Harry Ramsden entrepreneur steps in to save fish processor

Ranjit Boparan, owner of Boparan Group, yesterday bought Grimsby-based Five Star Fish for an undisclosed sum in a deal which he promises will secure jobs, protect the firm's future and provide a stable backdrop for continued growth.

Mr Boparan completed his takeover of Yorkshire's Harry Ramsden brand in January and, before that, the Fishworks restaurant chain in the south of England.

Five Star Fish, whose customers include Bradford-based Morrisons and Iceland as well as a number of pub and restaurant chains, has doubled annual turnover to around 65m in the past three years and employs 332 people

In February, the company went into administration following problems at its parent company, British Seafood Group.

The group bought Five Star Fish from The Real Good Food Company for 35m in 2007.

Mr Boparan said the new deal marked an end to any uncertainty

surrounding the firm and said he plans to build on its success.

"We're absolutely delighted to have bought this fantastic business," he said. "It's a brilliant, innovative company with a terrific team of people who've skilfully guided the business to its present heights and we're going to do everything we can to help them continue to build and expand upon that success".

In 2009, Five Star Fish built a new factory at Great Grimsby Business Park in order to capitalise on the growing seafood market.

Matt Smith, joint administrator and partner in the reorganisation services practice at administrators Deloitte, said: "After a short period of trading during administration, we are delighted to have successfully completed the sale of the Five Star Fish business, which will secure the employment of the workforce at Grimsby. Five Star Fish is a strong, profitable business and the sale is sure to be welcomed by the stakeholders of Five Star Fish, both locally and globally, who are eager to see the business survive."

Mr Boparan, 43, owns a number of businesses in the food sector and is responsible for over 6,000 employees worldwide and combined annual sales approaching 1bn.

In January he announced his vision to open a further 100 Harry

Ramsden's restaurants in the next five years, a plan he expects to

create a total of 600 jobs.

He also wants to take the chain global and he and his team are already formulating plans to begin serving Yorkshire fish and chips to the expanding Chinese and Indian markets. He pledged to retain the same recipes and image that the historic chain possesses.