Princes

Corporate brand

A British-founded international food and drink group that manufactures, imports and distributes branded and private-label products.

Last updated October 14, 2026

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Overview

Princes Group is an international food and drink business headquartered in Liverpool, England. Its activities cover the manufacture, import and distribution of branded and customer-own-brand products for supermarkets, convenience retailers, food-service businesses, wholesalers and other manufacturers. The portfolio spans ambient grocery, canned fish and meat, fruit and vegetables, pulses, soups, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils, soft drinks and prepared foods. The business began in 1880 as Simpson Roberts, a partnership formed by British entrepreneur William Muirhead Simpson and Canadian businessman Frank Roberts. Its earliest trade centred on importing tinned lobster from Canada. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the company developed the Maypole, Mikado and Princes names and became a major participant in the international lobster trade. The partnership was incorporated as a limited company in 1919. Princes expanded beyond its original import activity during the twentieth century. It entered continental Europe in 1960 and adopted the name Princes Foods in 1962. Ownership changed several times: J Bibby & Sons acquired the business in 1964, the combined operation was sold to Buitoni in 1973, Nestlé acquired Buitoni in 1988, and Mitsubishi Corporation bought Princes in 1989. Under Mitsubishi, the group increased its manufacturing footprint and broadened its brand portfolio through acquisitions and operating investments. Important additions included East Anglian canning operations and the Crosse & Blackwell and Farrow's brands in 2011, the establishment of Princes Industrie Alimentari and acquisition of a tomato-processing facility in Foggia, Italy, in 2012, and expansion of tuna processing in Mauritius in 2015. By 2013, Princes was described as the United Kingdom's largest supplier of tinned food. Its manufacturing network subsequently extended across the United Kingdom, Italy, Mauritius and Poland. The group underwent restructuring after a sharp fall in net profit prompted a business review in 2018. The review resulted in the announced closure of factories in Manchester and Chichester. By 2020, the company employed approximately 7,000 people worldwide, including around 2,200 in the United Kingdom. Mitsubishi Corporation agreed in 2024 to sell Princes to Italian food company Newlat Food S.p.A. The transaction, reported at a value of approximately £700 million, was completed in July 2024. Newlat changed its name to NewPrinces S.p.A. in April 2025. The supplied reference material also reports an initial public offering for Princes Group on the London Stock Exchange in October 2025, but provides no ticker or separate offering source. Princes has been based at Liverpool's Royal Liver Building since 1982 and reportedly acquired the building in 2025.

History

Princes traces its origins to 1880 in Liverpool, a major British port whose trading connections supported the import and distribution of food commodities. The company initially developed as a food importer and merchant rather than as a narrowly defined packaged-food brand. This trading heritage remained important as the business moved into branded products, processing and packing. During the twentieth century, Princes broadened its presence across ambient grocery categories. Canned foods became central to the consumer proposition, including fish, tomatoes, fruit and vegetables. The company also developed products such as sauces, oils and prepared foods, allowing the Princes name to appear across multiple parts of a typical household shop. Alongside branded goods, the business built capabilities in private-label production and foodservice supply. Seafood became one of the group’s most significant activities. Tuna and other fish products linked the company to international fishing, processing and logistics networks. This increased the importance of responsible sourcing, supplier standards and supply-chain transparency in the group’s public communications. Princes’ food business also depends on globally sourced agricultural commodities, including tomatoes, fruit, vegetables and oils. Mitsubishi Corporation acquired Princes in 1989. The acquisition placed the British business within a large Japanese trading and investment group and supported the development of wider international sourcing, manufacturing and distribution links. Princes continued to operate as a recognizable British grocery business while expanding its industrial and commercial reach. In the modern period, Princes has functioned as a diversified food and drink group rather than only a branded canned-food manufacturer. Its activities have included product development, food processing, packing, brand marketing, contract manufacturing, private-label supply and foodservice distribution. The group has maintained a substantial UK presence while serving customers in other European and international markets. The Princes brand’s competitive role is principally that of a broad, mainstream grocery label. It is used for practical products that are stored in the pantry and incorporated into everyday meals. This positioning gives the brand breadth but also exposes it to strong competition from supermarket own-label products, multinational packaged-food companies and category specialists. Cost inflation in commodities, packaging, energy and logistics, together with changing expectations around nutrition, sustainability and seafood sourcing, are recurring strategic issues for the business. Princes remains active and is owned by Mitsubishi Corporation. Because the company operates through a group structure that includes brands, manufacturing operations and business-to-business activities, individual products may not all be marketed under the Princes name. Current operational details, management and sustainability commitments should be verified against the company’s latest disclosures.

1989
Acquisition by Mitsubishi Corporation
[1]Princes Group: About usprincesgroup.com
Mitsubishi Corporation acquired Princes, bringing the company into the Japanese group’s international portfolio.
1880
Business established in Liverpool
[1]Princes Group: About usprincesgroup.com
Princes traces its origins to a Liverpool food-importing and trading business founded in 1880.
Expansion into diversified food manufacturing
[2]Princes Group: What we doprincesgroup.com
Princes developed from an importing and trading operation into a multi-category food group covering branded products, private label, foodservice and manufacturing.

Products and positioning

Mainstream, accessible grocery and foodservice products focused on convenience, pantry staples and everyday meal preparation.

Canned fish and seafood
Princes Tuna
A core Princes grocery range comprising canned tuna in formats intended for salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes and other everyday meals. The range is connected to the group’s broader seafood sourcing, processing and responsible-sourcing activities.
Canned tomatoes
Princes Tomatoes
Ambient tomato products used as cooking ingredients, including canned tomatoes and related tomato preparations. They are positioned as practical pantry staples for sauces, soups, stews and pasta-based meals.
Canned fruit and vegetables
Princes Fruit and Vegetables
Shelf-stable fruit and vegetable products designed for household convenience and extended storage. The range supports everyday cooking and meal preparation and forms part of Princes’ traditional ambient-grocery portfolio.
Sauces and prepared foods
Princes Sauces and Pasta Products
Cooking sauces and pasta-related products that extend the brand from basic canned ingredients into more complete meal solutions. These products are intended to reduce preparation time while retaining a mainstream grocery positioning.
Cooking oils
Princes Edible Oils
Cooking oils supplied for household and foodservice use. The category reflects Princes’ wider involvement in commodity sourcing and packaged pantry staples beyond canned foods.

Brand decisions

1989
Join Mitsubishi Corporation’s food portfolioM&A
Background
Princes was acquired after developing from a Liverpool food importer into a broader branded and manufacturing food business.
Action taken
Mitsubishi Corporation acquired Princes and retained the business as an operating food group.
Aftermath
The ownership structure enabled Princes to operate within a larger international trading group while continuing to develop its UK grocery and foodservice activities.
Source

Recent events

2025
Newlat Food changes its name to NewPrinces[5]Newlat Food更名为NewPrincesen.wikipedia.org
M&A · Other
Newlat Food S.p.A. reportedly adopted the name NewPrinces S.p.A., reflecting the enlarged group following the Princes acquisition.
2025
Princes reportedly acquires the Royal Liver Building[5]Newlat Food更名为NewPrincesen.wikipedia.org
Other
Princes reportedly agreed to acquire Liverpool's Royal Liver Building, its headquarters since 1982, in a transaction valued at £60 million.
2024
Mitsubishi agrees to sell Princes to Newlat Food[5]Newlat Food更名为NewPrincesen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Mitsubishi Corporation agreed to sell Princes Group and its operations and brands to Italian food company Newlat Food S.p.A.; completion was reported in July 2024.
2018
Princes announces review after decline in profitability[5]Newlat Food更名为NewPrincesen.wikipedia.org
Other
The group began a business review after reported net profit fell to approximately £0.5 million.
2018
Princes announces closure of Manchester and Chichester factories[5]Newlat Food更名为NewPrincesen.wikipedia.org
Other
The restructuring review led to announced closures of manufacturing sites in Manchester and Chichester.
1989
Mitsubishi Corporation acquires Princes[1]Princes Group: About usprincesgroup.com
M&A
Mitsubishi Corporation acquired the British food business, beginning the ownership relationship that continues to define Princes Group.

Sources10 sources

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