A family-run seafood firm expanding its operations in Grimsby has won a King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
Tony Horner’s Ideal Foods Ltd has been named in the prestigious list as it celebrates a record year, with revenues of £22.4 million. The company has traded internationally for more than 20 years, exporting fish, shellfish and byproducts to customers in more than 40 countries. Key markets include the Far East, Europe and the USA.
The town businessman set the firm up having moved to Cornwall. While the head office remains in Liskeard, the past year has seen significant expansion in Grimsby, building on operations within ACS&T’s cold storage business.
Read more: King's Award for export success through Covid for pharma packaging firm
It now operates two factory units on Grimsby Seafood Village, with all processing, packing and by-product work undertaken in the town, with a pet food brand also located there.
Mr Horner, a former Havelock pupil who worked for several seafood firms in Grimsby before setting up his own, said: “It gives me immense pride to see our company honoured in this way.
“We are fortunate to have a wonderful team of committed, hard-working and high achieving staff, and each and every one of our workforce has contributed to our international sales success.”
Over the past 15 years, the company has seen consistent year-on-year growth and this past year, sold 18,396 tonnes of fish, 80 per cent of which was exported. The company has traded internationally since it launched, exporting fish, shellfish and byproducts to customers in more than 40 countries. It supplies retail outlets from independent fishmongers to supermarkets.
The company employs 40 staff, with 15 employees in Grimsby, supported by agency workers. This week has seen it exhibit at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, and sights are now set on increasing turnover to £25 million this year.
“To achieve this, the company is looking to break into new international markets and has recently conducted a market research visit with the Department of International Trade to a currently unchartered country in the Far East,” Mr Horner said.
“This is a very exciting time for Ideal Foods with new projects on the horizon. We are delighted that we can move forward with our business activities along with the accolade of the King’s Award for Enterprise.”
He joins fellow Grimsby ‘exile’ Phill Allen as an inaugural recipient under King Charles’ reign, with what is recognised as the highest business honour having been rebranded from the Queen’s Awards.
As reported, Mr Allen’s AllpaQ pharmaceutical packaging business, now based in Widnes, was also recognised for international trade, having played a key role in the US Covid vaccine roll-out.
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