tomatoes

Vitacress has sold its UK tomato business, Wight Salads, to APS Salads.

Vitacress has said that the sale will allow it to focus on its core prepared salads and fresh herbs businesses, and accelerate its investment programme.

APS is a family-run tomato business based in Cheshire, while Wight Salads has annual sales of over £40 million and employs around 460 people.

It grows tomatoes on the Isle of Wight, and has a packing plant in Chichester, Sussex. It supplies tomatoes to many of the UK’s leading food retailers.

The sale will allow Vitacress to focus on its core prepared salads and fresh herbs businesses and accelerate its investment programme.Vitacress will retain its Portuguese and Spanish tomato nurseries.

Toby Brinsmead, chief executive of Vitacress, said:“This is a good deal which strengthens both Vitacress and Wight Salads. It allows Vitacress to increase its focus on prepared salads and fresh herbs, where we are already investing heavily in innovation and efficiency.

'We believe the combination of Wight Salads and APS will also create a strong UK tomato growing business which will benefit consumers, customers and employees.”

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