A specialist fresh produce wholesaler to the foodservice sector which was established in 1856 has been snapped up by wholesale business Kitwave Group in a £29m deal.
WestCountry is a wholesaler of local, regional and imported fresh produce in the South West of England. It has developed a network of local growers of seasonal fresh produce, as well as direct supply links with national and international fresh produce markets.
The acquisition will be incorporated into Kitwave's existing foodservice division which currently comprises the trading operations of H.B. Clark & Co. (Successors) Ltd, David Miller Frozen Foods Ltd and M J Baker Foodservice Ltd.
Kitwave chief executive Paul Young said: "The acquisition of WestCountry enables us to expand our product range to include high-quality fresh produce and complements our existing foodservice offering in the South West, following the acquisition of M J Baker earlier in 2022.
"We are delighted to welcome the WestCountry team to Kitwave and look forward to successfully integrating the business into the Group's Foodservice division and further extending our nationwide reach.
"The group continues to trade well and despite wider macroeconomic pressures, the directors believe the outlook remains positive. We look forward to updating shareholders further on our progress."
Canaccord Genuity is Kitwave's nominated adviser and sole broker.