In September 2022, premium ready meals producer Charlie Bigham acquired upmarket frozen meals start-up, By Ruby. The deal adds a direct-to-consumer sales channel to Bigham’s portfolio, while By Ruby will benefit from the scale of its new owner. As a topical aside, Charlie Bigham was a winner during the 2008 lockdown as diners traded down from eating out to premium eating in.
In August 2022, cheesemaker Joseph Heler acquired Futura Foods Wales, a specialist in cutting, blending and packing different cheeses. Managing director George Heler said, “Futura Foods Wales…offers the Joseph Heler customer base increased capability and capacity across all cheese formats.”
Also in August 2022, global taste and nutrition company Kerry Group acquired the business-to-business powdered cheese business and related assets of Kraft Heinz for USD 107.5 million. The deal delivers capability to the acquirer and fits with Kraft Heinz’s strategic transformation plan to realign its product portfolio.
