A FOOD supplier in Christchurch is to become part of a bigger business following what it calls “friendly and exciting” negotiations.

Coastline Produce Ltd said it had agreed terms with Silverstar Foods Ltd which would see them join forces in the near future.

The merged business, under the Silverstar Foods umbrella, will employ 500 people and will create more than 100 new jobs between its bases in Dorset, Kent and Lancashire in the next two years, bosses say.

Coastline, which has bases at Airfield Way in Christchurch, the Isle of Wight and Kent, is a £20m turnover business supplying fresh produce and chilled, frozen and ‘ambient’ ingredients to customers across the south.

Silverstar is based in Kent and Lancashire and its Turners Fine Foods brand is a £40m business built on supplying cheese, charcuterie, deli and fine foods to hoteliers, caterers and retailers.

A statement from Chris Lewis, managing director of Coastline, said: “Combining the businesses will enable the two companies to improve our product range and service levels and build on our collective years and years of experience. As both companies have grown over the past few years, we have tried to maintain the personal touch our customers have always valued and this will remain a clear focus for the new business.

“We have always thrived on the success of our customers and continuing innovation in foodservice supply and distribution will see some exciting new developments unveiled in the coming months.”

Coastline managing director Chris Lewis will continue to run operations in Dorset, while Simon and Toby Raphael, together with Richard Mercer, will continue running the Kent operation.

The companies said: “This is a fantastic development at such an exciting time in the food industry in the UK; restaurants, pubs and hotels are thriving, the coffee and café market is buoyant, people are shopping locally and our contract catering and institutional customers are continually striving to deliver healthy, inspiring solutions to an increasingly demanding consumer.”