ACE BEVERAGE GROUP acquired by PERNOD RICARD

The 100% acquisition of United Malt Group by Malteries Soufflet creates the world's largest maltster, significantly increasing the acquirer's annual production capacity by 50% to reach 3.7 million tonnes across 41 production sites in 20 countries. The strategic rationale is driven by the desire to build a truly global platform with highly complementary geographic footprints, particularly strengthening the acquirer's presence in North America and the high-margin craft beer segment. This platform investment is expected to be value-accretive by enabling large-scale operational synergies, enhancing R&D capabilities for sustainable product development, and consolidating a fragmented global market

Royal Unibrew A/S has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Vrumona from the brewing giant Heineken. This transaction serves as a transformative step for Royal Unibrew, establishing a new, comprehensive growth platform in Continental Europe and granting immediate access to the Dutch market with a significant industrial footprint. The deal consolidates the relationship between Royal Unibrew and PepsiCo, as Vrumona has held the license for Pepsi brands in the Netherlands since 1949

3i Group has announced that Panelto Foods, a premier Irish bakery group specializing in artisan breads, will join the European Bakery Group, establishing a dedicated UK and Ireland operational platform within the pan-European entity. The European Bakery Group was originally formed in May 2023 via the strategic combination of Dutch Bakery, a market-leading Dutch group focused on home bake-off bread and snack products, and coolback, a German-based bake-off bread specialist. Following this transaction, Panelto Foods, Dutch Bakery, and coolback will serve as the three core pillars driving the enlarged group’s cross-border operations

Mitsui & Co. has acquired a minority stake in Euricom S.p.A., marking the first time the group's founding families have accepted external capital. The strategic rationale for the transaction is to transform Euricom into a more institutionalized global platform for growth, leveraging Mitsui's procurement networks (such as its ETG pulses platform) and global reach. As part of the deal, Mitsui swapped its existing minority stake in Euricom’s Polish subsidiary, Rol-Ryż, for new shares in the parent group

Heineken N.V. strengthened its position in the craft beer segment through the acquisition of the remaining shares of Oedipus Brewing, having previously held a minority stake since 2019. Based in Amsterdam, Oedipus has established itself as a recognised craft beer brand through its distinctive identity, community-driven culture and portfolio of differentiated products, building a loyal consumer base in the Dutch market. The transaction takes place against a backdrop of increasing consolidation within the craft brewing sector, which has faced pressure from rising raw material, energy and labour costs

Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a diversified Japanese trading and investment group, expands its presence in functional food ingredients through the acquisition of a majority stake in Nutrinova Netherlands B.V. from Celanese Corporation. The transaction supports Mitsui’s broader strategy of strengthening its Nutrition & Wellness platform and increasing exposure to high-value food ingredient categories. Nutrinova specialises in the production and distribution of high-intensity sweeteners and food preservation solutions supplied to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide

Riello Investimenti Partners SGR has acquired a 75% majority stake in Il Fornaio del Casale S.p.A. The founding family retains a 25% minority stake and remains involved in the management. This is the seventh acquisition for the "Italian Strategy Private Equity" fund. The strategic rationale is to support the company's growth by expanding domestic distribution and, crucially, accelerating internationalization (exports). The deal structure leverages the target's strong brand positioning to enter new markets

IK Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in GoodLife Foods from Egeria. Egeria, along with the management team, will reinvest for a minority stake. During Egeria's ownership (2014-2023), the company transformed from a local Dutch player (Izico) into a European platform. IK's investment thesis focuses on further international expansion and accelerating the shift towards plant-based products.

3i Group plc continues the development of its European bakery platform through the combination of Dutch Bakery and coolback. Dutch Bakery is a leading producer of private-label bake-off bread and snack products, serving retail and foodservice customers across European markets. The transaction represents a key milestone in 3i’s original investment thesis. By combining Dutch Bakery and coolback, the business is rebranded as European Bakery Group, creating a pan-European platform focused on bake-off bread and snack products

This transaction represents a complete ownership transition of Gigi Gelato to Greenyard’s Long Fresh division, structured to maintain management continuity through the retention of the target’s three original founders to lead ongoing product R&D and commercial positioning. The acquisition fits Greenyard’s strict capital deployment logic, which dictates migrating the product mix toward premium, high-margin frozen snacks that can instantly leverage the group’s existing infrastructure, procurement scale, and pan-European retail distribution tracks