A JOINT venture between the fresh chicken giant, Cargill, which operates two processing facilities in Hereford, and Faccenda, an enterprise dealing also with fresh turkey and duck, has given the newly created Avara Foods plenty to crow about.

Following Competition and Market Authority approval granted in December, the 50/50 shared ownership between Cargill, an enterprise employing around 2,000 people in office and production jobs in the county, and Faccenda has been unveiled as the latest major player in the UK poultry sector.

A large employer in this country, Avara Foods is bringing together 6,000 people in a fully integrated supply chain focused on delivering high quality fresh food to UK customers.

Andy Dawkins, CEO of the new company said this was an “exciting day”.

He said: “Launching Avara Foods brings together two successful businesses with high standards, shared values and strong reputations for building sustainable partnerships with customers, growers and suppliers.”

This latest move provided an opportunity to “take the best from both” to give good service to customers and innovation from a trusted leader in fresh foods, he said.

“We believe that it is our strong values, and talented people, that make the difference and will be key to the success of our business now and in the future.”

Mr Dawkins continued: “Our first step is to make sure that there is a smooth transition as we bring together the two businesses as Avara Foods, and establish a solid platform for growth.”