Latest news

New products
Hazelnut Praline Product Launch Targeting European Breakfast and Snacking Markets
French frozen bakery manufacturer Bridor has launched a Praline and Hazelnut Swirl targeting coffee shops, cafés and hotels. The 100g ready-to-bake Viennese pastry was developed following research showing 78% of European consumers favour hazelnut praline fillings.

Ingredients
Why Fermentation Variability Costs More Than You Think
Industrial fermentation profitability hinges on batch consistency, yet nutrient variability often undermines reproducibility. Understanding how controlled yeast-derived bionutrients reduce hidden costs and improve yields matters for manufacturers scaling enzyme and fermentation-derived ingredient production.

Mergers & Acquisitions
Puratos to acquire fellow bakery specialist Dawn Foods
Puratos has entered into an agreement to acquire Dawn Foods, bringing together the two companies’ complementary bakery and patisserie capabilities.

People
Succession Through Promotion: Scottish Bakery Appoints Two Gen Z Leaders to Senior Management
McGhee's Bakery has appointed Jessica Richmond, 28, as Group Head of HR and Gordon Moon, 27, as Head of Engineering, continuing the fourth-generation Scottish bakery's strategy of developing leadership from within. The £53.7 million turnover business, named Scotland's most chosen food brand in 2025, has promoted multiple employees who joined in their twenties to senior positions during a five-year period that saw revenues grow from £34 million.

Funding & investment
London Bakery Secures £1.5m Equipment Finance Through Staged Payment Structure
London wholesale bakery Capital Croissant secures £1.525m asset finance with staged drawdown structure to fund European machinery purchases, completing the arrangement in two weeks through Leonard Curtis and Lombard Asset Finance.

Mergers & Acquisitions
Leipurin acquisition extends Lantmännen’s reach in bakery ingredients
Leipurin’s integration into Lantmännen signals a structural shift in bakery ingredient supply, with potential implications for sourcing, technical support and value chain coordination.

People
Middleby Food Processing Names Mark Salman as CEO Ahead of Q2 2026 Independence
Mark Salman, President of Middleby's Food Processing Group, will become CEO of the division when it spins off as an independent public company in Q2 2026, following a period in which revenues nearly doubled to $850 million.

Distribution
Iran Bans Agri-food Exports Amid Escalating Conflict
Iran has banned all agri-food exports "until further notice" following escalating conflict with Israel and the United States. The EU imported €355 million of Iranian agri-food products in 2020, including nuts, dried fruits and spices. Oil prices have surged in response, with Brent crude rising above $85 a barrel for the first time since 2024.
