McCain Foods has completed the acquisition of Irish plant-based frozen food manufacturer Strong Roots.
The acquisition follows McCain and Strong Roots’ strategic partnership, which began in 2021 and resulted from a $55 million investment.
Strong Roots focuses on simple, real food that’s ‘good for the planet and people’. It has developed a range of vegetable-forward dishes, including meals, sides and snacks, which complement McCain’s current portfolio and will ensure customers and consumers worldwide get better access to high-quality, sustainable food.
Through the acquisition, McCain expects to expand the Strong Roots brand into more regions, offering more eco-friendly, vegetable-focused products to reach the rising number of consumers looking for healthier, natural and simple meals.
Jillian Moffatt, regional president of McCain GB and Ireland, said: “This investment bolsters McCain’s commitment to planet-friendly food, enabling us to extend our portfolio of healthier options that are grown, processed and shipped in a sustainable manner. With a vision and values aligned to McCain’s, we are excited to continue our journey to scale the Strong Roots brand globally.”
Peter Dawe, chief growth and strategy officer at McCain Foods, commented: “Since 2021, our partnership with Strong Roots has reflected our ambition to invest for the future and to diversify our portfolio to ensure we continue to meet evolving consumer demands. We are excited to help further accelerate growth, bringing natural, simple meals and ingredients to even more customers in retail and foodservice markets.”
Samuel Dennigan, Strong Roots’ founder and CEO, added: “We have witnessed tremendous growth since partnering with McCain and this move will enable Strong Roots to maintain its focus on sustainability while propelling innovation to bring delicious, vegetable-forward products to more consumers around the world.”
Strong Roots will operate as a distinct business under the leadership of CEO Charlotte Turton, with founder, Samuel Dennigan, working alongside the team to propel further portfolio innovation and brand growth.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
By Phoebe Fraser
Source: foodbev.com
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