Sale of Meatsnacks Group Limited to AZQ Investments Pty Ltd

DATE
March 2019

TRANSACTION TYPE
Corporate Disposal

VALUE
£ Undisclosed

SECTOR
Food & Beverage

Spayne Lindsay & Co. advises on the sale of Meatsnacks Group Limited (“MGL”) to AZQ Investments Pty Ltd (“AZQ”)

Spayne Lindsay is delighted to announce that it has advised the shareholders of MGL, the UK’s largest jerky and biltong manufacturer, on the sale of the business to AZQ, which is an investment vehicle of the Australia-based entrepreneur Tony Quinn, who also owns the UK meat snacking brand Kings and the largest manufacturer of beef jerky in Australia and Japan.

MGL is led by James Newitt and has historically grown both organically and via acquisition, most notably with the merger of The Jerky Group and Cruga Biltong in 2015. Today MGL is the owner of the Wild West and Cruga brands, the UK’s #1 brands in jerky and biltong, respectively, and is also the leading private label supplier to the major retailers in the UK. Outside of the UK, MGL exports to over 25 international markets.

MGL is vertically integrated, with approximately 120 employees across three manufacturing facilities in Milton Keynes, Grantown and Forres, and has a keen focus on NPD with the development of its innovative salmon jerky and the recent launch of its Krave brand.

James Newitt, CEO of Meatsnacks Group, commented:

“We are excited about the combination and having a supportive owner in Tony Quinn which will allow us to accelerate the growth of the business and the meat snacking sector within the broader healthier snacking market. We have a huge opportunity ahead of us and we’re grateful to the Spayne Lindsay team for their thoughtful advice and hands-on involvement throughout the transaction.”