Pork pie and sausages maker George Adams bought by Finedale Foods

East Midlands food manufacturer George Adams has been bought out of administration by Finedale Foods.

The 115-year-old artisan pork pie maker collapsed into administration with the loss of nearly 50 jobs in January. It appointed administrators from Opus Restructuring.

Finedale Foods has invested in the non-physical assets of the heritage brand, including the trade mark, recipes and intellectual property.

The acquisition increases the portfolio of brands under the ownership of the Norfolk-based manufacturer, which also produces the Frank Dale Foodservice and the Deli Santé brands from its site at Bunwell, near Norwich.

Managing director of Finedale Foods, Edward Miles, said: "The George Adams 1910 brand has a wealth of history behind it and we are pleased to be opening the next chapter and giving it a bright future. The heritage brand is renowned for its artisan pies, sausage rolls and Scotch egg products, supplying retail and food service customers across the UK. This fits perfectly with our existing brands."

George Adams started the business serving the people of Spalding with quality meats and handmade pork pies from his new butcher's shop. Growing demand led to the company becoming a large-scale food manufacturer focusing on pies, sausages and cooked meats.

The range included Ploughman's Pork Pies and Mustard Scotch Eggs supplying a variety of clients from supermarkets to farm shops, restaurants and butchers.

Mark Adams, grandson of George, took over the running of George Adams when his father died. Due to illness, Mark sold the family business to Danish Crown's UK subsidiary Tulip in 2007, alongside its five production facilities with 2,000 staff, which had an annual turnover of around £200 million.

However, the cost of living crisis, competition from supermarkets and more people cutting down the amount of meat in their diet for health and ecological reasons has hit demand for a number of food groups.

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