Timeline
1981 Hillsdown Holdings purchased Lockwoods Foods from a Receiver. Two factories acquired - Long Sutton and Forfar, both canning fruit and vegetables and also a carbonated drinks line at Long Sutton. Lockwoods Foods’ name changed to Hillsdown Ltd.
March 1983 Hillsdown Ltd acquired TKM Foods, including Smedley’s canned and frozen fruit and vegetables and the factory at Wisbech, subsequently disposing of the frozen fruit and vegetable activities. Cannery at Maldon closed.
1985 Acquired Robert Wilson’s, a meat canning business based at Kilwinning, Ayrshire.
March 1986 Acquired John Morrell & Co Ltd , a canner of fruit and vegetables and pet food, with a factory at Bardney, Lincs canning fruit/vegetables and pet food. After the acquisition, factory changed to Pet Food only.
Morton’s acquired from Beechams. Factory at Lowestoft (later closed) producing range of Fruit Fillings, Seasonal Vegetables and Processed Peas.
December 1986 Acquired Beecham Foods fruit and vegetable canning operation.
1987 Frozen veg operation sold to Salvesens.
1989 Haywards Pickles at Bury St Edmunds, purchased from Brooke Bond.
January 1990 Acquired Premier Brands, the Hartley Canning operation, Typhoo, Chivers, Smash, Cadbury’s drinks. Prior to this, Premier Brands had acquired Pickering Foods, a fruit and vegetable canning company from Heinz.
1990 Various canning businesses acquired, consolidated to Long Sutton and Wisbech sites.
Sutherlands Meat Canning Divisions acquired (brand and equipment only). Business transferred to Wilson’s at Kilwinning.
Hartley’s Canned Fruit and Vegetable business sited at Montrose and Didcot (later closed), transferred from Premier Brands. Also, British Fish Canners business transferred.
Sterling Wygate dry dog food business integrated with Canned Pet Food ex Bardney, to form Pet Food Division.
Chilled Foods Division formed from Henry Telfer and Smedley Foods. Product lines are M&S sandwiches at Northampton and Chilled Salads at Spalding. New factories commissioned at both sites.
1990s Hillsdown Ltd becomes HL Foods Ltd, HP Canned Goods acquired, Jonker Fris factory acquired in Holland.
1991 British Fish Canners sold.
Pet Food Division sold to BP Nutrition (UK) Ltd.
Hillsdown Ltd name changed to HL Foods Ltd. Company structure changed to form four divisions: Fruit & Vegetable Canning - Haywards Foods; Meat & Ready Meals; Chilled Foods - Smedley Foods/Henry Telfer; Pickles.
Foresight Canning, Halstead acquired (Pease Pudding and organic veg).
Anglia Canners acquired from ABF. Canneries at King’s Lynn and Brechin. Canneries later closed and capacity transferred to Long Sutton and Wisbech. Ready Meals factory at Brechin will be expanded to incorporate existing capacity and products currently being produced at Kilwinning.
1993 Company restructured. Ambient Foods Group formed, comprising: HL Foods Ltd - Fruit & Veg Canning; Robert Wilson & Sons Ltd - Meat & Ready Meals; Chivers Hartley - Jams, Preserves and Haywards Pickles.
Robert Wilson & Sons Ltd sell Brechin factory to Pataks.
October 1994 Acquired the stock, plant and machinery of F E Barber (previously CWS, Lowestoft) with a two year title to the CWS Own Label Canned Fruit & Vegetables.
March 1996 Acquired the HP Canned Goods operation. Factory based at North Walsham. BTS and Pasta products 4.5m cases annually.
1997 Robert Wilson Ltd, Kilwinning closure by Hillsdown Holdings. HL obtains business rights and relocates at North Walsham.
April 1998 Smash Instant Mashed Potato transferred from Premier Biscuits to HL Foods (Hillsdown Holdings decision).
1999 Jonker Fris factory at Heusden, Holland acquired.
Hillsdown Holdings acquired by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst.
January to March 2000 Integrated the Chivers Hartley’s Business from Histon into HL Foods - Jams/Preserves/Honey/Pickles and Sauces
January to March 2001 Integrated the Premier Beverages business from Moreton into Long Sutton
April 2001 Acquired and integrated Stratford upon Avon Canners canning and pickles business
September 2001 Lift lemon tea brand acquired from Northern Foods.
October 2001 Acquired Nelsons of Aintree from Associated British Foods
May 2002 Acquired Nestlé's UK ambient food business for £115m. The acquisition brought favourites like Branston, Crosse & Blackwell, Sarson's and Sun Pat into the fold and established Premier Foods as one of the country's leading food manufacturers. The purchase included factories at Hadfield and Middleton.
November 2002 Dropped the ‘International’ and became known as ‘Premier Foods’.
November 2003 Purchased Ambrosia and Brown & Polson from Unilever Bestfoods UK Ltd.
July 2004 Floated on the Stock Exchange as “Premier Foods”, with an initial market capitalisation of £526 million.
Businesses integrated under one management team.
2005 Acquired Birds custard and Angel Delight from Kraft Foods
June 2005 Purchased Marlow Foods Holdings Ltd the owner of Quorn, the UK's leading meat alternative brand, from Montagu Private Equity
October 2005 Sold Typhoo Tea business to Apeejay International Tea Limited
Sold Jonker Fris to NPM Capital B.V., a Dutch private equity firm.
Acquired Cauldron Foods Ltd, a leading manufacturer of branded, chilled meat free products, from Rayner & Co (Investments) Limited
August 2006 Completed the £460 million acquisition of Campbell’s UK & Irish business, adding OXO, Batchelors, Homepride and Fray Bentos to the portfolio.
March 2007 Completed the £1.2 billion acquisition of RHM along with many of the UK’s best known food brands including Hovis, Sharwoods, Cadbury cakes, Bisto and Mr Kipling.