Irwin Simon, Hain Celestial’s founder, president and ceo, said: “We are excited about the prospect of expanding our presence into the Irish marketplace with our Hain Celestial and Daniels brands and expanding Cully & Sully chilled fresh soups into the UK.”
He added: “We hope to utilise Cully and Sully’s knowledge and expertise for Hain Daniels and here in the US as we move chilled fresh soups to the North American marketplace.”
The firm said it was pleased to be expanding its international presence into Ireland with the leading chilled brand that has “delivered consistent, profitable growth since 2004.”
Tremendous opportunity
Simon highlighted “tremendous opportunity” for chilled soups as consumers move away from canned soups and into fresh chilled soups.
The Irish firm’s founding management team, Cullen Allen (Cully) and Colum O’Sullivan (Sully), will continue to manage Cully & Sully reporting to Rob Burnett, ceo Hain Daniels group.
Simon also welcomed “… two energetic, creative entrepreneurs, Cully and Sully, to the Hain Celestial Europe team”.
O’Sullivan said: “Joining the Hain Daniels Group will provide us with the opportunity to broaden our product offerings into other categories and to expand the Cully & Sully brand into the UK”.
Chilled category
Burnett said: “As leaders in the chilled category in the United Kingdom, we’re excited to be leveraging the Hain Daniels footprint with the creative talent and product offerings of Cully & Sully to further our growth prospects.”
Cully & Sully’s portfolio includes about 20 products and the firm supplies all major food retailers in Ireland. In addition to soups, the firm makes savoury pies and hot pots.
The New York-based Hain Celestial acquired the UK chilled foods firm Daniels Group – with portfolio of International Cuisine ready meals, Farmhouse Fayre steamed puddings and Covent Garden Soup – in October 2011.
Hain also owns the Linda McCartney range of meat-free meals.
The terms of Hain’s acquisition of Cully & Sully were undisclosed.