Ice cream maker scoops up French firm to strengthen grip on Europe

Northallerton-based R&R is buying Rolland for an undisclosed sum.

The R&R group, which has production sites at Leeming Bar, in North Yorkshire, and Crossgates in Leeds, has an annual turnover of more than 340m and the Rolland acquisition will boost this to more than 420m.

The deal is being assessed by the French Competition Authority, which R&R said was part of standard procedure.

The acquisition will create the second largest ice-cream group in supermarket sales in the UK, Germany and France, selling more than 500m litres of ice cream a year.

The family-owned Rolland business was started in 1898 and has two factories – at Ploudern, in Brittany, and in the Poitou Charente region.

It is particularly strong in the supermarket sector, largely selling own-label products to Carrefour, Metro and Leclerc, in France, and Tesco, in the UK.

It also has a presence in the home-delivery and food-service markets.

James Lambert, chief executive of R&R Ice Cream, said: "I am delighted the Rolland family have decided to sell their ice-cream business to the R&R group as many of the company's values and strengths are similar to our existing business.

"This acquisition marks an important stage in our strategy to grow our company on mainland Europe."

France accounts for approximately 75 per cent of the group's sales but Rolland also sells to nearly 20 countries worldwide, including Japan.

Mr Lambert said that the ice-cream manufacturing sector continues to consolidate.

"This period of consolidation within the industry will also result in further growth opportunities, and I fully expect to be announcing more acquisitions soon," he added.

The Rolland business has 520 employees and produces some 65m litres of branded, private label and licensed ice-cream products a year.

Lionel Rolland, who will join the R&R management board with responsibility for France, commented: "The financial strength of the new group will enable us to maximise our assets and skills and ensure that our long-standing reputation for product innovation is enhanced.

"The European ice-cream market is changing quickly and Rolland will be in an excellent position to exploit new opportunities to grow as part of R&R."

R&R Ice Cream was created in 2006 by Oaktree Capital Management merging Richmond Ice Cream with Roncadin following its 180m purchase of Richmond Foods plc.

In the UK, R&R's brands include Nestl Ice Creams. These range from children's favourites such as FAB, Nobbly Bobbly and Toffee, to family favourites such as Smarties, Milkybar, After Eight and Rolo. Its summer brands include Fruit Pastil lollies and Strawberry Mivvis.

R&R Ice Cream was recently shortlisted as a finalist in the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, where it was up against very strong competition, including Aunt Bessie's and Young's Seafood.

It won the main prize at the region's premier business awards – the Yorkshire Post Business in Excellence Awards – where it won the award for companies in the Yorkshire region with a turnover of more than 50m.

R&R said the award was particularly important as entrants were judged across a whole range of criteria including innovation, business performance, customer service, risk management, health and safety management and employee motivation.

It also won three accolades at the BFFF Awards and was selected as Leeds-based Asda's Supplier of the Year.

FARM BEGINNINGS

R&R Ice Cream was founded almost a quarter of a century ago, when Yorkshire farmer Jonathan Ropner acquired Cardosi, a local ice-cream manufacturer.

Richmond Ice Cream was born.

In 1995, Windsor Creameries became the first of Richmond's many strategic acquisitions, which aimed to turn the company into the UK's leading investor in ice-cream manufacturing.

Three years later, the merger with Treats Group enabled it to enter the ice-lolly market.

In 2000, Richmond acquired Allied Frozen Foods, a major soft-scoop competitor, which made it the UK's biggest producer of ice-cream in terms of both volume and product ranges.

Further acquisitions included Sheffield-based ice-cream manufacturer, Oldfields.

In 2006, Oaktree Capital Management purchased Richmond Foods to merge with Roncadin. The result was the formation of a business with the potential to be the largest private label in Europe, and also the most profitable.