Macduff Shellfish reaches in principle agreement to acquire Young's Seafood Limited's Stornoway site

The UK’s largest wild caught shellfish processor, Macduff Shellfish, has announced it has reached an in principal agreement to acquire Young’s Seafood’s Limited’s Stornoway operation, for an undisclosed sum.

The potential deal would consolidate a two year relationship between the businesses and would see all 33 Young’s Seafood employees transfer to Macduff Shellfish.

The Stornoway factory currently processes whole langoustines which are sold to Macduff Shellfish and de-shells prawns for use in Young’s scampi.  Young’s intends to move supply and processing of its wholetail prawns to its Annan factory, with the potential to create a small number of permanent jobs.

Based in Mintlaw near Peterhead, Macduff Shellfish processes shellfish and exports to Europe and the Far East as well as supplying the UK market. At the end of last year, it purchased the UK’s largest scallop fishing fleet, Scott Trawlers.

Commenting on the potential Stornoway acquisition, Euan Beaton, chairman of Macduff Shellfish, said:

“The purchase of Stornoway from Young’s would be the natural progression of a two year relationship. It would open up a number of exciting opportunities for us on the west coast of Scotland. Should the sale go ahead, it is very much our intention to continue with buying both whole langoustines and prawn tails. However, our ambition is to expand the shellfish species processed at the Stornoway factory in line with our mission to lead, develop and innovate within selected shellfish species.”