Morrisons is not in serious negotiations to sell its Myton Food manufacturing arm, The Grocer understands.
Over the weekend, The Telegraph reported CEO Rami Baitiéh had entered discussions with an unnamed private equity firm over a deal to sell the business, which makes meat, seafood, horticulture, bakery and a number of other own-label products for its stores.
The unsolicited approach reportedly included a fully financed offer for the entire food production operation.
Morrisons has not publicly commented on the report, however The Grocer understands it is not in serious discussions to sell Myton. Any talks are understood to be entirely speculative at this stage.
While it would follow a pattern of asset sales by owner CD&R, which has raised around £3.2bn since buying the business in 2022, any sale of Myton would mark a distinct contrast in Baitiéh’s strategy, which has so far focused on rebuilding “Morrisons’ DNA” and key points of difference.
As recently as January, during a call announcing the company’s 2025 full-year results, Baitiéh dismissed notions that the supermarket could consider selling Myton as a way of reducing its £3.1bn debt pile. “It’s going to stay,” Baitiéh said.
Baitiéh has sought to fund his turnaround plan by pursuing capital-light growth, the sale of assets and shuttering unprofitable parts of the business, including within the Myton Food Group.
In January The Grocer revealed Morrisons was closing its Rathbones Bakery in Wakefield, putting 115 jobs at risk.
Morrisons raised £2.5bn through the sale of its petrol forecourts business and all 337 sites to Motor Fuel Group in 2024.
It’s raised further funds through the sale and leaseback of its supermarkets. It raised £331m through the sale of 76 stores to Song Capital in September 2024. A further £51m was added through a deal to sell two supermarkets to US investment trust WP Carey in August 2025.
Morrisons is also exploring the possibility of converting some of its company-owned Morrisons Daily stores into franchise stores, Baitiéh told The Grocer x Retail Week LIVE conference in early March.
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