Orchard Foods Valley (OV UK) has strengthened its position within the sweet bakery inclusions category by acquiring Wolverhampton-based Phoenix Brands.
The deal, made for an undisclosed fee, is said to be a complementary addition to OV UK’s activities by providing manufacturing capabilities within biscuits and baked inclusions.
Phoenix Brands was founded in 1998 by Andy Richards, who remains as managing director. It produces a range of biscuit products for the desserts industry at its 30,000 sq ft bakery in Monmore Park Industrial Estate, which was opened in 2018. Among its range are digestive, cinnamon, bourbon, dark chocolate (Oreo-style), shortcake, shortbread and ginger crumbs, the majority of which are in pieces, ‘pea’ shapes and ready blended styles.
According to its website, the business uses “modern, computer-controlled ovens and robot technology as well as good old-fashioned baking experience”, with a workforce of 40 and customers including Gü Desserts, Mademoiselle Desserts (now rebranded as Emmi Desserts), Green’s Desserts, Indulgence Patisserie, and Knighton Foods.
Sweet ingredients supplier OV UK – a subsidiary of Norwegian giant Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI) – operates five other production sites across the UK. These include a factory in Harrogate producing fudge, toffee, and honeycomb; a cake decorations facility in Glasgow; a craft fudge and chocolate creations specialist in St Ives, Cornwall; a dry powder blending facility (and headquarters) in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire; and a confectionery ingredients packaging site in Leominster.
OV UK CEO Coen Louwerse said Phoenix Brands has built a focused and scalable platform with long‑standing customer relationships and a clear position within its niche. “This acquisition strengthens our capabilities within sweet inclusions and enhances the value offering we bring to customers in the UK market,” he added.
Meanwhile Tor Osmundsen, CEO of OFI’s Sweet Ingredients division, noted how the acquisition is well aligned with its strategy of “strengthening our ingredients portfolio through targeted investments in attractive categories with strong fundamentals”. “Phoenix Brands supports our ambition to build leading, specialised positions in selected segments over time,” commented Osmundsen.
OFI also owns sweet bakery ingredients brands Sonneveld and Credin, which formed a joint venture in the UK in 2027.
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