UK baby food firm Ella’s Kitchen has said it is “open-minded” about how to grow worldwide amid reports it is in talks with companies including Nestle and Danone to sell a stake in the business.
A report in The Sunday Times said Ella’s Kitchen was in early negotiations with Nestle, Danone and PepsiCo over possible investment in the company, which was only formed in 2006.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The report was the latest round of speculation over Ella’s Kitchen. In November, The Daily Telegraph reported that the company had appointed financial advisors at Stamford Partners to look at its options.
Speaking to just-food today (23 February), Ella’s Kitchen declined to comment on if it was in talks with any potential investor.
However, it added: “Ella’s Kitchen has known Stamford Partners for a long time and we work with them to help us get our strategic thinking right. This is on-going. Our focus remains on growing Ella’s Kitchen into the first global brand of premium food for pre-schoolchildren. We remain open minded about the best way for us to help children around the world improve their relationship with good food.”
The company added: “We are often approached by all sorts of partners who think they could help us achieve this goal.”
Nestle said it would not comment on “speculation”. Officials at Danone and PepsiCo could not be reached for immediate comment.
