Preston-based potato processor joins Burgess Farms as part of investor’s UK fresh produce group
Specialist potato and vegetable processor Fylde Fresh and Fabulous (FFF) has secured new investment from UK private investor Chiltern Capital as part of a management buyout.
FFF’s CEO Simon Leaver, alongside head of finance and commercial Mark Claridge and Emma Hesketh, have invested alongside Chiltern as the company looks to accelerate its next phase of growth.
The Preston-based business, which supplies around 1,000 tonnes of fresh prepared produce each week to some of the UK’s best-known food manufacturers, will join Chiltern’s portfolio alongside fresh produce grower and supplier Burgess Farms.
FFF has established itself as a long-term supplier with a focus on product quality, customer and grower relationships and sustainable production. The company’s sustainability initiatives include an anaerobic digestion plant at its Preston site.
The existing management team will remain in place and work with Chiltern Capital through the transition, with business continuing to operate from its Preston and Leeds sites.
Simon Leaver, CEO of FFF, said: “This is an exciting moment for FFF and for everyone who has helped build it. My management team and I have chosen to invest in this next chapter ourselves because we believe in where the business is going.
“Our customers will see the same team, the same sites and the same commitment to quality and service – what changes is our ability to invest, with Chiltern’s backing, and the opportunity to work with Burgess Farms as part of a broader fresh produce group, giving us real momentum for the next phase of growth,” he added.
The deal also marks a transition for FFF’s founding shareholders. David Linton, speaking on their behalf, said: ““We are immensely proud of what FFF has become, and grateful to our people, customers and growers.
“We wanted to secure the long-term future of the business with a partner who shares our values, and we are delighted to be leaving the legacy of what we have built in excellent hands,” he added.
David Butler, partner at Chiltern Capital, said: “FFF is an outstanding business with an experienced management team, a strong reputation for quality and innovation, and long-standing relationships with customers and growers.
“We see significant potential to build on those foundations and are delighted to be backing Simon and his team,” he said.
Butler added that FFF and Burgess Farms brought complementary capabilities to Chiltern’s fresh produce interests, supporting what he described as a broader “seed-to-shelf offering”.
“We see exciting opportunities to invest across the group, strengthen its capabilities and support customers and growers as we continue to build a high-quality UK fresh produce supplier in a sector that is key to UK national resilience,” he added.
