Foodservice provider Bidcorp UK has announced the acquisition of Northern Bloc Ice Cream.

The company said it has purchased the trade and assets of the ice-cream maker, which supplies the retail and out-of-home channels, including Waitrose, The Co-op, Ocado, the National Trust and Wagamama.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Northern Bloc Ice Cream will join Bidcorp UK’s network of manufacturing businesses, which includes Simply Food Solutions and Yarde Farm, and will continue to trade under its own brand name.

Dirk Mischendahl, managing director at Leeds-based Northern Bloc Ice Cream, said: “We are very excited about joining the Bidcorp UK group and having the opportunity to continue the journey we started in 2014, creating great flavours and making ice cream centre of plate.”  

Jim Gouldie, supply chain and technical services director at the Bidfood UK business unit, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dirk Mischendahl, managing director, and the Northern Bloc team to our Bidcorp UK family.

“Their passion, ethical ethos and reputation for providing great-tasting products at an excellent service completely resonates with our core mission and values. We look forward to supporting the team and expanding their brand presence through multiple routes to market.”  

Bidcorp UK is a subsidiary of the South Africa-based Bidcorp Group, an international foodservice provider in the on-venue sector. It serves over 60,000 customers in the UK and Ireland. It owns the foodservice brands Bidfood, Cimandis Foodservice, Caterfood, and Unity. It also has fresh meat, fish and dairy brands such as Campbell Brothers, Oliver Kay, Daily Fish Supplies and Kingfisher.

Bidcorp Group is active on all continents. Its revenue for the second half of fiscal 2023 was R113.8bn ($6.2bn), a 24% increase year-on-year.

Its UK revenue was R28bn, representing 21.2% growth compared to last year. Its trading profit was down 15% in the UK at R0.8bn.

Northern Bloc Ice Cream’s portfolio features a variety of frozen desserts, including a vegan range, a low-sugar ice cream for children and an ice cream for dogs supporting the Dogs Trust.  

The company launched its first products in 2014.