Princes Group, the Liverpool-based international food and beverage giant, has announced plans for a listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange that could value the firm at up to £1.5 billion.

Princes Group, owned by Italian food firm Newlat, is best known for its Princes Tuna and Napolina brands, but also owns Crisp N Dry and licenses brands including Branston, Batchelors and Flora.

Its headquarters are located in Liverpool’s Royal Liver Building and Princes Group operates 23 production facilities across the United Kingdom, continental Europe and Mauritius. The group has a further 21 warehouses and distribution centres and three offices across the United Kingdom, Poland and the Netherlands, with 7,800 employees.

Princes said it is actively pursuing a pipeline of tangible M&A opportunities “that will unlock new geographies, categories and capabilities.” It has built an international £2 billion food and drink portfolio in food, fish, Italian, oils and drinks.

The Liverpool company is the largest supplier of edible oils in the UK and sells nearly a billion cans of food a year.

The firm said: “Princes Group has grown historically through strategic investments and inorganic acquisitions, and was in July 2024 acquired by NewPrinces S.p.A. (previously Newlat Food S.p.A., listed on the Euronext STAR segment of the Milan Stock Exchange since 2019), Princes Group’s major shareholder, a company which itself has a significant track record in acquiring companies and business divisions that operate in the food and beverage industry.

“The group’s strategy includes considering further acquisitions where targets meet its acquisition criteria.

“The group achieved pro forma revenues of £2.1 billion in the 12 months to 31 December 2024, generating pro forma adjusted EBITDA of £122.3 million at a margin of 6.0%.

“As a result of cost, commercial and operational synergies since its acquisition by the Major Shareholder, the Group has delivered pro forma adjusted EBITDA of £71.0 million at a margin of 7.4% in the 6 months to 30 June 2025, on pro forma revenues of £964.2 million.  

“The Company has conditionally agreed to acquire, from the Major Shareholder, all of the equity interests in Symington’s Limited, Newlat GmbH (Newlat Deutschland) and Princes France S.A.S. (Princes France), in connection with and prior to any Admission …”

Princes Group CEO Simon Harrison said: “At Princes Group we combine a rich heritage dating back nearly 150 years with a dynamic entrepreneurial mindset to bring great-tasting products at great value to consumers in the UK, Europe and beyond.

“Our head office, located in Liverpool’s landmark Royal Liver Building, which we recently acquired, further symbolises not only our proud tradition but also our commitment to strategic expansion, innovation and a bold vision for the future.

“Our position as a category champion is grounded in well-invested manufacturing, deep and long-standing relationships throughout our supply chain, and a highly skilled and motivated workforce. These strengths have established Princes as a trusted partner to our customers, driving sustained, profitable growth and a first choice for consumers.

“Whilst we are renowned for our iconic Princes tuna, through a combination of organic growth and focused M&A, we have built an international £2 billion food and drink portfolio, leading across five complementary categories, food, fish, Italian, oils and drinks, with operations spanning seven countries. 

“Our portfolio includes some of the UK’s most loved and enduring brands such as Princes, Napolina, Branston, Batchelors and Crisp’N’Dry, alongside a strong presence in customer own brand that sets us apart in the market.

“Today, we are the largest supplier of edible oils in the UK, sell nearly a billion cans of food a year and have built the challenger brand in baked beans under the Branston brand.

“Supported by thousands of global customers, including major UK and EU retailers, and longstanding partnerships, Princes Group continues to strengthen its leadership in the food and drinks sector.

“A listing on the London Stock Exchange is a natural next step in our journey. Beyond providing access to capital to execute our M&A ambitions, it will provide a platform to accelerate growth by expanding our product portfolio and expertise, extending our international reach, and attracting top talent as we continue building for the future.

“As we enter this next chapter, I am excited to scale Princes Group into one of Europe’s most trusted and innovative food and drinks business.”

Princes Group executive chair Angelo Mastrolia said: “Our decision to pursue a listing in London marks a pivotal moment in the history of Princes Group. The UK is our largest market and the home of an experienced leadership team: this decision reflects our long-term confidence in the business, the strength of our management, and the scale of the opportunity ahead of us.

“As we did with the successful listing of Newlat Food in 2019, we are not selling any shares. Instead, we are raising new capital to accelerate our growth strategy and support the transformation of Princes into a truly diversified and multinational food & beverage group.

“Over the past year, we have demonstrated our ability to integrate and optimise at speed, already making strong progress towards the synergies we identified at the time of the acquisition. We see significant further upside from operational efficiencies, procurement optimisation and an integrated commercial platform.

“We are actively pursuing a pipeline of tangible M&A opportunities that will unlock new geographies, categories and capabilities.

“We believe Princes is exceptionally well-positioned to deliver sustained organic growth and long-term value creation for shareholders and we are ready to propel Princes Group into its next stages of growth.”