Food
Nurturing your appetite for growth
What is involved?
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.
Why choose Freeths?
- 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
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.
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.
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.
Call our legal experts to get advice tailored to your unique business needs.
Who we work with
- Aldi
- Padleys
- Freshtime
- Visual Foods
- Moy Park
- NSF
- Noble Foods
- 2 Sisters
- Karsten UK
- Holland’s Pies
Food Lawyers
Lisa Gilligan
Managing Partner
0345 272 5723
Simon Baigent
Partner
0345 274 6903
Simon Barker
Partner
0345 634 2583
Emma Brooksbank
Partner
0345 166 6300
Paul Burnley
Partner
0345 017 8381
Rebecca Howlett
Partner
0345 166 6338
David Marsden
Partner
0345 404 1757
Martin Noble
Partner
0345 030 5699
Rebecca Sawbridge
Partner
0345 634 2589
Laura Tracey
Partner
0345 166 6349
Tom Walker
Partner
0345 166 6337
Tristan Duncan
Director
0345 166 6301
Kishan Pattni
Director
0345 070 3811
Paul Bownes
Managing Associate
0345 404 4142
Daniel McNally
Managing Associate
0345 030 5728
James Lapham
Associate
0186 578 1291
Amy Platt
Associate
0345 166 6267
Green Agreements: Collaborating with competitors on environmental sustainability
Articles 15th Nov 2023Environmental sustainability agreements under UK competition law
Articles 10th May 2023Mandatory separate food waste segregation for all businesses set to come into force from 2023
Articles 17th Apr 2023- 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.
Client service
‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.
Talk to us
Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?
Contact: 03301 001 014