Zeelandia UK to acquire John Morley ingredients assets

The asset purchases relate to fruit fillings, fruit soaking, mincemeat, date paste and macpaste.

Zeelandia UK, part of the global Royal Zeelandia Group, said the acquisition will help to expand its offering to its UK customer base in the industrial, craft, wholesale and in-store bakery sectors.

The John Morley range will continue production at the company’s Congleton site in Cheshire and will fall under the Flemings division of Zeelandia.

Family company​

Referring to John Morley, David Amos, managing director of Zeelandia UK said: “The business has a long-standing tradition for quality products, and considerable expertise in meeting the needs of industrial bakeries and foodservice customers. ​

“It also has a culture where people are highly valued and as a family company with heritage dating back to the year 1900, we share many of the same values.”​

John Morley, which started life as a flour importer in 1958, employs 90 people across its 25-acre manufacturing site, processing roughly 30 tonnes of mincemeat a week.

As well as fruit fillings the company’s products include condiments, sauces, ripple bases, jam, marmalade and curds.

Growth strategy​

Zeelandia UK’s latest acquisition follows its investment in a purpose-built technical centre, factory, and warehouse, which opened last year in Colchester, Essex,

The facility features a COVID-safe bakery, office and warehouse accommodation, as well as a customer marketing suite to develop and test bakery ideas and explore global trends.

The move from the company's previous site in Billericay, Essex formed part of Zeelandia UK’s ongoing growth strategy, which also included the successful acquisition of bakery ingredients producer James Fleming in 2017.

Royal Zeelandia Group, which has operations in over 20 nations and a sales presence in approximately 100 countries, announced in February this year that it plans to make its use of palm oil 100% sustainable​.

Production of palm oil, widely used as a cooking oil and ingredient, has been blamed for deforestation of tropical forests, threatening wildlife such as orangutans, elephants and tigers.