Lotus Bakeries buys Bear Fruit snack maker Urban Fresh Foods in £70m deal
London-based healthy snack maker Urban Fresh Foods has been snapped up by Lotus Bakeries in a £70m deal.
This is the second time the Belgian baker has bought a British firm in 2015, having bought Natural Balance Foods this summer.
The deals means Bear Fruit snacks join Nakd and Trek snack bars under the same umbrella, all now owned by the Belgian firm.
“The mission of Lotus is to create delicious products and brands to meet all consumer needs, both in the more indulgent and healthy snacking segments. That is why we are delighted to announce today the partnership with these magnificent brands,” said Lotus’s chief executive Jan Boone.
Urban Foods was set up in 2007 by Hayley Gait-Golding and husband Andrew, and the firm has enjoyed over 50 per cent growth annually since.
Bear recently became the biggest seller of children’s snacks in the UK, with over 30 per cent market share, and over 375m portions of fruit sold to date.