Barry Callebaut to acquire Spanish nut company

Swiss manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products Barry Callebaut has signed an agreement to acquire privately owned Spanish nut company La Morella Nuts for an undisclosed amount.

According to Barry Callebaut, the acquisition will allow the company to extend its combinations of chocolate and nut products, which include almonds and hazelnuts, as well as specialty nuts such as cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts.

Barry Callebaut CEO Juergen Steinemann said that, with the acquisition of La Morella Nuts, the company will become a leading expert in nut-based products, an adjacent offering to its existing Gourmet and Food Manufacturers products business in Europe. The acquisition is in line with its growth strategy to expand Barry Callebaut’s presence in Europe.

Following the deal, which is expected to be completed this month, La Morella Nuts will be integrated into Barry Callebaut’s Region Europe business.

La Morella Nuts, based in Reus, Spain, produces a variety of nut-based ingredients for the food industry in Europe, and holds experience in area of the nut business such as sourcing, processing and innovation. The Spanish company, which posted sales revenue of CHF40m ($42m) in 2011, has two state-of-the-art plants in Castellvell del Camp and Reus that together manufacture 8,000tpa of nut specialties. Its product range includes chopped nuts, pure nut pastes, pralines, filling creams, caramelised products and innovative products such as functional ingredients for the chocolate, ice cream and bakery industries.

Present in 27 countries, Barry Callebaut operates around 40 production facilities that cater to industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate with the global brands Callebaut and Cacao Barry.

Caption: The acquisition of La Morella Nuts will allow Barry Callebaut to extend its combinations of chocolate and nut offerings to a wide range of products. Image courtesy of Barry Callebaut