The history of Paramount 21 Ltd is a story of determination and faith in the future. In 1988 a seafood processing business, owned by Ali Hannaford’s father, was bought by Hillsdown Holdings. Five months later they closed it - putting all the staff out of work, including a 27-year-old Ali.

Ali was determined to bring the business back to life and with just £3500, some second-hand machinery and the loyalty of 16 of the former staff, that’s exactly what she did. The company quickly moved on from packing prawns into developing a range of fantastic fishcakes and value added seafood products, such as Blanchbait and Whitebait, specifically for the catering industry.

Just two years after the company was founded, Paramount won its first British Frozen Food Federation award - and has gone on to win many more as the range of products has expanded.

When launching the company Ali had a vision of providing the food service industry with innovative, quality products at the right price. The company has been true to this vision and concentrates on supplying unique products for the caterer, many of them hand-finished and all conspicuous for their style and flair. Paramount has quickly made its name by being innovative and flexible - and providing an excellent service. It wasn’t long before Paramount  broke into the national pub, restaurant and hotel markets - where competition is fierce - and exciting new products appeared thick and fast.

Within a few years Paramount has grown to become a major name in seafood and a respected brand in the foodservice industry.