Young’s - meat your new sister business
YOUNG’S Seafood has a new sister business in Irish meat producer Carroll’s Cuisine.
Owner Eight Fifty Food Group has swooped for the Offally-based operation, with the 300-strong team increasing its presence in the Republic of Ireland following the acquisition of M&M Walshe last June.
The deal will nudge Eight Fifty’s sales to almost £2 billion, with Karro Food Group also part of the wider entity. It will mean a workforce of 8,300 people across 23 manufacturing sites in the UK, Ireland, Germany and France.
The transaction is subject to approval by the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
Di Walker, chief executive, said: “Eight Fifty are guardians of strong brands across multiple proteins and so we are delighted to add the Carroll’s business to our growing group.
“Like our Young’s brand in seafood, the Carroll’s name is synonymous with quality, valueadded protein products. Carroll’s will be a great addition to our business.”
For Carroll’s, established more than 40 years ago, John Comerford said: “Through continuous investment and innovation, we have delivered the highest quality produce to our customer base. We’re excited to work with Eight Fifty and deliver their ambitious future growth plans”.
Eight Fifty was formed last year when Karro acquired Young’s Seafood. The company is backed by private equity fund CapVest - a previous owner of Young’s.
CapVest partner Jason Rodrigues said: “Carroll’s is another great European addition to our growing portfolio and creates the premier integrated platform of value-added pork products in Ireland. We look forward to leveraging the Eight Fifty platform to further develop the business going forward.”
It comes as Young’s’ Masters of Fish television advertising campaign has just re-launched for a second year.