Scampi supplier Whitby Seafoods has boosted its share of the UK retail scampi market to 20% after acquiring Galloway Seafoods in Scotland.
Yorkshire-based Whitby bought Galloway – producer of branded and-own label scampi – for an undisclosed sum from owner Sco-Fro Group.
The deal, which completed last week, gives Whitby its first site in Scotland.
“One of the attractions of the business is its Scottish location and its proximity to important fishing grounds,” said Laura Whittle, chief executive of Whitby Seafoods.
Whitby will gain Galloway’s customer base, which includes major retailers and wholesalers, taking its share of UK retail scampi from 14% to 20%.
The acquisition of Galloway is the latest in a string of purchases made by Whitby in recent years.
It bought Middleton Seafoods in 2007 and Rockall Seafoods in 2011.
Sco-Fro completed a £3.6m refurbishment of the Galloway factory in 2010, including the installation of a new cold store, spiral freezer, and coating and packing equipment.
The sale was in line with Sco-Fro’s strategy of focussing on the continued expansion of its imported grocery and seafood business, said executive chairman Stanley Bernard. “I am pleased that the sale of our Galloway operation fits well with Whitby’s development plans and will offer additional opportunities to customers of the Galloway business.”
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