Candy Kittens owners to acquire healthy snacking brand Graze

The company behind vegan sweet brand Candy Kittens is set to acquire healthy snacking brand Graze in a deal that brings in around 200 staff and a Kingston-upon-Thames production facility. Graze became a certified B-Corp in 2021 and the brand’s products are stocked in a range of UK supermarkets.

The deal sees Katjes International acquire 100 per cent of shares in Nature Delivered Limited, trading as Graze, from Unilever through its subsidiary Future Snacks. The acquisition will be financed in part through an acquisition loan and is expected to complete in the first half of 2026.

Bastian Fassin, Managing Shareholder of Katjes International, commented: "With Candy Kittens, we already have one of the fastest-growing confectionery brands in the UK in our portfolio.”

"We are complementing this existing business with the acquisition of Graze, one of the leading healthy snacking brands in the UK. With its strong brand awareness and strategic positioning, Graze is a perfect fit for our strategy to continue growing with strong consumer brands across Europe."

Graze was founded in 2005, initially as an online snack delivery service selling healthy snack boxes, before gradually expanding to be stocked by supermarkets and other retailers. In 2019, the company was acquired by Unilever in a deal reportedly valued at around £100 million, but has since underperformed, seeing falling sales over recent years.

In the year to December 31 2024, Nature Delivered Limited reported turnover of £35.6 million, down from around £39.6 million a year earlier, while operating losses increased from £4.5 million to £8.7 million.

It is being sold as part of Unilever’s efforts to offload underperforming brands as it seeks to prioritise its personal care and beauty offering. The consumer goods giant has said it will focus on producing packaged products such as condiments as it seeks to "sharpen" its catalogue of goods, which will involve "pruning the portfolio where relevant".

This year, Unilever has sold brands including The Vegetarian Butcher, while acquiring cosmetics companies, such as Wild. The overhaul is also set to include the spin off of its ice cream division, which carries major brands including Walls, Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum.

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