HR, employment law and health & safety consultancy Howarths has advised vegan ice cream maker Northern Bloc on the employee transfer element of its acquisition of Criterion Ices.
Jonothan Scollen, employment solicitor at Cleckheaton-based Howarths, said: “Howarths has worked closely with Northern Bloc to deliver strategic HR and employment law consultancy in line with the company’s ambitious growth plans since 2021, when the company secured seven-figure growth funding.
“As part of this latest acquisition, we supported with the transfer of employees from Criterion Ices to Northern Bloc to ensure all employment law and contractual obligations were met.
“Strategic acquisitions involving employee transfers give rise to a number of legal and contractual employment law obligations to ensure they are completed correctly, and it was our pleasure to support Northern Bloc to manage these efficiently and in a timely manner.”
Gavin Howarth, managing director at Howarths, said: “Northern Bloc is a breakthrough Leeds brand that has enjoyed exceptional growth since it was founded in 2014 and has ambitious plans to grow further, driven by the increasing popularity of plant-based food.
“With growth comes an ever-increasing workforce and more complex employment law challenges, plus a team of people whose skills and knowledge are key to driving performance across the business.
“We are delighted to be able to support Northern Bloc with easily accessible expert HR and employment law advice delivered with a personalised, no-nonsense approach, while balancing commerciality with compliance to help the business achieve greater success through its people.”
Dirk Mischendahl, co-founder at Northern Bloc, said: “Our people and culture are important parts of what makes Northern Bloc a great place to work, and when we bring new people into the business, we work hard to make sure we get it right.
“Working with Howarths has enabled us to do this, ensuring our new team members feel welcome and comfortable from the off.”
