Diamond Foods, San Francisco, announced on Jan. 11, that it purchased a 26-percent portion of U.K. food business Metcalfe’s skinny Ltd., owner of a premium ready-to-eat popcorn brand, Metcalfe’s skinny Popcorn.
Diamond says its mission is to provide better-for-you snack alternatives to consumers. Metcalfe’s skinny markets products in the fast-growing better-for-you snack and popcorn categories, predominantly in the U.K. The company's existing management team will remain in place to operate the company as an independent subsidiary. Diamond is financing the investment.
"We are very excited to acquire an interest in Metcalfe’s skinny, which is an incredibly innovative, fast-growing, premium brand appealing to 'foodie' consumers looking for lighter great tasting snacks,” says Ashley Hicks, managing director of Kettle Chips U.K. "We look forward to working with the management team to support their future growth ambitions in the on-trend, high growth popcorn snack category in the U.K."
Julian Metcalfe and Robert Jakobi, co-founders of Metcalfe’s skinny, commented, “We are very excited about the opportunity to expand Metcalfe’s skinny brand with the support and expertise of the Kettle organization."
