The Compleat Food Group has acquired pie maker Wrights Food Group in its first deal since PE house PAI Partners brought Addo Food Group and Winterbotham Darby together with the ambition to build a chilled foods giant.
Established in 1926 by Jack and Lizzie Wright, who sold pies to neighbours from their Stoke-on-Trent doorstep, today the Crewe-headquartered company employs almost 600 staff, making savoury products, confectionery and ready meals for the retail and foodservice sectors.
It also owns bread brand Sheaf Street Bakery and 15 Wrights branded bakery stores across the North West, as well as vending machine operator Urban Bistro.
Profits at the group tumbled 69% to £1.7m as sales fell by more than £10m to £54.3m in the year ended 4 January 2021 as a large number of its customers, including football clubs, entertainment venues, schools, pubs, restaurants and hotels, shut down during the Covid pandemic, according to the most recent set of accounts at Companies House.
Compleat said the deal further strengthened the group by providing incremental scale while continuing its diversification into the foodservice and B2B channel and expanding the group’s customer base.
Executive chairman Paul Monk added: “We are delighted to welcome Wrights Food Group into our pastry division.
“This move enables us to better serve our customers and offer a greater range of products, helping the group to further strengthen its position in UK retail and foodservice.”
The Compleat Food Group was advised by Alvarez and Marsal, Dickson Minto and Houlihan Lokey, while Wrights was advised by Oghma Partners and Knights.
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