Sysco acquires Campbell’s Prime Meat

The century-old business based in Linlithgow in Scotland, which currently employs 325 people, will join the leading foodservice provider Sysco GB as it looks to grow further.

Campbell’s Prime Meat is a long-established business, dating back to 1910 when Thomas Campbell began his craft in butchery on Castle Street in Edinburgh. The company has remained a family-run business through the years, with Thomas’ grandson at the helm today.

Following its acquisition, Campbell’s Prime Meat will continue to operate as a separate business but will now benefit from the support of Sysco, providing the specialist meat supplier with the opportunity to expand its product range and access new customers.

Commenting on the move, Christopher Campbell, CEO of Campbell’s Prime Meat, said: “Sysco is the perfect partner for the next stage in Campbell’s ​Prime Meat​ development. Over the past century, we’ve worked tirelessly to build a reputation as the leading catering butcher in Scotland, and we’ve been impressed at how Sysco wants to support and encourage us to continue that journey.”​

Sysco is a global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, and other customers. For the fiscal year 2024 that ended July 1 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78bn.

Its UK arm is home to 8,400 colleagues and services more than 20,000 customers from its 30 distribution centres across Great Britain; and is home to Brakes, KFF, Medina Foodservice, Fresh Direct, M&J Fresh Seafood, Wild Harvest and Country Choice.

“With the additional route to market that Sysco offers, we can bring our quality meat, fish and deli products to an entirely new audience. We are very much looking forward to an exciting new phase in the company’s development,” ​continued Campbell.

“We are delighted that Campbell’s Prime Meat will be joining Sysco GB,”​ added Paul Nieduszynski, CEO of Sysco GB. “It is a great business with a fantastic reputation for producing high quality meat, fish and deli items, combined with exceptional levels of service and championing independent customers in Scotland. We believe that it is a brilliant fit for Sysco and will bring a huge benefit for our customers by strengthening our Scottish proposition.”​

The acquisition of Campbell’s Prime Meat follows Sysco’s $100m investment into a new UK depot earlier this year.

The 475,000 square foot site in Hemel Hempstead, which had previously been an Amazon warehouse, is currently being kitted out to store a wider range of fresh, frozen and ambient products locally.  

In other news, Amazon's global grocery lead has departed the business.​​