Craigavon snack pioneer Kestrel acquires pretzel leader in Britain for undisclosed sum
Multi-award-winning Kestrel Foods in Craigavon, Co Armagh, the hugely successful and pioneering snack manufacturer, is expanding its operations in Great Britain by means of an important acquisition.
A family owned and run business, Kestrel, among the most successful food producers here, has bought Indie Bay Snacks, a manufacturer of pretzels, in London from Nurture Brands, also based in London, for an undisclosed sum.
Indie Bay Snacks will join Kestrel’s award-winning portfolio of Forest Feast, ACTI-SNACK fruit and nut snacks and Just Live a Little granolas, continuing the Armagh company’s trajectory to become a leading player in the snacking category in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and in other international markets such as Asia.
Kestrel currently exports to 20 international markets.
Kestrel’s Forest Feast impulse snack packs have also recently been listed by Nero Cafés. Kestrel is, furthermore, a major supplier of snacks, such as nuts and dried fruits, and granolas to leading UK supermarkets.
Indie Bay Snacks, the acquisition, offers consumers tasty and healthier savoury snacks within the grocery, travel and foodservice channels. Its pretzel thins are a lighter, fun way to enjoy pretzels, with 70% less fat than crisps.
Michael Hall, founder and chief executive of Kestrel Foods, explains: “The acquisition of Indie Bay Snacks is aligned to our ambition of creating a fast paced and innovative snacking business with a strong export focus.
“We believe Indie Bay offers consumers and customers something different in our portfolio, and we see great potential for growth through our strong brand, innovation and go to market capability."
Kestrel Foods own flagship brand, Forest Feast, has grown by more than 30% in the past year, a result of increased brand awareness and penetration, and further gains in distribution. It also has a sharp and successful focus on new product development for fast moving markets.
Adam Draper, managing director of Nurture Brands, says:“As Nurture Brands consolidates its resources around Rebel Kitchen, EMILY and Jax Coco, I am happy to see Indie Bay go forward and become an important part of the Kestrel Foods portfolio.”
Formed in 1996 by Mr Hall and late wife Lorraine, Kestrel Foods remains a family run business at the forefront of the market for premium snacks and granolas.
The deal with Nurture Brands is the second acquisition by Kestrel Foods in recent years as the company has broadened its plant-based product portfolio. In April 2022, Kestrel acquired Just Live a Little, a luxury granola producer in Northern Ireland.
Kestrel has since revamped and relaunched the brand with considerable success in the UK marketplace.
The award-winning business is growing 20% year-on-year with its strong branded portfolio of Forest Feast, ACTI-SNACK and Just Little a Little Granola, and customer base which includes retail, foodservice, and travel markets.
The Northern Ireland-headquartered business today employs more than 100 staff and generated turnover of £23 million in 2023, with sales up 20% year-on-year and branded growth of 36%. The business has benefited from increased brand awareness and penetration, and further gains in distribution.
The snack producer featured in this year’s Alantra Fast 50 at 47 due to its outstanding performance in sales. Alantra annually charts the top 50 fastest growing UK food and drink businesses.
Indie Bay was acquired by Nature in 2022 boost the group’s offering of healthy savoury snacks with the brand’s pretzel thins containing 70% less fat than traditional crisps.
Kestrel brands has won a host of UK Great Taste and other awards for premium quality, innovation and outstanding taste. The enterprise, in addition, has been named Platinum winner of the Deloitte Best Managed Company scheme.
The snack manufacturer is committed to ethical trading and sustainable sourcing including working with Preda Fairtrade farmers and communities in the Philippines for dried fruit and nuts.
Nurture Brands was founded in March 2019, and the plant-based portfolio includes Rebel Kitchen, Jax Coco and EMILY. Nurture Brands is certified B-Corp and commits one percent of revenue to good causes.
Indie Bay Snacks has a strong commitment to healthy plant-based foods that nourish the body. The company’s snacks include Pretzel Thins and Bites which are naturally low in calories, low in fat, and packed with natural ingredients, fibre and protein – “nothing taken away, just good crammed in via the magic of spelt”.
The premium pretzel brand, launched by food entrepreneur Dafna Bonas, a trustee of the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, in May 2016, sells its low-calorie and low-fat snacks in the grocery and travel channels.