Baking firm cooks up £9m swoop for snack bar maker

Baking ingredients business Real Good Food, which has a significant development facility in Liverpool, has acquired 84% of food manufacturing company Brighter Foods for £9m.

AIM-listed Real Good Food said Robin Williams will remain as chief executive of Tywyn-based Brighter Foods.

It said the £9m would be paid on a cash and debt free basis in two equal instalments – on completion and on finalisation of Brighter Foods’ 2017/18 accounts.

The sum will be found from the group’s existing debt facilities.

Brighter Foods creates and manufactures snack bars for the healthy snacking market from its factories in Tywyn, Gwynedd in Mid-Wales, where it is a major local employer with some 170 full-time staff.

The award-winning company produces snacks which are targeted at areas such as diet control, gluten free, lactose free, low or no added sugar, sports nutrition, organic and fair trade.

It manufactures both partner branded products and has its own healthier brands such as Wild Trail which is stocked in major retailers and health stores.

Pieter Totté, executive chairman of London-based Real Good Food, said: “Brighter Foods fits well into our strategy to consolidate profitable well run businesses in niche areas of the food manufacturing industry.

“Robin and his team have achieved fantastic growth and stability in the business and we are looking forward to continuing the success story. Real Good Food investment will enable Brighter Foods to expand and improve its capacity and product range even further.  We are excited about the future prospects.”

Williams said: “I have known Pieter for years and have worked with members of his team previously and I’m very pleased to be doing so again.

“They share our vision to invest in the business and to grow it further from the strong base we have established.

“I’ll be staying as CEO and together we have already agreed a headline plan to continue growing our manufacturing facilities in Tywyn.

“This is great news for the town and its people. Real Good Food recognises the importance of good people in business and the importance of the factory to the local community and I am really delighted that this partnership will build on our success to date.”

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