According to reports in the Sunday Times, Ranjit Boparan is in the early stages of discussions with potential investors.

Recently, Bernard Matthews has seen the departure of the company chairman David McCall, chief executive Noel Bertram and before that the managing director Rob Mears.

It is reported that the company is looking for investors following some difficult times, including a low pathogen avian influenza outbreak and a drop in sales.

Bernard Matthews was founded in the 1950’s and named after the founder, who died in 2010. It employs about 2000 people.

The 2 Sisters group, which recently acquired the poultry interests of the giant European meat and food processor Vion Foods and previously Northern Foods, employs nearly 7,000 people and has a turnover of around £2.3 billion.