Booths sale called off

UPMARKET grocer Booths – often dubbed the Waitrose of the North – has called off a sale of the business.

The chain is understood to have abandoned the sale after it failed to find a buyer.

It is also thought that a management shake-up and the reappointment of chief executive Edwin Booth has boosted performance.

The supermarket, which is known for its high-end local produce, now has 28 shops which are mostly located in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Losses at the grocer doubled to £ 6.3m last year, prompting it to call in advisers from NM Rothschild to explore a potential sale. Booths said there has been a ‘strong’ improvement in sales over the past 12 months.