Chilled and frozen food wholesaler Midland Food Group (MFG) has been acquired by Italian dairy business Granarolo Group.

MFG makes chilled and frozen pies and pasties in a range of sizes, from buffet up to 5Ib, at its production facilities in Willenhall, West Midlands. The site also makes sandwich fillings and meat products.

MFG also has a distribution hub in Basingstoke for serving London and southern England, and runs a fleet of 50 company-owned vehicles.

Operating for more than 40 years, MFG has been focused on foodservice distribution, but has a growing retail presence. The dairy sector accounts for 30% of the company’s sales, and it distributes hams and other cooked meat products. It has an expected turnover of £62m and 244 employees.

Granarolo Group, which has acquired 100% of the business, currently turns over €22m in the UK and supplies the Made in Italy range that includes bakery products, fresh and aged cheeses, pasta and balsamic vinegar.

“With the acquisition of Midland Food Group we aim to make an even bigger splash in the British chilled food market,” said Granarolo Group chairman Gianpiero Calzolari.

“Granarolo UK will now be able to count on two logistics hubs with a structured, efficient distribution system. It will also have the opportunity to develop direct sales in the large and constantly expanding foodservice sector in the UK.”

Granarolo Group is a key dairy supplier in Italy, operating a consortium of milk producers, and has 18 milk processing facilities across Italy, as well as two in France, three in Brazil and one in New Zealand. With a turnover of €1.3bn, it employs 2,800 staff.