Middleton pickle business sold

Premier Foods, whose products are predominately made in Middleton, is selling its vinegar and sour pickles business as it continues its strategy of concentrating on "power brands".

It will sell Sarson's and Dufrais vinegars and Haywards pickles for £41m to Japanese food producer Mizkan.

Premier said all staff will transfer to Mizkan.

Sarson's is the UK's best-selling vinegar brand.

Both it and the Haywards business date back more than 100 years, with Sarson's created in 1794 by Thomas Sarson.

Haywards dates back to 1868 and also makes pickled onions red cabbage and gherkins.

The sale to Mizkan will not include Premier's factory at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, where some of the Haywards pickles are currently produced.

Premier said in a statement this latest move represented a further step in its strategy to prioritise investment behind the eight brands.

Mizkan said it was delighted to have bought the brands, which it said were "beloved" by consumers and provided a solid foundation for further growth in the UK.

Premier, which is the country's largest food manufacturer, said at the beginning of this year it would cut 600 jobs, about 5% of its 12,000-strong workforce, to trim costs.