Food
In this increasingly competitive sector, our food sector team offers a complete source of legal support, including specialist expertise in regulatory regimes including food safety, health & safety, environmental, GSCOP and competition.
Understanding the food sector
In this increasingly competitive sector, you need legal advisors who understand the issues you face – whether driven by regulation or commercial pressures. Because we have worked with many food businesses across the UK, advising on a wide range of issues, you can be confident that we will deliver effective and holistic solutions to the challenges you face.
The food sector team offers a complete source of legal support, including specialist expertise in regulatory regimes including food safety, health & safety, environmental, GSCOP and competition. We also have vast experience of handling high profile cases and are well versed in dealing with the media and preventing the adverse publicity that can inevitably accompany emotive issues.
Freeths have a close working relationship with the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), supporting members with legal insight, including employment and immigration advice. We speak at their events and contribute knowhow to their news updates, as well as being yearly sponsors their Fresh Awards presenting the award for Best Company to Work For. Watch our short animation below to find out more about our food expertise:
Why choose our Food sector team?
Our industry focused team offers a full spectrum of knowledge, including meeting stringent regulatory and health & safety requirements, as well as appealing against enforcement notices and prosecutions. Or, should you find yourself in disagreement with suppliers or customers, we can assist in settling disputes, using mediation techniques where possible.
- Our national team of lawyers are based in offices in major food-producing regions across the UK
- We’re familiar with the challenges you face whether as a food producer, processor or manufacturer
- We’ll help keep you up-to-date with any European and UK legislative and regulatory changes
- You can expect clear, commercial advice based on a genuine understanding of the food sector
We will also support you with staff management, property and construction, or environmental issues. And when it comes to commercial agreements we apply our business sense to ensure your contracts are robust and enforceable.
Want to get involved?
We deliver regular legal and topical updates to the food sector community through insight pieces and through our series of sector specific webinars.
We also run regular small food sector focus groups with HR professions to discuss issues that they are facing, including immigration and Brexit related issues.
Click here to subscribe to our mailing lists to keep up to date with the latest information and seminar invites for your sector.
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Our clients & notable work
- Aldi
- Padleys
- Freshtime
- Visual Foods
- Moy Park
- NSF
- Noble Foods
- 2 Sisters
- Karsten UK
- Holland’s Pies
- Acquisition of Fabulous Bakin’ Boys – Freeths food group advised Netherlands based food business Daelmans on the multi-million pound acquisition of Fabulous Bakin’ Boys out of administration. Daelmans Group acquired brand, IP and manufacturing assets and 100 employees were also transferred to the new owners. Freeths’ understanding of the sector ensured European and UK regulatory requirements were completely covered and the team continues to assist with commercial property requirements
- Acquisition of Mr Freeze – The team also acted on the acquisition of Mr Freeze – producer of freeze pops – by Cooke Bros Holdings Limited (ultimate parent of Calypso Soft Drinks Limited). The deal involved 50% cash from a third party and 50% from the shareholders of Cooke Bros, on a share for share exchange. It was coupled with new asset based finance facilities of £13.4million to finance the purchase and replace existing working capital facilities for the enlarged group
- MBO of Arden Fine Foods – Freeths acted for the vendors of Arden Fine Foods – a speciality global food importer – on their circa £10 million buyout by management. The £24 million turnover business works with food manufacturers from across the world to develop sweet and savoury biscuits for supply to UK retailers
- Protecting trade secrets for Holland’s Pies – Our litigation experts were instrumental in gaining an injunction for iconic brand Holland’s Pies who were at risk of a competitor using secret information about the manufacture of their products. The injunction’s purpose was to prevent industrial espionage, following a former director of Holland’s Pies recruiting staff for his rival pie business
- Managing employment relations for 2 Sisters Food Group – As sole employment advisers to 2 Sisters Food Group, which employs 23,000 staff across 40 sites, including Fox’s Biscuits, Goodfella’s Pizzas and Holland’s Pies brands, our employment team handles a constant flow of employment queries relating to all types of employment situations
What our clients say
"We knew what to expect after the first few deals and all the other work that Freeths has done for us over the years. The commitment, support and s...
Client testimonial
"The team delivered an extremely proactive and efficient service during our recent MBO, driving the process through to a successful completion. The...
Client testimonial
Meet our food team
Lisa Gilligan
Leicester Office Managing Partner
Simon Barker
Partner & Head of Intellectual Property
Rebecca Howlett
Commercial Partner & Head of Freeths' Virtual Legal Team
Food sector insights
Contact us today
Whatever your legal needs, our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business, so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started.
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