Lancashire pie favourite Holland’s Pies has been put up for sale by food giant 2 Sisters Food Group.
The historic company, which dates back to 1851, makes pies and puddings and is based in Baxenden, near Accrington, Lancashire.
Holland’s would be the final Northern Foods business to go under the hammer since 2 Sisters’ sister company, Boporan Holdings, acquired Northern in a £342m deal in 2011. Former Northern Foods brands Fox’s Biscuits, Goodfella’s Pizza, Matthew Walker Christmas Puddings and seafood supplier Donegal Catch have already gone, as have the red-meat operations and the Manton Wood sandwich business, while 2 Sisters and Boporan chief Ranjit Singh Boporan revealed a plan to become primarily a poultry business in 2020.
Irish bakery Portumna is also up for sale alosngside Holland’s as 2 Sisters seeks to unload its bakery division, with both companies up for sale for undisclosed sums.
A 2 Sisters statement said: “We are currently progressing a sales process for our Holland’s Pies and Portumna pastry businesses with an interested party.
“We will be able to update fully once we have an outcome of the transaction process.”
According to The Grocer, which claims to have seen a letter to staff signed by Boparan and group CEO Ronald Kers, contracts have already been exchanged with Arafura Ltd, an Isle of Man-based company and a subsidiary of Ireland-based Innvovest Holdings, which has interests in tissue paper manufacturing, food production and commercial real estate.
Just last week, Holland’s announced a glut of new retail listings with Tesco in the North West, and nationally with Morrisons and Iceland, although the company reported an operating loss for the financial year to July 31, 2022, with rising costs and inflation and labour shortages a factor.
