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Tesco-supplying seafood giant Seachill’s sales increased by 8.3 per cent in the year in which its managing director left for chiller rival Young’s.

The Grimsby business, now trading as Hilton Seafood º£½ÇÊÓƵ following the buy-out by the Cambridgeshire food business in 2017, turned over £332.4 million in 2019, up from £306.8 million in 2018.

Growth slowed from 17 per cent, but margins widened slightly with a pre-tax profit of £10.9 million - as direct employees now top 1,000 - up 130 on 2018. Brexit labour concerns and the expansion saw a concentration on firming up the permanent workforce, becoming less reliant on agency staff.

Launched to serve the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s largest supermarket by executives of the firm that became Young’s in 1998, Simon Smith headed in the opposite direction in July 2019, having overseen the company’s return to º£½ÇÊÓƵ ownership from Iceland.

He was recruited by the Ross House team after it too was bought-out by a meat-focused producer, Karro. Richard Robinson is now at the helm.

Seachill finance director Lee Gibson said: “Trading during 2019 was overall strong and sales of £332.4 million were 8.3 per cent higher than the prior year, influenced by the full year effect of a new product category to its main customer which commenced in 2018.”

The business, with three sites in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ seafood capital, secured coated and shellfish work for Tesco.

Stating how new and replacement business is being continually added, with new markets developed, Mr Gibson said: “The business continues to innovate and invest which enables new business to be won. New technology has been invested in both infrastructure and processing which will enable the business to continue to take a lead on the efficient manufacturing of seafood products.”