THE owner of Young’s Seafood has expanded its operation with a deal to acquire the Queen’s smoked salmon supplier.

European group Foodvest, which also owns the Findus brand, is paying an initial £1m to buy loss-making fish business Pinneys of Scotland from convenience food producer Uniq.

Uniq said it was selling the chilled fish division to Foodvest’s business The Seafood Company in order to focus on more profitable operations. It will use the proceeds of the sale to cut bank borrowings.

Pinneys, based in Annan in Scotland, is one of the UK’s largest processors of Scottish salmon and holds the Royal Warrant to supply smoked salmon to the Queen.