United Brands in fast food deal

United Brands, the Glasgowbased cash and carry group owned by the Sarwar family, has bought the worldwide rights to a fast food retail brand specialising in doner kebabs.

The company successfully launched the German Doner Kebab (GDK) chain in the UK in 2016 and has already signed up around 200 franchise locations across England.

It has now purchased the worldwide rights to the brand and is looking to recruit franchise partners globally. GDK was created in Germany in 1989 and sells kebabs with less than half the calories of a regular kebab.

The Sarwar family operates one of Scotland’s most successful business groups.

The £230 million empire they have built up encompasses a wholesale cash and carry business, 532 franchised convenience stores, a chain of pubs, Asian restaurants and a pharmacy group.

The company has recently strengthened the GDK’S UK management team with the appointment of a number of senior managers from leading global food and beverage franchise brands into key positions including directors of operations and training. GDK International chief executive Imran Sayeed said: “We seriously believe in this brand, all of our UK stores are doing unbelievably well.

“So when the opportunity came up to buy the worldwide brand we had to take it.”

The company is targeting 700 franchise stores in the UK and Ireland over the next ten years, and a further 1,500 stores worldwide.

“GDK is a very simple franchise to operate as it does not require a qualified chef to prepare the meals, it’s more a case of assembling the ingredients… the German engineered kebab!” said Sayeed.