Southampton’s Clarke Willmott advises Proper Cornish on sale to French group

Lawyers at Clarke Willmott’s Southampton offices have advised on the sale of food manufacturer Proper Cornish to the private equity-backed French Boncolac Group for an undisclosed sum.

Partner and head of Clarke Willmott’s corporate team Kelvin Balmont oversaw the transaction, along with associate Hollie Blackwood Fisher.

Proper Cornish distributes frozen pastry products across the UK from its 58,000 square foot bakery in Bodmin. The deal offers them access to new markets in Europe, as Boncolac is quickly becoming a pan-European leader in frozen snacks and desserts.

Managing Director Chris Pauling said: “Since 1988 we’ve worked hard to build Proper Cornish to where it is today, and we just know there is so much more potential.

“As a founding member of Proper Cornish, I was extremely keen to ensure we found the right partner to take the company to the next level, and I’m confident that Groupe Boncolac is that partner.

“We were very pleased with Clarke Willmott, who provided a very proficient and smooth legal process throughout, getting a complex transaction completed with the minimum of fuss.”

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