Aryzta buys Irish foodservice firm La Rousse Foods

Swiss-based food group Aryzta has bought food service company La Rousse Foods.

The value of the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, has not yet been disclosed, although it is understood from industry sources to be somewhere between €20 million and €30 million.

Located in Dublin and Belfast, La Rousse has more than 1,300 corporate customers in Ireland, and provides premium products throughout the country.

Aryzta said it planned to invest further to push its business to the top of the premium produce market

“This is another exciting chapter in the Aryzta Ireland story continuing the pipeline of investment in growth across our food solutions and bakery divisions,” said Hilliard Lombard, chief executive of Aryzta Europe and Asia Pacific.

Operations

La Rousse Foods co-founder

Marc Amand

will stay on as ambassador, with managing director

Stuart Campbell

heading up daily operations.

“Today is an exciting day for La Rousse Foods and a positive step forward in growing and expanding our current business,” said Mr Amand.

Aryzta has seen its share price tumble in recent months but it has shown some recovery, with some traders suggesting that the share price may finally be bottoming out.