Melville, NY­­—Premier Foods, one of the largest food producers in the United Kingdom, has sold several of its packaged grocery brands to The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. The brands acquired, all belonging to the Histon Sweet Spreads business, are home to such products as peanut butter, honey, jams, fruit, jelly, marmalade and chocolate. The Histon manufacturing facility in Cambridgeshire, UK was also included in the transaction.

The brands include Hartley’s, Sun–Pat, Gale’s, Robertson’s and Frank Cooper’s. The acquisition is expected to be added to Hain’s earnings beginning in the second fiscal quarter of 2013. The Histon business amounted to over $250 million in sales last fiscal year, with 60% of that total coming from branded products. The brands will be folded into the Hain Daniels Group, wholly owned by Hain Celestial Group.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, December 2012 (online 11/5/12)