Can Ken turn Project Diamond into a gem?
Code-named Project Diamond, the Morrisons-Safeway deal was first hatched in November when Sir Ken Morrison approached David Webster. The pair met on neutral ground at Nuthurst Grange, a country house hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It was half-way between Morrisons’ Bradford head office and Safeway’s headquarters in Hayes, Middlesex. Code-named Project Diamond, the Morrisons-Safeway deal was first hatched in November when Sir Ken Morrison approached David Webster. The pair met on neutral ground at Nuthurst Grange, a country house hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It was half-way between Morrisons’ Bradford head office and Safeway’s headquarters in Hayes, Middlesex. Ironically, the 15 bedroomed house, set in seven-and-a-half acres of landscaped gardens, was the former home of Mr Webster’s great grandfather. No doubt Mr Webster chose the location for that reason. The pair kept the deal under wraps despite speculation that Safeway was a bid target. Few suspec
