The deal brings the experience of Rutland Partners to the Board and the senior management team, and provides a strong capital injection to enable Bernard Matthews to fund its growth plans and fulfil its business potential.

“We are delighted with the new partnership and warmly welcome Rutland Partners to the business,” said Executive Chairman, David Joll. “It has been well documented that we have been looking into a range of funding options to help develop the business, but we wanted a partner who understood the company and were committed to helping us grow.

Rutland Partners fits this model perfectly, as from the outset they have seen real potential in the business.

“They also share our commitment to the importance of our farming heritage in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire, our staff and to the brand, which has always been at the heart of the company,” Mr Joll added.

David Wingfield, Partner of Rutland, said: “We are excited to be investing in the leading turkey producer in the UK, which has such a widely recognised brand. We have been impressed by the energy and passion of the team at all levels of the business and are looking forward to the prospect of working with them under David’s leadership to enable the business to reach its full potential.”

As part of the new partnership agreement, Mr Joll will remain as Executive Chairman with two members of Rutland Partnership joining the Holdings Board.

Rutland Partners is a leading UK-based turnaround and restructuring investor which invests in UK companies to create stability, strategic change and improved performance.

Brand Refresh Campaign

Bernard Matthews, Britain’s No.1 turkey producer, has announced an exciting brand refresh, to coincide with the retailer Back to School season on 3 August.

Supported by a multi-media campaign that covers national press, outdoor, online and in-store, the new food-focused look, starting with cooked meats, will begin rolling out to all major supermarkets from 8 August 2013.

The new activity includes:

• a new modern Bernard Matthews logo
• an eye-catching new pack design for all its cooked meats, frozen and fresh breaded poultry products
• innovative new cooked meat lines and
• a million-pound marketing investment.

The contemporary new logo and pack design gives the brand a new identity and provides excellent visibility on shelf. The new design has also been developed to reinforce the brand’s provenance and quality, its farming heritage and showcase the great taste and versatility of the products.

At the same time, Bernard Matthews also introduced new flavours to its cooked meat lines starting with Wafer Thin Turkey Curry and Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast Slices.

The first press ads will kick off in October, supported by outdoor, digital and in-store activity.

The new packaging will also include the Government’s new traffic light labelling system to help people make healthier choices.

Deborah Ewan, Bernard Matthews Commercial Director, said: "Our new brand refresh gives the brand a distinctive new look, excellent stand out on shelf and a real point of difference.

"It also reinforces our farming heritage and product provenance, something that customers have continually told us is important to them.

It is also essential that we support and create awareness of the new branding, and so we are delighted to be running a million pound campaign to showcase this new look and the launch of exciting new products,” said Ms Ewan.