Naturally Best Fresh Produce Ltd: Ripe for the Right Buyer

The Business
Naturally Best Fresh Produce Ltd was founded in 2011 by brothers Robert and Peter Carter, operating from premises just outside the historic Smithfield Market in Manchester. Over more than a decade of trading, the pair built a respected fresh produce wholesaling business serving the hospitality and care sectors, supplying fruit, vegetables and related produce to a wide demographic of clients across Greater Manchester.

By the time Robert and Peter began considering their exit, the business had grown to a turnover of £1.8 million, which was underpinned by a loyal and well-established customer base that had been carefully cultivated over many years. With both directors playing key roles across the operation, finding a buyer who recognised the strength of the wider team and the long-term potential of the business was essential.

Naturally Best was not simply a business with a good set of numbers. It was a business built on relationships, local knowledge and the trust of its customers, and any credible buyer would need to understand and honour that from day one.

The Challenge
For Robert and Peter the decision to sell was driven by a straightforward ambition: retirement. They had spent more than a decade building something genuinely valuable, and the time had come to step back. 

But the nature of the business made a straightforward trade sale anything but simple. With both brothers so deeply embedded in the operation, handling key supplier and customer relationships personally, a conventional acquisition carried significant risk. Without the right buyer in place, hard-won customers could drift, and the goodwill that gave the business much of its value could erode quickly. 

The deal structure reflected this reality. The sale was agreed as an asset and goodwill transaction with an earn-out component linked to the retention of existing business. This ensured both parties had a shared interest in a smooth and stable handover. For the right buyer, it was a fair and sensible arrangement. Finding that buyer, however, would take time.

What We Did
From the outset, we were clear on one thing: this was not a business that could be handed to just anyone. The buyer needed to be a trade operator with existing infrastructure, an established presence in the region and the capacity to integrate or expand through operations close to Manchester. 

A targeted process was run, casting the net wide across the sector. We spoke with more than fifty potential buyers during the search, a significant undertaking that proved necessary given the specific requirements of the deal. The buyer needed to be commercially credible and capable of managing the earn-out structure while also having the experience to give Robert and Peter confidence that their customers would be in safe hands.

After extensive outreach and careful evaluation, the right buyer emerged: a specialist fresh produce division of a multinational conglomerate, actively looking to expand its customer base in and around Manchester. Their experienced deal team moved efficiently to agree terms without unnecessary delay, while their existing infrastructure meant they were well placed to absorb the business, maintain service continuity and build on the foundations the Carters had established.

From instruction to completion the process spanned two years and four months. When a business is built on personal relationships and hard won trust cultivated over fourteen years, placing it with the wrong buyer was never an option. The time taken was not a complication. It was the point.

The Outcome
The sale of Naturally Best Fresh Produce completed in January 2026, delivering a successful retirement exit for Robert and Peter Carter after more than fourteen years at the helm. 

The deal, structured as an asset and goodwill sale with payment on completion and an earn-out on retained business, reflected the true value of what the brothers had built, while giving the buyer the confidence and protections needed to proceed on commercially sensible terms. 

The acquiring business now has a strengthened presence in Greater Manchester and an established customer base from which to grow. For Robert and Peter, it is the kind of ending that every owner deserves: a proper exit, to a buyer who understood exactly what they were acquiring. 

In Their Words

Robert and Peter Carter, Directors of Naturally Best Fresh Produce Ltd, said: 

We worked with Paul to sell our business and he was outstanding from start to finish. What stood out most was Paul’s confidence that we would find the right buyer. Even when things got stressful, he stayed calm, strategic, and kept us moving forward. Paul has excellent negotiation skills, a strong buyer network, and he handled everything with total professionalism and discretion. He guided us through valuation, marketing, and closing, and made sure the business ended up with a buyer who was the right fit.

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Paul Dodgshon, our Partner who managed the sale, said: 

We are pleased to have helped Peter and Robert reach the retirement they had worked towards for so long. The search for the right buyer took considerable time and effort. We needed someone with very specific capabilities, not just to complete the transaction, but to release our clients from the business in a workable timeframe and protect what they had built. After speaking with over fifty buyers, we found one that could deliver an all-round deal that worked for everyone.

Thinking About Selling Your Business?
The story of Naturally Best Fresh Produce is a reminder that the right outcome rarely comes quickly, but with the right approach, it does come. 

Finding a buyer who truly fits a business, who can honour the relationships that have been built and deliver on the deal structure required, takes expertise, persistence and a willingness to hold out for the right result. That is exactly what we are here to do. 

Whether you are planning ahead for retirement, considering your options for the first time, or looking for a fresh perspective after a process that has stalled elsewhere, we would welcome the conversation. 

Contact us today for a confidential, no-obligation discussion with your local Business Partnership advisor