The tycoon who snatched Northern Foods from Greencore is one of the most private entrepreneurs in grocery. Who is the real Ranjit Singh Boparan, asks Richard Ford


Ranjit Singh Boparan is not afraid of ruffling a few feathers.

When the Midlands-bred poultry magnate swooped on Northern Foods in February, he took much of the food industry by surprise and left in his path a decidedly flustered Greencore Group, which had been busy planning how to integrate Northern until Boparan spoiled the party.

Already a high-profile industry figure, Boparan’s move has cemented his reputation as one of the most ambitious and powerful businessmen in UK fmcg. Indeed, his ambition appears matched only by his desire for privacy. Despite being widely regarded as the kingpin of the poultry industry, processing about 20% of UK-reared chicken, he is rarely seen at industry events and gives few interviews (our exclusive ‘in his own words’ section is a rare exception).

So, who is the man behind the mystery? What is driving his relentless push into the UK protein sector? And what does the future hold for his empire post-Northern?

Having started his working life as a teenager in a butcher’s shop in the West Midlands, 44-year-old Boparan and his wife Baljinder Kaur Boparan are valued jointly at £275m, putting them at number 275 on this year’s Sunday Times Rich List. It’s a remarkable success story driven chiefly by 2 Sisters Food Group, the highly successful poultry business founded in 1993 by Boparan as “a small-scale frozen retail cutting operation”.

It is through 2 Sisters that Boparan has positioned himself at the heart of UK retail poultry supply. His secret, say those who work with him, is simple: run a tight ship, focus on value and be responsive to retailers. “He goes in and gets things done and that’s what retailers like. He very much has a can-do attitude,” says one source.

Boparan’s trademark willingness to please retailer customers was no more evident than in 2007, when longstanding 2 Sisters customer Tesco entered the US with Fresh & Easy.

Spotting the potential, 2 Sisters set up shop in Riverside County, Southern California, to supply Tesco with fresh meat becoming one of only two UK suppliers to make the jump with Tesco across the pond. Tesco subsequently acquired the US business for an undisclosed sum in June 2010.

And it’s not just with retailers that Boparan has taken “a progressive approach to supply chain relations”, as one senior poultry farming source says. Boparan is also thought to have well-functioning relationships with the poultry producers supplying him. For example, producers praise the pricing mechanism he implemented, which links farmers’ pay to the cost of feed, chicks and fuel.

Aside from a firm commitment to service, it’s the personal control that Boparan exerts over his businesses that many experts believe is key to his success. “Many would take a non-executive role, but he’s known where he’s wanted to go and stayed where he’s made sure he can get there,” says the poultry farming source.

Others agree that, although Boparan is in charge of a vast portfolio of different companies, he has not lost sight of his roots, and his understanding of the poultry industry remains second to none. “I sat in on a session he gave and I would describe it as a masterclass,” says one industry analyst.

Given that Boparan’s background is firmly in primary meat processing and foodservice, his move on Northern initially stumped many industry observers. But far from being at odds with his existing interests, Northern is, in fact, the perfect piece to complete Boparan’s protein jigsaw. He already has solid hubs for primary poultry and fish supply through 2 Sisters, Storteboom Group (the Dutch poultry processor bought by 2 Sisters in April 2010) and Five Star Fish (also acquired in April 2010).

Add to that restaurant interests in the form of Harry Ramsden’s and The Fish Works, and the only obvious gap in Boparan’s line-up was a value-added secondary processor with a portfolio of strong consumer brands. Cue Northern, which owns Donegal Catch and McDougalls Upper Crust, as well as extensive own-label ready meal operations.

Where the acquisition of Northern will take Boparan’s empire next is difficult to predict. The immediate question on many lips is what the future holds for non-protein-heavy Northern brands such as Fox’s biscuits and Goodfella’s pizzas, which don’t straightforwardly fit Boparan’s existing assets.

“He’s got a very good reputation with the major retailers for the kind of service levels he’s delivered over the years but he has no experience in branded food manufacturing,” one analyst points out. “For that reason, we think it’s quite likely he’ll offload Fox’s and Goodfella’s.”

A sale would certainly provide some immediate and much-needed capital. To fund the bid for Northern Foods, Boparan has, in effect, saddled himself with a £695m debt raised by issuing a public bond in the US to repay a bridging loan for the acquisition provided by Goldman Sachs.

In the meantime, Boparan has other projects. Inspired by The Fish Works, he has set up a new company called Chickenworks, which was incorporated in February 2009 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boparan Ventures. Chickenworks does not appear to have started trading yet, but Boparan Ventures’ accounts to the end of 2009 show it incurred nearly £80,000 in equipment and set-up costs. For now, however, Boparan will not comment.

Whatever he ultimately decides to do with his many interests, few industry experts doubt his ability to deliver. “He’s a really switched-on guy, and you have to be, to be the kingpin of an organisation that big,” says our poultry industry source.

Whether it’s competing for a multimillion-pound Tesco contract or providing fish and chips in Brighton, anyone with an interest in food should prepare to see a lot more of Ranjit Singh Boparan.


In his own words…

What is your primary motivation? To be number-one choice for quality food at the lowest cost, and therefore increase market share.

What is your biggest achievement? In 2003, a key strategic aim was to achieve a £1bn turnover by 2010. We successfully met this target through organic growth, overseas expansion and acquisition. My ambition now is to achieve £3bn turnover by 2015, focusing on overseas markets.

What are the qualities you look for in colleagues? Drive, loyalty, resilience and passion.

Do you have a role model? Martin Luther King. I support the Boparan Charitable Trust, which was set up to raise funds for young people disadvantaged through poverty, disability or terminal illness.

What’s your favourite food? My favourite chicken dish is my wife’s chicken curry.

What do you do in your spare time? Spending time with the family, watching Manchester United and running the business.

Read the full Meat & Fish Supplement 2011

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