It had a turnover of £10m at its peak, but now ABP has picked up the Debbie & Andrew’s brand for little more than £300,000.

As first revealed by thegrocer.co.uk earlier this week, ABP Food Group - which is currently embroiled in the fall-out from the horsegate DNA contamination scandal - snapped up the premium sausage brand from Vion UK.

Neither Vion nor ABP would disclose how much was paid for Debbie & Andrew’s, but The Grocer understands ABP agreed a purchase price for the brand - as well as a range of sausage-making equipment - of just £315,000 plus VAT. In 2011 Debbie & Andrew’s is believed to have had a turnover of about £10m.

The ABP deal is a blow to Debbie and Andrew Keeble, who tried to buy back their brand from Vion several times. Vion in fact offered to sell the brand to the Keebles in January - after ABP had entered its bid - but withdrew its offer of a sale shortly afterwards.

“It’s frustrating and very sad because at the end of the day it still bears our names on the packet and we feel duty bound to protect its name and values,” said Andrew Keeble.

With the Debbie & Andrew’s brand out of reach for now, the Keebles will continue with the launch of a new sausage brand called Heck (The Grocer, 15 December 2012) targeted at a slightly younger age group than their original brand. Keeble said they were currently talking to retailers about listings.

ABP said the Debbie & Andrew’s brand would become part of its WA Turner sausage division.

MD Ian Bagnell said the company was keen to expand the Debbie & Andrew’s range, and work on new flavours had already started.

Vion is in the process of selling off all its UK operations. It did not comment on the Debbie & Andrew’s sale.

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