An award-winning iconic producer of black puddings is primed for ‘step-change growth’ after becoming the third acquisition for artisan speciality food group Panicium.
Panicium has acquired The Bury Black Pudding Company (BBP) for an undisclosed sum.
The deal follows Panicium’s acquisitions of handmade cakes and biscuits producer Margaret Hall and specialist potted meats and spreads manufacturer Binghams Food in 2018 and 2021 respectively.
BBP, founded by managing director Debbie Pierce, has expanded into a business with turnover of £11.5m, employing 122 staff operating from a 25,400sq ft factory in Bury.
Graham Norfolk, one of Panicium’s founding directors, said it remains business as usual for BBP and its workforce, adding that the group 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.
Debbie and production director Richard Morris remain in their roles and join Panicium’s senior management team following the acquisition.
BBP has over 50 years’ manufacturing experience and uses a gold medal-winning recipe that dates back over a century alongside traditional production methods.
Black pudding is synonymous with Bury and is part of the town’s heritage, and BBP’s dedication to quality has helped it become one of the leading brands in the UK.
BBP selects the finest quality ingredients and manufactures the healthiest black pudding on the market, with less than three per cent fat and no artificial preservatives. With its high iron and nutritional values, low-fat black pudding has been recognised as a superfood.
As well as its continued focus on the production of traditional black pudding, BBP has developed vegan, gluten-free and chilli varieties.
It has one of the longest-established stalls on Bury’s world-famous market, with generations of families coming to buy its renowned black puddings. The same black puddings are also supplied to major supermarkets, foodservice companies, wholesalers, hotels, butchers and restaurants across the UK.
Debbie began working on her local market at the age of 12 as a Saturday girl and spotted a gap in the market for a quality black pudding on supermarket shelves.
She became business partners with Richard, who had taken over his father’s black pudding business after spending his teenage years working there. Over the years, BBP has grown significantly and remains committed to offering local job opportunities, including taking on apprentices and teaching them skills in the food manufacturing industry.
Debbie said: “Having steadily grown our sales and developed new business, Richard and I decided that it was time to start the next phase of business growth through becoming part of a group that is committed to the quality of its products and maintaining the family values of which we are so proud. BBP is poised for step-change growth and will benefit from investment and market extension available through the Panicium group.
“Our product range is complementary to the Panicium strategy and we share a number of routes to market. Ultimately, our products are consumed by people who love artisan, quality food. We look forward to working with the Panicium team to develop the group’s position as a leading supplier of quality foods.”
Graham Norfolk said: “The Bury Black Pudding Company makes artisan, high-quality, delicious products with a distinctive brand, and complements Panicium’s strategy of acquiring companies in the UK artisan food sector to develop a portfolio of brands characterised by their hand-made, high-quality nature with a distinctly regional identity.”
