UK – Nestlé Purina PetCare, the pet products business of Swiss food and beverage firm, Nestlé, has acquired natural pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen, one of the leading producers of wet and dry natural foods for dogs and cats in the UK.
Founded in London by Henrietta Morrison 12 years ago, Lily’s Kitchen grown to become an internationally recognized brand offering natural recipes for dogs and cats across 6,000 stores in 30 countries with over £85m in retail sales.
Lily’s Kitchen recently expanded into the Middle East and Asia and already has a growing presence in France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.
Nestlé said that Lily’s Kitchen will continue to be run as a stand-alone business from its base in Fitzrovia, London.
Bernard Meunier, CEO, Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA said that the acquisition will enable the company to grow its footprint in the natural foods sector, which represents one of the fastest growing segments in the pet food category.
Purina estimates, based on Euromonitor and Nielsen data 2019, show that the market reached 7% of total pet food with double digit growth of 10%.
“We very much respect the powerful brand, strong ethical values and impressive sales growth their experienced management team has achieved,” Meunier said.
“Natural foods represents an exciting and rapidly expanding part of the pet care market, and this move reflects our desire to act on consumer trends and invest in high-growth categories.
“Lily’s Kitchen is an excellent fit with our existing brand portfolio, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth with Purina’s own world-leading pet care expertise, insight and global resources.”
David Milner, CEO, Lily’s Kitchen added: “Nestlé Purina acknowledges the importance of Lily’s Kitchen’s values, which was fundamental to moving forward together.
“And while Lily’s Kitchen will continue to operate as a clear challenger brand, it’s a universal truth that both companies love pets and see them as part of the family.
“Nestlé Purina will help us build further brand awareness of our company and accelerate the continued expansion of our global footprint. Ultimately, working with Nestlé Purina will allow us to get our brilliant food to as many pets as possible around the world.”
Lily’s Kitchen was previously owned by L Catterton, one the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The transaction will see Lily’s Kitchen product range will join Purina’s existing brand portfolio which include some of the best-known pet foods including Felix, Purina One, Gourmet And Purina Pro Plan.
