£3M awarded to precision breeding project to save waning UK tomato sector
A group made up of industry stakeholders and research partners has received government funding aimed at revitalising the UK’s dwindling tomato industry.
Investments
AG Barr snaps up Fentimans and Frobishers for £51M
The IRN-BRU manufacturer has acquired soft drinks and mixers brand, Fentimans, alongside Frobishers Juices Ltd, the premium natural fruit juices and soft drinks brand.
UK flavour house invests £10M into new site
Independent flavour company, I.T.S, has announced plans for a major expansion as it looks to build one of the UK’s largest natural flavour manufacturing sites.
The Tofoo Co acquires German plant-based producer
The UK organic tofu brand backed by Comitis Capital is set to acquire German organic plant-based manufacturer, Topas GmbH.
Diageo completes sale of its coffee-cream liqueur brand
Last year saw the international drinks company agreeing the sale of Sheridan’s to Casa Redondo for an undisclosed sum.
Mars invests £1.2M into Birstall R&D hub
The manufacturing giant has announced a major investment at its research and development hub at Birstall to drive cutting edge pet care innovation.
UK M&A activity trends
M&A activity in the UK remained resilient despite testing times, data collated by corporate finance house Oghma Partners reveals.
Tetra Pak to invest over £50 million to drive new packaging tech
Tetra Pak is set to invest over £50 million into a new pilot plant to speed up paper-based barrier technology development.
Virtual reality innovation suite set to open at JPL Flavours’ £11M site
The flavour company made a hefty investment into a new innovation and manufacturing site amid several senior appointments, as it looks to drive a ‘tech-enabled’ future.
Greencore completes £1.2BN Bakkavor acquisition
The deal makes Greencore the UK market leader across five own-label categories: sandwiches, ready meals, salads, pizzas and desserts.
Coca-Cola shelves plans to sell Costa Coffee after receiving disappointing offers
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is reportedly set to abandon plans to sell its Costa Coffee chain after bids from private equity firms failed to meet expectations.
Lidl rings in 2026 with 19 new store openings creating over 600 jobs
The discounter is set to kick off the new year with a slew of store openings across the country, creating more than 600 jobs.
Apetito completes pie site deconstruction
The meals producer has dismantled a set of older buildings, with materials on-site to be used to build a new regenerative food manufacturing plant.
Waitrose to create more than 500 jobs with new Bristol hub
Premium grocer Waitrose is set to open a new warehouse in Bristol, creating around 550 jobs for local people.
Newly Weds Foods acquires Lincolnshire’s JDM Food Group
Newly Weds Foods has acquired UK-based sauce and food ingredients manufacturer JDM Food Group.
Budweiser owner reacquires 49.9% stake in its US metal container plants for $3BN
Drinks giant AB InBev has exercised its right to repurchase a minority stake in the plants from a consortium of institutional investors.
NewPrinces completes €124.3M baby food acquisition
The Princes Group parent company has completed the acquisition from The Kraft Heinz Company of several baby food brands and its Italian-based production site.
10 major food and drink M&A deals for 2025
2025 has seen its fair share of big-name mergers and acquisitions involving the likes of Arla Foods, Hovis and Premier Foods.
CMA clears £1.2BN Greencore-Bakkavor deal
Greencore’s acquisition of Bakkavor is set to complete on 16 January 2026 following the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) accepting its move to sell its Bristol soups and sauces plant as a sufficient remedy.
Key F&B investments of 2025
Food Manufacture charts 10 major investment projects rolled out in 2025 within food and drink production.
Hilltop makes major line investment
The independent honey brand has added new capacity and capability into its Newton site in Wales, with lines for pie fillings, meat accompaniment, sauces, condiments and peanut butter now in place.
Aldi to open five new stores in 24 hours
The discounter will open five new stores in 24 hours, as part its nationwide expansion plans.
Lynas Foodservice acquires JB Foods in strategy for Scottish growth
Lynas Foodservice has acquired Edinburgh-based JB Foods in a strategic move that will strengthen its service and supply network for Scottish caterers.
Hero unveils new leadership team for Deliciously Ella
Hero UK&I has revealed its leadership team following the purchase of UK food manufacturer Deliciously Ella.
Beacon Foods invests £230k in packaging capability
Beacon Foods, the UK ingredients ready-to-eat products specialist, has boosted its sachet packing capability by investing c.£230k in new machinery to meet the growing demand for larger orders.
NewPrinces completes acquisition of Carrefour Italia
NewPrinces, the parent company of UK-based Princes Group, has completed the acquisition of Carrefour Italia, now renamed Princes Retail, with the aim of strengthening its presence in the Italian market.
Borough Broth Company secures £7.5M investment to drive growth
Borough Broth Company, the British organic bone broth manufacturer, has secured a £7.5 million investment from Piper to support its next phase of sustainable growth.
Treatt chief executive steps down weeks after shareholders reject deal
UK-based ingredients manufacturer Treatt has revealed David Shannon is to step down as chief exec at the end of the year.
Unilever remains quiet over sell-off speculation
As rumours fly that Unilever might sell classic British food brands, including Marmite, Bovril and Colman’s, we look at what could be driving this multi-brand disposal.
Dina Foods boosts manufacturing capacity with £1M in investment
Dina Foods, the Mediterranean bakery, confectionery and savouries supplier, has invested £1 million over the last three years in an ongoing programme of manufacturing upgrades at its Park Royal factory in London.
Magnum invests £50M into UK’s largest ice cream factory
The Magnum Ice Cream Company has injected £50 million to upgrade its factory at Gloucester – the largest ice cream plant in the UK.
FDF urges government to back £50BN growth plan
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is calling on the UK Government to partner with the sector to unlock an ambitious £50 billion vision for growth by 2035.
Compleat Food Group to acquire Greencore Bristol soup and sauce site
The convenience food manufacturer has reported strong results for the financial year ended 26 September 2025 and reveals plans to sell its Bristol site to Compleat Food Group as a remedy to CMA concerns ahead of its merger with Bakkavor.
Shaken Udder founders exit as Idilia takes control
The premium and fast-growing milkshake brand, Shaken Udder Group Limited, has been snapped up by Spanish food company, Idilia, for an undisclosed sum.
Tesco calls for national framework to bolster UK food security
The call to action was made by Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad at an event for British farmers and food suppliers at Tesco’s headquarters.
Sweet treats help to boost revenue at Premier Foods
Innovation in sweet treats has helped to boost revenue at Premier Foods as it reported growth in the UK grocery sector of 7.4%.
Princes Group has ‘firepower’ for acquisitions
The boss of Princes Group has said the company would be pursuing mergers and acquisitions with the “firepower” it has since launching on the London Stock Exchange.
Co-op store investment reaches over £200M
The retailer has revealed it plans to open more than 50 new or transformed Co-op stores across the UK in November and December.
Bells of Lazonby completes £1M expansion
The Cumbrian bakery has finished a major expansion that will boost production and support future growth.
Former Iceland innovation boss launches food licensing business
The former head of licensing & innovation at Iceland Foods, Oliver Gilding, has launched a new food and drink licensing business called Food Brands Now (FBN).
Greencore and Bakkavor deal looks set to get green light
Greencore’s £1.2 billion acquisition of Bakkavor is expected to complete in early 2026 after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it accepted in principle the “remedies” put forward by the businesses to resolve its concerns.
M&S profits hit hard
The retailer’s profits for the first half of the year have taken a major slump in the aftermath of its Easter cyberattack.
Aldi to open 16 stores in time for Christmas
Aldi is to open 16 new stores across the UK in the next five weeks, creating around 40 new jobs at each location.
Princes floats at £1.16BN with IPO priced at bottom range
Princes Group, known for producing tuna and Napolina tomatoes, is set to float at a valuation of £1.16 billion, with its IPO priced at the lower end of the expected range.
Farmison site and brand identity sold to different companies
Farmison & Co has been divided, with Febripa Holdings snapping up the plant and shop, whilst another DTC butcher takes the brand identity.
Oatly plans to triple investment into British grown oats by 2026
The goal comes as the oat drink brand announces that most of its Barista range has switched to 100% British grown oats and follows its Q3 2025 results.
Mr Kipling factory invests £2.1M in solar farm
The Premier Foods’ Carlton bakery which makes Mr Kipling’s cakes has seen a significant investment into solar power.
Lidl sees £400M sales increase as customers leave rivals
An extra 38 million customer visits were made to supermarket chain Lidl over its past financial year, with a £400 million increase in sales coming direct from them switching from competitors.
Bakkavor and Greencore bosses remain confident despite CMA concerns
The Competition and Markets Authority phase 1 investigation has flagged concerns with the acquisition, but the businesses remain positive the transaction will go ahead.
Princes Group to raise up to £400M in IPO
Princes Group will be looking to raise up to £400 million to support the company with further inorganic growth via acquisitions as part of its initial Public Offering (IPO).