Mills & Reeve advises Puratos NV on fruit farmer acquisition

Puratos NV has bought Fourayes which produces a range of fruit fillings, industrial jams and mincemeat from its 100-acre orchard. The move is designed to complement and enhance Puratos’s existing UK capabilities and further expand the offer of locally produced ingredients to customers.

Puratos was established in 1919 and its products and services are available in more than 100 countries. Puratos UK was founded in 1977 and is based in Buckinghamshire.

Julia Darvill, managing director at Puratos UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted to welcome Fourayes into the Puratos family and are excited to continue its proud legacy; supporting British farming, providing farm-to-fork transparency, and demonstrating exemplary ESG practices.

We found Fourayes to be an ideal fit for Puratos, both being family-run, customer-focused, heritage-rich businesses with innovation, people and traceability at their core. We are committed to upholding and building on Fourayes’s reputation as a first-class farm and factory and look forward to a fruitful future.”

Phil Acock, managing director at Fourayes and third generation owner, will remain in a non-executive role at the company. He said: “As businesses, Fourayes and Puratos are aligned in their goals and they’re both resolute in their dedication to adding value for customers and innovating for good. We wholly believe that together, we are stronger, and the bringing together of these two ingredient powerhouses has untold potential.”

Chris Ross, client relationship partner at Mills & Reeve, said: “We acted for Puratos UK back in 2017 when it acquired Merseyside fruit and confectionary sauce manufacturer Fruitapeel to develop its expertise in fruit-sourcing and production of preservative-free fillings. This latest acquisition will further strengthen its UK share of locally sourced bakery ingredients and meet growing consumer demand for healthier and sustainable products.”