British plant-based food brand Deliciously Ella has been bought by Swiss food group Hero after previously shrugging off “numerous approaches”, the companies have said.
Hero Group, which owns baby and toddler food brand Organix, said it was entering the UK’s healthy snacks market as a result of the acquisition.
The takeover will enable Deliciously Ella to reach millions more companies around the world, Hero said.
The firms did not reveal how much the brand has been brought for.
We have had numerous approaches to sell or partner with other food companies over the years, but only this one felt right
Ella and Matthew Mills, Deliciously Ella’s founders
Deliciously Ella was created in 2012 by British entrepreneur Ella Mills when she started a plant-based recipe website after changing her diet to help with a series of health issues.
The brand has since published six cookbooks and its products, which include energy balls and granola, are sold in the UK’s biggest supermarkets.
It has sold more than 100 million products since launching in shops in 2016.
Ms Mills and her partner and co-founder, Matthew Mills, who is Deliciously Ella’s chief executive, will stay with the company after the deal.
The pair said: “We have had numerous approaches to sell or partner with other food companies over the years, but only this one felt right.”
They said Hero was the “right fit for us” and will help bring the brand’s ranges “to more people, both in the UK and abroad”.
Rob Versloot, chief executive of Hero, said: “Deliciously Ella is a perfect fit for us, and we are particularly happy to have them on board.”
Hero, based in Lenzburg, Switzerland, owns brands across the baby and toddler food, healthy snacks and natural spreads sectors.
Last year, the company generated revenues of 1.2 billion Swiss francs (£1.1 billion).