Established in 1993 by Ranjit Singh Boparan as a frozen retail cutting operation, it has grown rapidly through acquisition and expanded to cover 36 manufacturing sites in the UK, eight in the Netherlands, five in Ireland and one in Poland.
However, after building up a 25% share holdings, on 21 January 2011 Boparan announced a £341M bid to buy Northern Foods,[5] which succeeded in gaining sufficient shareholder support to proceed.
[7] In April 2006, Compass Group sold its specialist airports and railways division SSP for £1,822 million to EQT AB of Sweden, including the Harry Ramsden's fish and chip shop chain.
[16] Ranjit Boparan received an honorary doctorate from Nottingham Trent University in July 2015, "in recognition of his significant contribution to the food manufacturing industry, to education and the development of his workforce, and for his philanthropic interests.
"[17] In April 2008, his son Antonio Singh Boparan was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to 21 months in jail for dangerous driving which had led to the severe life-changing injury of a child, Cerys Edwards, who was a passenger in a car he struck.
In February 2012, Edwards' family was awarded compensation of £5M, and a sum of £450k per annum every year for her life for Cerys' care, from Boparan's insurance company.