The Bury Black Pudding Company has been purchased by Panicium, a UK-based buy-and-build entity focused on the artisan food sector. Panicium acquired the company for an undisclosed sum and supplies to retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons. This acquisition marks Panicium’s third M&A transaction.
Panicium, which identifies as an “artisan specialty food group,” aims to acquire companies in the UK artisan food sector to develop a portfolio of brands characterized by their hand-made, high-quality nature with a distinctly regional brand identity. Graham Norfolk, a director and founder of Panicium, has described the primary strategic objective of the Panicium Group.
The Bury Black Pudding Company, operating from a 25,400 square-foot factory in Bury, north-west England, has a turnover of £11.5m ($14.6m) and employs 122 people. Following the acquisition, the company’s founders, Debbie Pierce and Richard Morris, will remain in place and will become part of Panicium’s senior management team.
Panicium’s Director Norfolk stated that the company “would invest to further grow the newly-acquired company and build on its strong foundations by introducing new product ranges, increasing its market share, and expanding and developing customer relationships.”
In addition to traditional black puddings, The Bury Black Pudding Company also offers vegan, gluten-free, and chilli varieties. Products are supplied to the foodservice channel, wholesalers, hotels, and butchers across the UK. Pierce expressed her enthusiasm for joining Panicium, stating, “Our product range is complementary to the Panicium strategy and we share a number of routes to market.”
Panicium, established in 2018, previously acquired Margaret Hall under the Margaret’s Country Kitchen brand of indulgent bakery products in 2018. In 2021, it completed a second deal with Binghams Food, a potted meats and spreads manufacturer.
