Mar-2004
Tayto has acquired a snacks factory employing 25 people at Skelmersdale, and has also acquired a 32-acre site in Lurgan, Co Armagh, to set up a central distribution depot.
17-Mar-2004
Premier Foods is creating 40 new jobs at its Branston Pickle factory in Bury St Edmunds.
12-Mar-2004
Associated British Foods is to acquire the Mexican oils and fats business of Unilever for £65m.
10-Mar-2004
Glenfarm Holdings has agreed to sell the Ballymoney Foods frozen chip processing facility to a consortium of local potato growers for undisclosed terms, securing the future of 50 jobs.
09-Mar-2004
Eaton Group, the London-based contract caterer, has been acquired by ISS of Denmark for undisclosed terms.
09-Mar-2004
Furniss Foods has been bought out of receivership by a Manchester-based consortium backed by Finance Cornwall, securing the future of 150 jobs at its biscuit factory in Redruth.
05-Mar-2004
Glisten has acquired certain assets of Penguin Confectionery of Carlisle from House of York for £0.4m, while other manufacturing assets are being sold to JF Packaging for £0.3m.
04-Mar-2004
ICI is to sell the food ingredients business of Quest International, which is based in the Netherlands and employs 900 staff, to Kerry Foods of Ireland for £238m.
03-Mar-2004
Arla Foods UK has sold its Alcester-based chilled distribution business to Corby Chilled Distribution for £2.8m.
02-Mar-2004
Lakeland Dairies is to set up a food research and development facility at its Pritchitts dairy manufacturing site in Newtownards.
01-Mar-2004
Youngs Bluecrest is to invest £15m at its seafood factories in Hull and Grimsby with the creation of 300 jobs, but about 260 jobs will be lost through the closure of its plant in Gosforth.
26-Feb-2004
O'Kane Poultry is to build a new £3m poultry products factory in Ballymena, and the site should be operational by the autumn.
26-Feb-2004
Glanbia is selling its UK cheese operations to Cheese Company Holdings, a new joint venture company set up by Milk Link and Glanbia, for £80m.
24-Feb-2004
Tate & Lyle is to acquire the sucralose manufacturing operations of US-based McNeil Nutritionals for £70m.
20-Feb-2004
Compass is to acquire Creative Host Services, the US airport concessions company, for £22m.
20-Feb-2004
Dale Farm has acquired Parmalat's dairy processing site in Kendal, securing the future of 200 jobs.
19-Feb-2004
Norwich Food Company, the supplier of meat, fruit and vegetables, has been acquired by Smithfield Foods of the US, and Smithfield has also acquired London-based meat company Ridpath Pek.
16-Feb-2004
FeedCo is to invest £1.7m in improvements at its animal feed manufacturing plant near Darlington over the next two years.
16-Feb-2004
Donatantonio, the food ingredients supplier, has undergone a £12m management buy-out.
16-Feb-2004
Fenland District Council is to consider plans from Del Monte to expand its fruit processing site in Wisbech, with the creation of up to 100 jobs.
11-Feb-2004
Interbrew is to set up an 82,000 sq ft beer distribution centre at the former Kwik Save warehouse in Newport, South Wales.
05-Feb-2004
Fenland District Council is considering plans from Delamore to relocate its plant nursery and 175 staff to a new £5m site in Wisbech St Mary, with the creation of 45 new jobs.
04-Feb-2004
Duckworth Group, the Manchester-based food flavourings company, has been acquired by Cargill of the US for about £40m.
04-Feb-2004
Devro, the manufacturer of sausage casings, is said to considering plans to open a new factory in Hamilton, with the creation of 45 jobs.
04-Feb-2004
RHM is investing several million pounds in a new pizza bases factory for its Charnwood Foods division in Wigston, Leicestershire.
03-Feb-2004
Richmond Foods has acquired De Roma Ice Cream of Wigan out of administration for £3.4m.
03-Feb-2004
Greggs of Yorkshire has announced plans for a £4.5m expansion at its bakery in Leeds by August, with the creation of up to 30 jobs.
02-Feb-2004
Cafedirect, the organic tea and coffee supplier, is to raise £5m in a flotation in order to fund marketing activities and the development of more links with producers.
02-Feb-2004
AF Blakemore has acquired the McColls confectionery distribution business in Walsall, and the 40 staff will relocate to Willenhall.
28-Jan-2004
Watermark has acquired Air Fayre, the supplier of meals to airlines at Heathrow and Birmingham, for £17m.
21-Jan-2004
Milk Link has acquired Peninsula Milk, the Okehampton-based liquid milk processor with 75 staff, for undisclosed terms.
20-Jan-2004
Good Food Chain is planning to create about 30 jobs this year, following the expansion of its sandwich production site in Stone.
19-Jan-2004
Navital is planning to set up a 450-acre mussel production site in the waters of the Cromarty Firth.
19-Jan-2004
WT Foods has sold Bart Spices, the Bristol-based herbs and spices producer, to management.
19-Jan-2004
Dale Farm is to invest £4m in the expansion of its Dromona butter and dairy spreads plant in County Antrim over the next three years.
19-Jan-2004
Glisten has acquired F Fravigar, the Skegness-based confectionery manufacturer with about 100 staff, for £6.5m.
16-Jan-2004
Shropshire Dairies is seeking permission to extend its milk depot in Shrewsbury, with the relocation of 14 jobs from Newtown in Powys.
14-Jan-2004
Inter Link Foods has acquired Hoppers, the Kent-based bakery with 110 staff, for £5m.
14-Jan-2004
Crystal Drinks, the West Yorkshire-based soft drinks manufacturer with 120 staff, has undergone a management buy-out backed by Epic Reconstruction.
12-Jan-2004
Yorkshire Water has approved a scheme from the Able Partnership to set up a fish farm and caviar production facility on a 14-hectare site in Caldervale, Wakefield.
05-Jan-2004