Disposal of Ragu & Chicken Tonight to Symington’s

DATE
August 2011

TRANSACTION TYPE
Corporate Disposal

VALUE
£ Undisclosed

SECTOR
Food & Beverage

Spayne Lindsay & Co. LLP advises Unilever on the disposal of the Ragu and Chicken Tonight brands.

Spayne Lindsay & Co. LLP is delighted to announce the successful disposal of the Unilever Group’s Ragu and Chicken Tonight brands in the UK and Ireland to Symington’s Limited. The Ragu and Chicken Tonight brands, with retail sales of approximately £30m, are well known ambient wet sauce brands with a long heritage in the UK. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, Symington’s has entered into a manufacturing agreement which means that both Ragu and Chicken Tonight will be produced at Unilever’s factory in Oss, Netherlands, for at least three years. No Unilever employees will transfer to Symington’s as a result of this agreement.

Symington’s is a leading manufacturer of high quality ambient convenience food products, including soups, cous cous and microwaveable rice, produced under several famous brands including Ainsley Harriott, Golden Wonder, Aunt Bessie’s and Campbell’s.

Spayne Lindsay is delighted to have advised the Unilever Group on this transaction, which provides a strong platform for the future of Ragu and Chicken Tonight in the UK market.