Buxted chicken entreprenuer to enter bid battle for Northern Foods

Ranjit Boparan, the Buxted chicken entrepreneur who also owns the Harry Ramsden's fish and chip shop chain, is working on a bid to take control of Northern Foods, Britain's biggest manufacturer of Christmas puddings.

Boparan currently owns some 6.6% of Northern Foods, which also makes Goodfella's pizza and Fox's biscuits. He is now planning to gatecrash its planned merger with Irish rival Greencore although Northern said today that Boparan had not indicated how much he might be prepared to pay.

Northern said it was approached by Boparan Holdings Limited last week, requesting certain information related to the Greencore deal. The ready meals maker added that it still believes that the Greencore tie-up offers "substantial benefits for its shareholders, customers and employees". Greencore said it continues to recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the merger.

Boparan Holdings responded by confirming that it was "evaluating a possible cash offer" for Northern Foods.

Shares in Northern Foods jumped by almost 7.5% to 65p this morning on anticipation of a bid battle. This values the company at slightly over £300m.

Boparan is one of the UK's most successful self-made businessmen, worth an estimated £130m. He and his wife founded the 2 Sisters Food Group in West Bromwich, the firm behind the Buxted poultry brand. It also supplies own-brand chickens to several major UK supermarket chains.

Boparan has already landed two major deals since the recession struck. At the start of 2009 he bought FishWorks, the restaurant and fishmonger chain. A year later he swooped on Harry Ramsden's, and pledged to expand the chain both in the UK and internationally.

The merger of Northern Foods and Greencore was announced last month. If the deal goes ahead, the combined company would supply about one in three ready meals and sandwiches sold in Britain.