Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/986636
HelloFresh Acquires Green Chef HelloFresh has acquired Green Chef, an organic meal kit company. HelloFresh will add Green Chef's organic menus to its product portfolio of recipes and ingredients for making well-balanced meals. Through the acquisition of Green Chef, HelloFresh expects to drive synergies for operations, logistics, and procurement. New York-based HelloFresh will integrate Green Chef into its operations and culinary teams and gain its first office and production facility in Colorado. The companies emphasize their similar values associated with food quality and safety, sourcing fresh ingredients, using sustainable packaging, and pursuing a data-driven approach to the customer experience. Sara Kay is the content and education specialist for the Specialty Food Association. CARLYLE GROUP ACQUIRES ACCOLADE WINES FOR $722 MILLION The Carlyle Group has acquired Australia-based Accolade Wines for about $722 million, giving the private-equity firm a portfolio of popular mass-market brands. Champ Private Equity, which created Accolade Wines in early 2011 after purchasing two wine divisions from Constellation Brands Inc. for $290 million, was the seller. Accolade abandoned plans for an initial public offering in 2017. The company acquires two thirds of its earnings from wine sales outside Australia, with an emphasis on exports to China. STRAUSS BRANDS PARTNERS WITH CROSSFIT Strauss Brands will offer CrossFit- approved meat through a new multi-year deal brokered by IMG. Strauss' online store, Free Raised Direct, will offer a CrossFit- approved box featuring a curation of Strauss' free-range chicken, grass-fed burgers, beef sticks, and various cuts of steak. Strauss will also stock CrossFit-approved meat in select grocery retailers across the U.S. later in 2018. For Strauss Brands, the partnership with CrossFit will further its mission to educate consumers on the health benefits of its better-for-you grass- fed and finished protein. LAND O'FROST PURCHASES NATURAL MEAT COMPANY Wellshire Farms, a family-owned meat company, has been acquired by Land O'Frost as it looks to become a major player in the natural and organic category. Land O'Frost makes pre-sliced meats and specialty hot dog and sausages, while Wellshire Farms supplies beef, pork, and poultry. Land O'Frost operates three manufacturing facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky., and Searcy, Ark., and Wellshire Farms will keep its Swedesboro, N.J., headquarters. Land O'Frost says the acquisition supports its strategic growth plans, which include entering new categories that complement its existing portfolio of Land O'Frost Premium One Pound and DeliShaved, among other brands. Wellshire will use the acquisition to grow its brands, expand distribution, and offer new growth opportunities for its employees. MIDDLEBY BUYS NITRO, COLD BREW EQUIPMENT COMPANY The Middleby Corp. has acquired JoeTap, a subsidiary of A.C. Beverage Inc. The company is a manufacturer of nitro and cold brew coffee dispensing equipment for the commercial foodservice industry. Middleby Corp.'s CEO notes the acquisition will help it extend its portfolio of beverage solutions and help its customers tap into the nitro brew trend. article bug SUMMER 2018 139