R&R Ice Cream scoops up yogurt maker yoomoo
YORKSHIRE-BASED ice cream giant R&R Ice Cream has bought frozen yogurt business yoomoo.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, sees Northallerton-based R&R acquire fast-growing yoomoo which sells frozen yogurt in tubs through supermarkets including Morrisons, Asda and Waitrose and also has a chain of yogurt bars in shopping centres and in Harrods.
The business was founded in London in 2011 by husband and wife team Amanda and Daniel Gestetner and their friend Samantha Pyser.
R&R said it is the leading frozen yogurt brand in the UK with retail sales through supermarkets, which it only started last March, already £4m.
yoomoo’s at home range is made from British milk with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and is low in fat while its yogurt bars serve 100% fat free products.
R&R will invest £2m in developing yoomoo this year with four new flavours planned and it will join the existing portfolio of R&R brands including Kelly’s of Cornwall, Fab and Skinny Cow.
Phil Griffin, marketing director at R&R said: “yoomoo has achieved an impressive rise within the frozen yogurt sector and we look forward to maximising the potential of the brand through using the resource and experience of R&R to build on the brand’s success.”
Founders Amanda and Daniel Gestetner will continue to operate the chain of yoomoo yogurt bars in locations across the UK such as Westfield and Harrods in London as well as concentrating on franchising the chain overseas to locations in the Middle East and Greece.
Amanda Gestetner said: “We look forward to working with R&R as the brand grows within the R&R group. 2013 will be an exciting journey for the expansion of the at home division and the ability to enhance the positioning of yoomoo at home through R&R’s marketing and distribution channels will ensure an excellent future within the sector.”
R&R Ice Cream was created in 2006 by Oaktree Capital Management merging Yorkshire-based Richmond Foods with Roncadin, the largest private label manufacturer in mainland Europe.
The group now has 11 factories, a turnover of £500m, and 2,650 employees in the UK, Germany, France, Poland and Italy.
