Polish salmon smoker Suempol acquires UK processor Copernus Fresh Fish

Bielsk, Poland-based salmon-smoking firm Suempol has acquired Hull, U.K.-based seafood-processing firm Copernus Fresh Fish.

Suempol is one of Europe’s largest salmon smokers and has branched into other value-added products in recent years. Copernus Fresh Fish was previously one of the largest independent, family-owned seafood processing firms in the U.K.

“We are happy to announce that Suempol has acquired 100 percent of the shares in the British company Copernus Fresh Fish, a leading supplier of fresh fish on the U.K. market,” Suempol said in a press release. “This is another step in the implementation of our long-term strategy, which assumes expansion into new markets and further strengthening the company's position in Europe and in the world.”

Both companies count Lidl as a major customer. Suempol currently has production facilities in Poland, Germany, and France and said the acquisition will help it burnish its presence in the U.K. market.

“Thanks to this acquisition, we are not only strengthening our presence on the market, but also expanding our offer with new species of fish, such as cod and haddock. This will allow us to offer an even wider range of products to our customers,” it said.

Founded in 1989 as a shrimp-processing firm, Suempol grew significantly after shifting to salmon smoking and now has more than 1,200 employees. Its primary business is producing and selling cold- and hot-smoked salmon, as well as delicatessen products. It exclusively sources salmon that is certified to the standard of either the Aquaculture Stewardship Council or Best Aquaculture Practices programs, according to Wprost. It won the Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland in 2023.

Established in 2010 out of a previous business created by Walter Simpson, Copernus Fresh Fish is a skinpack specialist, and it operates the Hooked in Fish retail brand.