From left: Richard Morris, Debbie Pierce and Graham Norfolk

Food group Panicium has acquired The Bury Black Pudding Company for an undisclosed sum.

BBP, founded by managing director Debbie Pierce, has produced black puddings in Bury for over 50 years and has expanded into a business with turnover of £11.5m, employing 122 staff operating from a 25,400sq ft factory.

Pierce and production director Richard Morris will remain in their roles and join Panicium’s senior management team following the acquisition.

The deal follows Panicium’s acquisitions of handmade cakes and biscuits producer Margaret Hall and specialist potted meats and spreads manufacturer Binghams Food in 2018 and 2021 respectively.

Graham Norfolk, one of Panicium’s founding directors, said it would invest to further grow the newly acquired company and build on its strong foundations by introducing new product ranges, increasing its market share and expanding and developing customer relationships.

BPP uses traditional production methods and a recipe that dates back over a century to manufacture the “healthiest black pudding on the market”, with less than 3% fat and no artificial preservatives.

As well as its continued focus on the production of traditional black pudding, BBP has developed vegan, gluten-free and chilli varieties.

It has one of the longest-established stalls on Bury’s market and the same black puddings are also supplied to major supermarkets, foodservice companies, wholesalers, hotels, butchers and restaurants across the UK.

“Having steadily grown our sales and developed new business, Richard and I decided that it was time to start the next phase of business growth through becoming part of a group that is committed to the quality of its products and maintaining the family values of which we are so proud,” said Pierce.

“BBP is poised for step-change growth and will benefit from investment and market extension available through the Panicium group.

“Our product range is complementary to the Panicium strategy and we share a number of routes to market. Ultimately, our products are consumed by people who love artisan, quality food. We look forward to working with the Panicium team to develop the group’s position as a leading supplier of quality foods.”

Graham Norfolk added: “The Bury Black Pudding Company makes artisan, high-quality, delicious products with a distinctive brand, and complements Panicium’s strategy of acquiring companies in the UK artisan food sector to develop a portfolio of brands characterised by their hand-made, high-quality nature with a distinctly regional identity.”