Press releases

• Deal will help supercharge sales, both in the UK and abroad
• Hero Group enters UK’s healthy snacks market

Lenzburg / London, 16 September 2024 – The Hero Group, which is on a mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature, today announces the addition of an important member to its family of brands: Deliciously Ella.

 The acquisition for an undisclosed amount will allow Hero to enter the UK snacking market with a brand that shares a similar way of thinking, values and mission. The deal will allow Deliciously Ella, which has experienced rapid growth and sold more than 100m products since it was founded in 2016, to reach millions more customers around the world.

“Our multi-year strategy has focused on bringing brands that fit within our core categories with the aim of fulfilling our mission to bring natural, healthy food to consumers. Deliciously Ella is a perfect fit for us, and we are particularly happy to have them on board,” said Rob Versloot, CEO Hero Group.

Hero is already present in the UK market with its Organix brand, which focuses on organic foods and snacks for babies, toddlers and kids.

Deliciously Ella founders Ella Mills and Matthew Mills, who is CEO, will remain with the company as they lead the next stage of growth.

Ella and Matthew said: “We are both incredibly excited to partner with the Hero Group. What started as a small recipe website and a cookbook has become something bigger than either of us could have imagined.

“We have had numerous approaches to sell or partner with other food companies over the years, but only this one felt right. As a family-owned business, with a long-term view that aligns with our thinking, Hero Group are the right fit for us.

“Hero has brands all over the world and a proven track record in helping brands reach much greater scale. This is a transformational moment in bringing our natural, plant-based ranges to more people, both in the UK and abroad.”

The acquisition does not include the Plants brand or business, which will continue to be owned by Ella and Matthew Mills. Several team members from Deliciously Ella are moving over to spearhead the brand’s growth.

About Deliciously Ella

Deliciously Ella is one of the fastest growing plant-based food businesses in the UK. Founded by Ella Mills in 2012, Deliciously Ella was started as a plant-based recipe website. In 2015, following the success of Ella’s first book, which became the fastest selling debut cookbook of all time, Ella teamed up with Matthew Mills, her now husband and Deliciously Ella’s CEO, to turn Deliciously Ella into a food business. Deliciously Ella launched their first range into retailers in 2016, and have since sold over 100million natural, plant-based food products. The brand now sells a product every second, and is stocked in major retailers including Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Coop, Waitrose, and Ocado. They will shortly launch their best-selling Oat Bar range into national distribution in Whole Foods US. In 2023, Deliciously Ella acquired its first food factory, where it now manufactures many of its ranges. Deliciously Ella has the largest social media following of any plant-based brand in the world, with a community of over 4million people. Alongside this, they have a #1 recipe app with over 1.4 million downloads and have published a further six best-selling cookbooks. In 2017, Ella and Matthew were awarded the EY Rising Star Entrepreneurs of the year at their London ceremony.

Media contact
Bacchus: Natalie Evans Natalie@bacchus.agency +41 07811568726

About Hero Group
The Hero Group is a global food company focused on branded nutritional food products. The company was founded in 1886 in Lenzburg, Switzerland, where its headquarters are still located today. Hero's main product categories of Baby & Toddler Food and Snacks, Natural Spreads, and Healthy Snacks are complemented by its activities in Baby & Toddler Milk and Specialties. The Group, which lives by its mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature, boasts a global footprint and its portfolio consists of many well-known international and local brands. In 2023, the Group generated revenues of CHF 1.2 billion.

Media contact
Cirkle: Herogroup@cirkle.com