From commodities and wholesale, to manufacturing and retail, the Food and Drink sector is a vital pillar in the Midlands and wider UK economy, with a diverse and complex supply chain.


Constantly in a state of flux, the Food and Drink industry is influenced by many variables including the link between commodity prices and successful harvests, transportation costs and the increasingly important “carbon footprint”, ever-changing packaging trends, government policy and food standards regulations, trends in retail routes to market, and of course changing consumer tastes.

The sector includes “steady-state” staples and high growth products which are often aligned with accelerating long-term trends. For instance, increasing awareness of healthier and sustainable food and drink products, and the recent trend in delivery, click-and-collect and other tech-driven consumer options, has driven a marked uptick in deal activity in these subsectors.

The sector remains largely fragmented, creating an abundance of opportunities for trade, private equity and individual investors. The UK’s relatively low market pricing means UK based businesses continue to attract interest from overseas investors.

How we can help

Here at PKF Smith Cooper, we have extensive experience in the Food & Drink sector, having worked with businesses throughout the whole vertical spectrum of the sector. This enables us to offer a broad range of services – from business advisory and transactional advice to funding opportunities and commercial due diligence, to growth strategies and deal structuring – that help you achieve your goals and aspirations.

We provide a client-focused approach and take the time to really understand your aspirations so that we can create innovative, tailor-made solutions that optimise deal outcomes, delivered efficiently with minimum risk.

Our services

  • Project management of share and trade/asset deals:
    • Sales to corporates, private equity and individuals
    • Acquisitions for corporates, MBO teams and individuals
  • Acquisition bid proposals
  • Target assessment and valuation
  • Business planning, modelling and fundraising
  • Deal structuring and strategic advice
  • Succession planning and pre-sale preparation

Key experts

David Crump

Corporate Finance Director

Derby