Arla Foods has struck a deal to acquire Australian cottage cheese producer Brancourts.
The transaction was executed through the co-op’s Arla Foods Mayer Australia (AFMA) venture
Arla owns a majority stake in the venture with the Australian family-owned company Mayers Fine Food. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1895, Brancourts is a family-run business based in New South Wales.
Arla told Just Food Brancourts primarily sells cottage cheese within Australia while exporting a small amount of sweet condensed milk. The company employs roughly 55 people, with its sales figures remaining confidential. “AFMA brings the ambition to invest in the future of the business, while respecting the heritage, people and local relationships that have defined Brancourts for generations,” Julie Conradt, the fourth-generation owner of Brancourts, said in a statement. Arla described the purchase as a “natural next step” in “strengthening” its position in Australia, where it already markets Lurpak butter and Castello cheese.