More Albert Fisher jobs saved

More than 250 jobs at a seafood business owned by collapsed fresh foods group Albert Fisher were safeguarded today.

Coldwater Seafood (UK) has bought the seafood preparation plant in Redditch, Worcestershire, for an undisclosed fee from administrative receivers KPMG.

The plant is the fifth to be sold by KPMG as an ongoing concern and means that more than 2,000 jobs have now been saved by the accountants.

A buyer has yet to be found for two further Albert Fisher sites, seafood plants in Fraserburgh and Peterhead.

The group, a supplier of fresh and frozen foods to the grocery sector, fell into receivership in May after running up debts of around £100m.

KPMG sold the chilled and prepared foods business to US giant Fresh Del Monte Produce's UK subsidiary last month. And Young's Bluecrest Seafood snapped up one of Albert Fisher's seafood processing sites, in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, three weeks ago.

Coldwater Seafood (UK) is part of the Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation and operates two seafood processing plants in Grimsby.

The group supplies 22,000 tonnes of seafood products a year to retailers such as Marks & Spencer and McDonalds.