COOLBACK acquired by EUROPEAN BAKERY GROUP

Pernod Ricard, through its Canadian subsidiary Corby Spirit and Wine, acquired a 90% stake in Ace Beverage Group, with a clear path to 100% ownership via two call options exercisable in 2025 and 2028. The transaction is structured as a majority‑stake bolt‑on designed to position Corby as a leading force in the Canadian RTD category, where Ace Beverage Group is already the largest independent operator and a pure‑play RTD platform. Created via the 2020 combination of Cottage Springs and Ace Hill, ABG has built a strong presence around its flagship brand Cottage Springs, which leads the Ontario RTD market with iconic products such as Vodka Soda, Vodka Water, and Tequila Soda, while also offering a secondary portfolio of brands like Ace Hill, Cabana Coast, and Liberty Village. The Canadian RTD segment has been one of the fastest‑growing sub‑categories in beverage alcohol, with above‑20% annual growth between 2016 and 2021 and an expected continuation of double‑digit growth in coming years, driven by demand for convenience, low‑sugar formulations, and on‑trend flavor profiles.

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. This investment is aimed at accelerating Euricom's expansion into adjacent categories like pulses and strengthening its relationships with European retailers. Bruno Sempio remains Chairman and retains sole control over the group’s management, ensuring industrial continuity while benefiting from Mitsui's long-term strategic support.

Mademoiselle Desserts continues its external growth strategy by acquiring the pastry and ice cream activities of the Belgian company Galana. The transaction is structured as a carve-out, as Galana's seafood trading business is not included. The acquisition was financed through a mix of equity and bank debt.

SARIA acquired the entire issued share capital of Devro with an offer representing a substantial premium of approximately 67% to Devro's share price, reflecting SARIA's determination to delist this strategic asset. The deal creates a global powerhouse in the sausage casings market, combining Devro's collagen technology with SARIA's existing natural casings business (Van Hessen).

Lucas Bols completed the acquisition of 100% of Fluère to strategically enter the rapidly growing non-alcoholic spirits market. This "bolt-on" acquisition allows Lucas Bols to capitalize on the "mindful drinking" trend, providing a sophisticated alcohol-free alternative to its global client base of professional bartenders and distributors. The transaction was structured to facilitate a seamless transition and integration, finalized by April 2023. By bringing Fluère into its portfolio, Lucas Bols can leverage its existing global distribution power and century-old expertise in flavor distillation to scale the brand internationally. This deal reflects the broader industry trend of major spirits companies acquiring "No-and-Low" (NoLo) alcohol brands to meet changing social habits and diversify their revenue streams beyond traditional alcoholic categories. The integration allows Fluère to benefit from the institutional marketing resources and market authority of a historic global spirits leader while providing Lucas Bols with a turnkey solution for the alcohol-free cocktail segment.

PAI Partners acquired a majority stake in La Compagnie des Desserts. The transaction marks the exit of Argos Wityu (realizing a 3.1x multiple). The goal is to capitalize on the outsourcing trend in the restaurant sector (lack of skilled pastry labor) and pursue further acquisitions in the UK and Spain.

Routin-1883 acquired 100% of Cappuccine to accelerate its footprint in the North American market, the world's largest for coffee shops and mixology. This acquisition marks Routin's third external growth operation since Apax's entry in 2019 (following Eyguebelle and Artonic). The deal was financed through a mix of equity and debt (LCL, Credit Agricole). By integrating Cappuccine's powdered mix expertise, Routin diversifies its product portfolio to offer a complete "one-stop-shop" solution for coffee chains and the Foodservice industry globally.

Brown‑Forman Corporation has completed the acquisition of the Diplomático Rum brand and its associated corporate assets from Destillers United Group S.L.. The transaction structure transfers full brand ownership alongside a dedicated aging, bottling, and shipping production facility located in Panama. As part of the closing integration, the purchasing group integrates more than 100 employees into its global corporate workforce. Under the terms of the agreement, Destillers United Group S.L. will retain manufacturing operations, continuing to produce and age the rum line at its original distillery located at the foot of the Andes mountains. The transaction secures the buying group's entry into the fast-growing super-premium and ultra-premium rum categories, adding an established global market leader to its core spirits portfolio. The post-closing commercial strategy leverages a mature brand asset that maintains active distribution networks across more than 100 countries, with primary market penetration established throughout France, Germany, and the United States. The growth roadmap focuses on scaling international distribution channels to expand global market share, utilizing Brown-Forman’s corporate infrastructure to accelerate volume growth across the brand's three core product segments, which include its traditional, prestige, and limited-run distillery collections.

Newlat Food has completed the acquisition of EM Foods and its manufacturing facility in Ludres from the German food company Dr. Oetker. This transaction marks Newlat's strategic entry into the baking mixes and dessert category, further diversifying its product offering. Crucially, the deal is underpinned by a significant long-term co-packing agreement with Unilever. Under this partnership, Newlat will become the exclusive supplier for a range of baking mixes under Unilever's iconic brands such as Carte d'Or, Mondamin, and Maizena. While Dr. Oetker retains ownership of the Alsa brand (transferring its production elsewhere), Newlat will utilize the remaining capacity at the Ludres plant to launch its own brand, Minuto, and expand its private label manufacturing for retailers across Europe.

Kerry Group entered into exclusive negotiations to divest its Sweet Ingredients Portfolio to IRCA, a portfolio company of the global private equity firm Advent International. This transaction represents a strategic move for Kerry Group to refine and enhance its core Taste & Nutrition business. By divesting the sweet ingredients assets, Kerry aims to sharpen its focus on higher-value and more strategic areas of its portfolio, aligning its resources with segments where it can generate the most significant value. The proceeds from the sale are intended for general corporate purposes and to fund the continued strategic development of its primary business divisions. For the acquirer, IRCA, the deal is a transformative step in its growth strategy under Advent International's ownership. The acquisition is highly complementary, adding a differentiated set of technologies and expanding IRCA's product capabilities. It significantly strengthens IRCA’s footprint, particularly in the United States, and accelerates its goal of becoming a truly global leader in the semi-finished food ingredients market. This transaction is part of a broader buy-and-build strategy orchestrated by Advent to create a dominant player in the sector, marking the third major acquisition for IRCA since Advent's initial investment.