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Musgrave, one of Ireland’s largest food retail, wholesale and foodservice groups, has announced the acquisition of Bradford-based Delifresh, a specialist supplier of whole and prepared fruit, vegetables and chilled products.

The deal further accelerates Musgrave’s expansion in the UK’s high-end foodservice market, adding new depth and geographic reach to its UK operations.

Delifresh’s addition to the Musgrave portfolio enhances the Group’s capability in fresh and speciality categories, areas of increasing strategic importance as demand for premium ingredients continues to rise across the UK hospitality sector.

The move follows a string of recent acquisitions by Musgrave in Britain, including Ritter Courivaud, Town & Country Fine Foods and Italicatessen UK.

Stuart Campbell, managing director for Musgrave Group in the UK, said, “By bringing Delifresh into the Musgrave Group, we are adding a strong player in the fresh, chilled, and speciality products space to our portfolio.”

Musgrave is one of Europe’s largest family-owned businesses and Ireland’s largest private-sector employer, supporting more than 41,000 jobs across over 1,000 stores, offices and distribution centres. The group also operates food retail and wholesale businesses in Spain.

The acquisition also reinforces the presence of Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading foodservice wholesaler, in the broader region. The brand currently supplies more than 50,000 retailers, pubs, hotels, restaurants and hospitality operators with a 14,000-strong range spanning confectionery, ambient groceries, chilled, fresh and frozen foods.

Campbell continued: “This acquisition aligns with our intent to capture more market share in the premium and high-quality food sectors, as we continue to enhance our product range and geographical reach to meet growing customer demand.”