French industrial bakery Groupe Menissez has acquired UK-based Village Bakery from private-equity firm Limerston Capital. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Village Bakery supplies baked goods to major UK retailers and foodservice providers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, The Co-op, and Marks and Spencer. Limerston Capital, which invested in Village Bakery in 2021, oversaw significant growth and development, including the opening of a new 140,000-square-foot bakery and nearly doubling the workforce to over 900 employees.

Robin Jones, CEO and co-owner of Village Bakery, expressed gratitude to Limerston Capital for their support and contributions to the company's growth. He highlighted the achievements over the past three years and looked forward to the future with Groupe Menissez.

Groupe Menissez, established in 1965 and based in Feignies, northern France, generates annual sales of around €600m ($650m). The company has expanded its partnerships with Boulart in Canada, Délice de France in the UK, Van Roy in the Netherlands, and Lemarié Patissier in France.

João Rosa, founding partner at Limerston Capital, expressed satisfaction with the early exit from Village Bakery, noting the significant investment and rapid growth achieved. He wished the Village Bakery team well under Groupe Menissez's leadership.

In the fiscal year ending 24 September 2023, Village Bakery reported a turnover of £98m ($126m), up from £69.1m the previous year. The company posted an operating profit of £5.4m, a significant improvement from a loss of £150,000 the previous year, and a net profit of £3.8m, up from a loss of £2.2m in 2022.

Just Food has reached out to Groupe Menissez for further comments.