Snack brand Graze snapped up in £100m deal by Marmite proprietor Unilever
6 February 2019
7 February 2019
NEWS, SUCCESS STORIES Business Matters
Marmite owner Unilever has bought healthy snack brand Graze, which began life a decade in the past as a snack field transport service.
Graze produces nuts, seeds, path mixes and snack bars, with out a artificial components and Unilever stated the purchase would accelerate its presence in healthy meals.
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The sale fee became now not given, though assets say it was much less than £100m.
The boss of Graze described the deal as ‘transformational’.
Graze merchandise at the moment are to be had in shops including Sainsbury’s, Boots, WH Smith and Tesco, as well as on-line and direct to the customers.
‘Growth journey’
The business turned into installation in 2008 via seven friends as an internet-primarily based business. In 2009, Anthony Fletcher joined the company
In 2012 Mr Fletcher led a control buyout and became chief government of the business enterprise.
The circulate, which was subsidized through US non-public equity institution Carlyle taking a majority stake within the business, noticed three of the seven co-founders quit their daily involvement within the enterprise however continue to be as shareholders.
Mr Fletcher stated the sale to Unilever “marks a transformational second in Graze’s boom journey”.
“We look forward to operating carefully with the group to maintain on inventing new healthy snacks, in addition to persevering with to work to understand the function era can play in improving the food industry,” he added.
”Makes sense’
Nitin Paranjpe, president of Unilever’s food & refreshment commercial enterprise stated: “Accelerating our presence in healthful foods and out of domestic this is an top notch strategic fit for the Unilever Food & Refreshment business, and a excellent addition to our solid of motive pushed brands.
Nick Cooper, of global branding organization Landor said: “Unilever has a great tune report whilst it comes to purchasing after which nurturing smaller manufacturers. Its innovation and investment incubators have given it knowledge in growing the ones smaller, greater entrepreneurial brands. That’s why this deal makes sense for Graze.
Cooper said inside the brief term Unilever would “possibly leave Graze by myself”.
“That’s genuinely what it did with Ben & Jerry’s”.
However he introduced Graze could be able to “faucet into” Unilever’s global distribution channels and attain new clients.
Commenting on the deal, Simon Walton is head of the client practice at Berwick Partners, said: “This deal is yet any other instance of client/FMCG giants taking over challenger brands that may assist them diversify, extend, innovate, accumulate skills and capitalise on stylish developments closer to healthy snacking and socially-conscious merchandise.“Marking his first deal, new Unilever chief Alan Jope has received a a hit enterprise in the rapid-growing healthful snacking class and on-line food subscription-based marketplace to bolster Unilever’s roster, now not to mention a hugely gifted Graze control crew in a single day.
“Unilever should now tread with warning. As visible oftentimes earlier than, expertise from within these fast-developing challenger brands will run for the hills if a big company gobbles up the individual and subculture that brought about their specific achievement. By taking a mild-contact approach, granting the existing Graze management group freedom, trust and autonomy to take the enterprise forward, Unilever can provide its distribution, network and, economic clout in which needed to deliver an exciting new chapter for the brand.”