ABP nets Grimsby Seafood Village - Largest port operator makes strategic move to support UK food security

The Grimsby Seafood Village spans four acres on the Port of Grimsby.

Associated British Ports’ (ABP), the UK’s largest ports group has extended its property portfolio with the acquisition of the long leasehold interest of Grimsby Seafood Village, a premier seafood processing centre. The purchase provides future  security and support for an important hub of UK food production. 

The multi-let industrial site spanning over four acres is located on ABP’s Port of Grimsby in the Humber. The purchase of the long leasehold lasting 125 years, which  ABP had previously granted to the owners of the complex, sees the acquisition add a  new and highly complementary element to the Humber property portfolio.

The 70,000 square foot site comprises 21 units with several fish processing businesses including. In 2010 the complex was built and operated by the Great  Grimsby Seafood Village Limited, the facility went on to win the North East Lincolnshire Economic Investment Award in 2014, recognising its vital contribution to the local economy. 

Andrew Dawes, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “The acquisition of the Grimsby Seafood Village strengthens Associated British Ports’ commitment to Keeping Britain Trading.  

“It enhances our property portfolio with a vital hub for the UK’s seafood supply chain - supporting regional jobs, boosting food security, and anchoring long-term supply chain resilience in the heart of the Humber." 

Greg Lacey, Head of Property in the Humber added: “The acquisition of this site is a  strategic addition to Associated British Ports’ growing property portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to regional prosperity and underpinning food security. Pete and Gary leave an important legacy, and we look forward to taking stewardship of the facility and working with customers to support their ongoing operations. 

“With over 158,000 small and medium-sized enterprises now thriving in Yorkshire and the Humber, this investment creates new opportunities for local businesses, strengthens the seafood supply chain, and supports our customer ambitions. It complements our bold expansion at the Stallingborough Interchange—where we’re investing in over 227 acres to deliver state-of-the-art port logistics, green energy, and  industrial space - ensuring ABP continues to Keep Britain Trading.” 

Pete Dalton and Gary Cadey, who created The Village said: “We would like to congratulate ABP on their acquisition of the site. The vision we had 15 years ago was to enable the merchants to remain on the dock area in a close community environment to enable them to work together in a modern facility. We feel that we achieved this very successfully and are happy to see our vision thrive and be able to  continue well into the future. We wish ABP and all the tenants our very best wishes as we now take a back seat and slow down a little.” 

Simon Dwyer, CEO, Grimsby Fish Merchants Association Limited, said: “The Grimsby Fish Merchants Association congratulate Associated British Ports on acquiring the Great Grimsby Seafood Village from its owners. The Village is an integral part of the Grimsby Seafood Cluster of over 5000 jobs, and  we welcome the change of ownership. Our appreciation and best wishes go particularly, to Pete Dalton and Gary Cadey, for being the entrepreneurial pioneers of developing the Village for the many seafood businesses it's served for the last 13  years. The FMA look forward to working with ABP in continuing to deliver a top-class processing and distribution facility in the heart of their Port."

In the Humber region approximately 6,000 people are employed directly in the seafood processing sector and supports a wider supply chain of over 10,000 jobs. The Seafood Village is Grimsby's leading fish processing facility and experiences a consistent regional and national demand. 

70% of the UK’s seafood is processed in Grimsby making it a critical hub for national  food security, which contributes an estimated £2 billion annually. The site will continue to contribute to the growing and evolving food production industry cluster on  the port, creating economies of scale and scope that all businesses in the cluster and the wider local economy benefit from.