R&R Ice Cream has agreed to buy Fredericks Dairies for £49m.
The family-run business, which has a factory at Skelmersdale in Lancashire, has the licence to manufacture ice creams under the Cadbury, Del Monte, Vimto, Britvic and Barratt’s brands
Under the deal, Fredericks bosses Frank and Philip Frederick, grandsons of the company’s founder, will keep their Freezeserve cold storage and distribution business at Simonswood.
Fredericks Dairies racked up £45m in sales in the year to August 2012 and was the sole supplier of ice cream to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
James Lambert, CEO and executive chairman of R&R Ice Cream, said in statement today: “I am very excited about acquiring this successful business whose popular licensed products will prove valuable additions to our branded portfolio.
“It will also enable R&R to extend its successful partnership with Mondelez International into the UK. Fredericks is already launching a cone and 500ml super premium tub under the Oreo brand and this acquisition will allow us to accelerate this successful innovation programme alongside our popular Nestle, Cadbury, Kelly’s and Yoomoo brands.”
R&R Ice Cream, based in North Yorkshire, is Europe’s largest own-label ice cream manufacturer. Its brands include the Skinny Cow, Fab and Kelly’s of Cornwall. In March it announced plans to roll out ice creams featuring Disney characters under licence.
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