Vandemoortele, Délifrance begin operating as one following UK clearance
The clearance comes more than a year and a half after Vandemoortele agreed to acquire Délifrance, creating one of Europe‘s largest frozen bakery groups.
UK – European food group Vandemoortele and French bakery manufacturer Délifrance have begun operating as a single business after the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared the deal, marking a major step in integrating the two companies.
The move follows Vandemoortele’s completion of its acquisition of Délifrance in December 2025, with UK regulatory approval removing the final major obstacle to bringing their bakery operations together.
The merger was first announced on 28 March 2025.
The CMA approved the transaction in October 2026, subject to Vandemoortele divesting its laminated dough production facility in Worcester and its associated UK sales operations in Staines-upon-Thames.
The remedies are intended to preserve competition in the UK market for frozen laminated dough products supplied to supermarkets and foodservice businesses.
The regulator had concluded that combining the two companies without appropriate remedies would substantially reduce competition in the supply of frozen viennoiserie and related products.
The European Commission previously approved the acquisition on 18 December 2025, conditional on the sale of Délifrance’s Béthune and Avignon production facilities in France, along with associated French customer relationships.
With the UK clearance secured, the companies can now advance their integration while implementing the required divestments.
The combined Bakery Products business will operate under the name Vandemoortele Délifrance, bringing together the companies’ manufacturing capabilities, product portfolios and customer networks.
The business is expected to employ about 6,000 people across 41 production sites in Europe, the United States and Asia, with annual turnover approaching €2.2 billion.
The CMA published its final report on 20 August 2026.
Vandemoortele said the combination brings together its operational strength and established bakery business with Délifrance’s French bakery expertise, recognized brand and established customer relationships.
The enlarged operation aims to provide a broader range of bakery products and improve its ability to serve customers across retail, foodservice and artisan bakery channels.
Délifrance, founded in 1978, specializes in bread, viennoiserie, pastries and savoury products for supermarkets, foodservice operators and artisan bakers.
Vandemoortele, a Belgian family-owned food group with more than 125 years of history, operates internationally across bakery products and plant-based foods, exporting to more than 90 countries.
Vandemoortele Group chief executive officer Yvon Guérin said the partnership would strengthen the company’s ability to serve customers while creating opportunities for future growth.
Délifrance chief executive officer Robert O’Boyle also emphasized continuity, noting that customers would continue working with familiar teams while gaining access to the combined group’s broader expertise and investment capacity.
The integration positions Vandemoortele Délifrance to expand its presence in the competitive European frozen bakery market.
However, the merger’s success will depend on how well the company integrates operations while maintaining product quality, customer service, and competitive supply arrangements.
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