Donald Russell / Vestey Foods Group

Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP is delighted to announce the sale of Donald Russell, the specialist Scottish butcher and mail order meat supplier, renowned for its fine quality butchery and gourmet food, to Vestey Foods. The price and terms have not been disclosed.

Founded in 1974 and based in Scotland, Donald Russell is a specialist butcher with an unrivalled reputation for the quality of its beef and steaks, which has grown to become the UK's leading mail order butcher. With a turnover of around £30 million, Donald Russell has built its reputation on supplying quality beef, lamb, game, poultry, seafood, fish and other gourmet product direct to consumers and restaurants around the UK. It also holds the Royal Warrant, delivering regularly to the Royal Household.

Vestey Foods Group is a family owned group, comprising thirteen food companies across 70 countries. It specialises in the import, storage and distribution of a wide variety of meat, poultry, fish and other foodstuffs from global suppliers into the various local market places in which it operates. Vestey Foods Group has a combined turnover in excess of £500m.

Cavendish ran a competitive sale process using its extensive international network to identify a wide range of purchasers. The sale of Donald Russell is the latest in a number of recent food sector transactions for Cavendish, including: Gu, Seafood Holdings, Vitacress and Maximuscle.

Jonathan Buxton, lead partner on the transaction and head of consumer at Cavendish, commented: "it was clear from the outset that there was a good fit between Donald Russell and Vestey and we are delighted that, as well as a successful exit for shareholders, the business has found a new investor which shares its values and is ideally placed to take it on to the next stage".

• view related article: 'Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP advises on the sale of Donald Russell'