A crisps and oils company which uses crops grown at one of Kent’s best-known estates has been taken over by an up-and-coming foodie from the county.

Kent Crisps and Kentish Oils has been acquired by Laura Bounds, who had been commercial director of the brands since they were bought in a management buyout by AMC Foods, run by Angela Curwen, in 2014.

She has taken sole ownership of the business, which makes oils using rapeseed grown on the Quex Park Estate farm in Birchington.

The site is made up of 1,500 acres of farmland and 250 acres of parkland and gardens which has hosted gigs by Madness and UB40 and features Quex House, the home of the Powell Cotton Museum of Natural History.

Mrs Bounds, 31, had helped business grow turnover by 52% since the previous takeover and has already secured multiple airline contracts, including two with American Airlines.

Its second management buyout in three years – for an undisclosed sum – brings to an end Angela Curwen’s involvement with the products which she helped export around the world.

She is set to retire and her company AMC Foods will be wound up.

Mrs Bounds, who lives in Staple, near Canterbury, said: “Making the leap and taking over ownership of Kent Crisps and Kentish Oils was the next logical step for me.

“The company has grown rapidly and I have enjoyed the challenge of being involved in all aspects of this, including the new product ranges.

“As someone who loves the food industry and was born and raised in Kent, it also brings me immense pleasure employing local people and supporting local producers. This makes it as authentic as it gets.”

Mrs Bounds is a former pupil of Barham Primary School near Canterbury and went to Canterbury College. She grew up in the village of Ashley, near Dover.

She plans a round of investment to increase capacity at the company, grow oil production and move towards a range of condiments.

She hopes to enter four new export markets over the next 18 months and “create a global brand” which will promote Kent as a visitor destination.

She added: “My vision for the future is to forge new partnerships and products and fly the flag for rapeseed oil, which has tons of benefits including the lowest saturated fat content over any other oil.”