Barry Callebaut acquires GKC web e1593590523499

BARRY CALLEBAUT COMPLETES THEIR ACQUISITION OF GKC FOODS

Zurich, Switzerland and Singapore, July 1, 2020 – The Barry Callebaut Group, announced that it has completed the acquisition of GKC Foods (Australia) Pty Ltd, a producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, that serves many consumer chocolate brands in Australia and New Zealand.

We are happy to welcome the team of GKC Foods to the Barry Callebaut family. The heritage and local knowledge GKC Foods has built since the 1980s, combined with the expertise, the state of the art manufacturing processes and the capabilities of an undisputed leader in chocolate and cocoa innovation will bring further excellence to the Australia and New Zealand markets. We strongly believe in the growth opportunities in these still largely captive markets

Ben De Schryver, President of Barry Callebaut in Asia Pacific

GKC Foods is located in Melbourne, Australia and has been manufacturing chocolate and confectionery products since the 1980s. They list their specialities as being:

  • Wholesale chocolate manufacturer
  • Manufacture our own chocolate 
  • Customised product 
  • Contract and private label manufacturer 
  • New product development 
  • Flexible production runs

Australia and New Zealand have an average chocolate consumption of approximately 5 kilograms per capita, the highest per-capita chocolate consumption in Asia Pacific, according to Euromonitor. In Australia, demand for chocolate has been on the rise – the chocolate confectionery market in the country grew well above the global market according to Nielsen

In Australia, demand for chocolate has been on the rise – the chocolate confectionery market in the country grew well above the global market according to Nielsen (January – December 2019:: Australia +5.2%; global +1.3%.).

GKC 1

The company stated that the strategic acquisition establishes Barry Callebaut’s direct presence and manufacturing capacity in the growing Australian market.

The acquisition of GKC Foods empowers the Group to expand its position in the industrial chocolate market and to leverage its value-adding Gourmet & Specialties business in Australia and New Zealand.

The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the transaction.

Author

  • Nick Baskett

    organisation:

    Nick Baskett is the editor in Chief at Bartalks. He holds a diploma from the Financial Times as a Non Executive Director and works as a consultant across multiple industries. Nick has owned multiple businesses, including an award-winning restaurant and coffee shop in North Macedonia.

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