18/06/12

Convenience foods manufacturer Greencore is to sell its chilled desserts facility in Minsterley to the Müller Dairy UK group.

This, said Greencore, will conclude the restructuring of the chilled desserts business, which Greencore acquired from Uniq in September 2011 for £113 million. The Minsterley site is said to have been unprofitable for Uniq

Under the terms of the disposal, ownership of the facility will transfer to Müller. Müller will take over production of mousse and trifles which are made under licence for Cadbury.

Cash consideration will be £4.3 million, plus an amount for stock.

The disposal is expected to complete at the start of January 2013, by which time the transfer of production of other premium desserts lines and related manufacturing equipment to Greencore’s Evercreech site will have been completed.

Greencore has 20 convenience foods manufacturing sites in the UK and the US and employs in the region of 11,000 people. It provides a range of chilled, frozen and ambient foods to major retail, manufacturing and foodservice customers.

The company acquired US convenience food company MarketFare earlier this year for $36 million (€27.4 million), increasing its presence in the American market.