Heather Mills has expanded her fledgling business empire with the purchase of a specialist vegan food producer.

The ex-model and former wife of Sir Paul McCartney has acquired The Redwood Wholefood Company for an undisclosed sum.

The deal comes a few weeks after Ms Mills opened VBites, a vegan café at Hove Lagoon.

Rod Garland, the director of the Corby-based firm, a leading supplier of vegan foods to the health trade, said the acquisition would bring benefits for both businesses, which he described as “completely compatible”.

He said: “Heather shares the same values and aims as us, namely to spread compassion across the planet and promote a healthy and more ethical lifestyle.

“Heather has always rated Redwood as the best producer of plant-based, animal-free foods in terms of ethics, the integrity of the company and brand and the quality of its products.”

Ms Mills said she was delighted to have bought Redwood, adding: “I’ve been a fan of Redwood and its ethical, compassionate foods for many years.

“For me, buying the company is a dream come true.”