Zubrance Ltd, the holding company of the Serious Sweet Confectionery Group, has acquired the entire share capital of John Bull Wholesale Limited and the wholesale/private label business of John Bull (Confectioners) Ltd, based in Bridlington.
The new company will trade under the name of The Real Candy Co Limited. All employees remain employed and have been transferred to the new company.
The Serious Sweet Confectionery Group (SSC) now covers a wide range of Private Label and Branded product capabilities together with a significant confectionery manufacturing footprint.
The Serious Sweet Company based in Harrogate specialises in the manufacture and supply of own-label & white-label premium crafted sugar confectionery to all key UK retailers together with a number of international retailers on several continents, supported by a dedicated innovation team.
The Real Candy Co based in Bridlington, focuses on the manufacture of a wide variety of predominantly own label & white label sugar confectionery to many sales channels in the UK along with a wide variety of trade customers, thanks to its flexible manufacturing footprint
SSC Brands, also based in Harrogate, now comprises a number of fast-growing premium challenger confectionery Brands acquired between 2022 – 2023 with an RSV in excess of £10m including: Mallow & Marsh, Mighty Fine, Mr Stanleys, Real Candy Co, and Ultimate English.
The addition of The Real Candy Co significantly grows SSC’s manufacturing capacity and enrobing capabilities together with the ability to support both new and existing customers with a range of products, formats and solutions.
In today’s market the demand for truly premium, worth-it treats has never been stronger as consumers become ever more discerning with their confectionery choices. It will also allow SSC to develop a more sustainable manufacturing footprint in the years to come.
Rob Whitehead, director of SSC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the team at John Bull into the Serious Sweets family. Completing this acquisition changes the game for Serious Sweets, significantly enhancing the products and formats we can offer customers, and growing our capacity.
“We have a strong investment programme to build on the great work done by James and Jo-Anne and we’re very excited about what the future holds. Our management team has strengthened significantly including our broader innovation and marketing skills – key to keeping customers happy and meeting their every need.”
James Hodgson, owner of John Bull, said: “We’re very pleased to have passed on our wholesale/private label business to a team who will invest and develop the site here in Bridlington. We will now be focussing on our Retail, Leisure and John Bull-branded confectionery business. The opportunity for both companies to really focus and capitalise on future consumer demand looks strong.”