Kettle Foods being put up for sale?

Rising profits and turnover at Kettle Foods have fuelled speculation that its private equity owners will put the business up for sale.

City speculation has suggested that Lion Capital, which bought Norwich-based Kettle for about £170m in 2006, will put the business up for sale this autumn - with a £440m price-tag

It follows a strong financial performance in 2008, which saw the upmarket Kettle Chips maker increase pre-tax profits by about £2.5m to £10.9m and turnover by about £10m to £59m compared to the year before.

Jeremy Bradley, managing director comments:"At some point in the future Lion Capital will decide to sell the company because that's what all private equity firms do, however when that will be I have no idea."