Bunzl completes acquisition of catering giant Nisbets

Hannah Baker
·1-min read
Nisbets’ flagship showroom in Bristol, The National Catering Equipment Centre.
-Credit: (Image: Nisbets)


Multinational distribution group Bunzl has completed its acquisition of Bristol catering giant Nisbets, it has announced. The listed company said on Tuesday (May 28) the deal had been cleared by the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

In February, Bunzl acquired an 80% stake in the Avonmouth-based catering firm for £339m after agreeing a deal with Nisbets' parent firm Key West Holdings. The transaction valued Nisbets at more than £500m.

Bunzl is a specialist international distribution and services group with operations across North and South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the UK and Ireland. It sells products to hotels, hospitals and grocery chains.

All of Nisbets' 1,800 staff will remain within the business following the deal, along with the company's management team. Founder Andrew Nisbet will act as a non-executive director and the company's chair and chief executive, Peter Sephton, will also stay in post.

Frank van Zanten, chief executive of Bunzl, said: "I am delighted that we have completed the acquisition of Nisbets, a high-quality business with an experienced and well-respected management team.

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"Their digital expertise and market-leading range of own brand products, will further strengthen our position in the catering equipment sector. We welcome our new colleagues at Nisbets to the Bunzl family as we continue to focus on our consistent compounding strategy to grow both organically and through consolidation of our fragmented markets.”

Nisbets was founded in 1983. For the year ended 31 December 2023, Nisbets generated revenue of £498m, with a profit before interest, tax and amortisation of £40.2m on a pro-forma basis and total gross assets of £242m.

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