UK – Ornua, the Irish dairy group renowned for brands like Kerrygold, has announced the sale of its powder blending and manufacturing business in the UK.
The business, housed within Ornua Nutrition Ingredients (ONI) in Leek, UK, is set to be sold as a going concern to Roger Wertheim-Aymes, founder of the medical supplement operation Aymes while the financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed.
The Leek facility, with 85 employees, produces a diverse range of products, including dairy ingredients, bakery items, breakfast cereal, sports nutrition, and health and well-being products.
The facility will operate under the trading name Allicio following the completion of the deal. Ornua emphasized that the business will continue to be an essential strategic customer even after the transition.
The move aligns with Ornua’s strategy to allow Ornua Ingredients Europe to concentrate on strengthening its leadership position as a supplier of innovative and high-quality cheese ingredients to prominent food manufacturing, foodservice, and QSR (quick-service restaurant) customers.
The sale is expected to be finalized later in January, subject to consultation with the transferring employees.
Aymes, the acquiring entity, is a supplier of nutritional and medical oral nutritional supplements to healthcare providers in the UK and has been a longstanding strategic customer of ONI.
The spokesperson for Ornua stated that ONI Bulk Powder Trading is not part of the sale and will continue its operations of sourcing and selling powders to existing customers.
The divestiture is not anticipated to impact Ornua Ingredients Europe’s other sites or Ornua Foods UK.
Ornua Foods UK, with a major cheese-cutting and packing plant also located in Leek, is reportedly performing well and is slated for significant capital investment in the coming year.
Ornua, with an annualized global sales figure exceeding €2.5 billion, operates in more than 110 countries and owns well-known brands such as Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice, and Pembrokeshire.
In October of the previous year, the company invested €40 million in a dairy plant in Ireland to support the growth of its globally recognized Kerrygold butter brand.
