Personal-equity agency Chequers Capital has taken over Italy-based ready-meals maker Gourmand Italian Meals.
The monetary phrases of the transaction weren’t disclosed.
Chequers Capital mentioned it purchased Gourmand Italian Meals from traders the private-equity companies Alcedo, and FVS, in addition to unnamed minority shareholders.
The brand new proprietor mentioned it can assist Gourmand Italian Meals “in persevering with its progress and strategic market positioning, together with via focused acquisitions”.
Gourmand Italian Meals was created as a platform to “mixture main corporations” producing “high-quality” prepared meals promoting into retail and horeca shoppers.
All founding entrepreneurs of the businesses inside Gourmand Italian Meals have “reinvested” within the group and the “top-tier” administration group – co-ordinating varied enterprise items – has additionally “co-invested” alongside Chequers Capital.
What Chequers Capital described because the “GIF mission” was launched in 2019 with Alcedo buying a majority stake in Eurochef Italia.
In 2021, Eurochef Italia merged with La Gastronomica beneath the joint initiative of Alcedo and FVS, forming the inspiration for Gourmand Italian Meals.
The group then expanded via a collection of focused acquisitions. These included the mixing of Brescia-based Fabian, specialising in savoury snacks and sandwiches and Maerne, Venice-based ultra-fresh gourmand merchandise maker Cucina Nostrana and its affiliate Deppieri, specialising in sandwich bread.
In 2023, the corporate acquired Firma Italia, a Muggiò-based firm which produced dehydrated prepared meals “with a powerful export focus”.
Gourmand Italian Meals added the model 100grammi, specialising in “wholesome and balanced meals”, in 2024.
Chequers Capital highlighted the affect of those integrations, noting that “sturdy industrial, industrial, and advertising synergies” have helped it acquire a “main” place within the Italian prepared meals phase.
“It has established itself as a high-standing accomplice for main supermarkets, providing an entire portfolio of premium merchandise,” the assertion added.
In a LinkedIn put up, Alcedo Sgr managing accomplice Filippo Nalon mentioned: “This (deal) marks the end result of an unbelievable journey through which, beneath Alcedo’s steering, we reworked a €17m ($18.6m) firm right into a market chief with over €140m in income in 2024”.
The group, which has six manufacturing amenities and greater than 450 staff “stands because the undisputed market chief in Italy’s ready-meals sector, leveraging an intensive portfolio of premium-quality merchandise and a state-of-the-art manufacturing footprint,” Nalon added.