News

Orkla snaps up British toffee maker

3 Jul 2019

Orkla Food Ingredients is to purchase British fudge and toffee manufacturer Confection by Design.

Confection by Design offers fudge and toffee to ice cream manufacturers, bakeries and confectioners.

Orkla snaps up British toffee maker

Approximately two thirds of its portfolio is distributed by Orkla’s UK subsidiary Orchard Valley Foods. Most of the company’s sales are in the UK (~80%), but Confection by Design also has exports to other countries (~20%).

Orkla Food Ingredients says it holds a strong position as a supplier of bakery ingredients and ice cream ingredients and accessories in the Nordic region and selected countries in Europe. In the UK, Orkla Food Ingredients claims it has built up a solid position through its subsidiaries NIC UK, Orchard Valley Foods and County Confectionery.

“The purchase of Confection by Design is strategically right and will complement Orkla Food Ingredients’ position as a supplier of inclusions and accessories to the bakery, chocolate and ice cream market,” said Tor Osmundsen, CEO of NIC Group.

Confection by Design is a privately-owned business established in 1988 and has 35 employees. The company’s headquarters and production facilities are located in Harrogate, U.K.

The company has grown its turnover to £5.7 million (approx. NOK 63 million) in the financial year ending 30 June 2019. The company will be consolidated into Orkla’s financial statements as of 1July 2019.

Related tags

Sustainability

Related news

Soy story: WWF scores UK supermarkets on sustainability efforts

Soy story: WWF scores UK supermarkets on sustainability efforts

12 Nov 2025

WWF has published its latest “Soy Scorecard”, ranking UK supermarkets’ efforts to combat deforestation and land conversion in their soy supply chains.

Read more 
Standing Ovation and Bel scale up casein production from dairy co-products

Standing Ovation and Bel scale up casein production from dairy co-products

11 Nov 2025

Foodtech company Standing Ovation has partnered with cheese specialist Bel Group to manufacture dairy serums for industrial-scale casein production via precision fermentation.

Read more 
New UPF standard hoped to offer consumers ‘coherence and clarity’

New UPF standard hoped to offer consumers ‘coherence and clarity’

10 Nov 2025

Ingredients companies are being urged to enter “a new era of partnership and innovation” following the launch of the industry’s first non-UPF verification scheme.

Read more 
Whistleblowers accuse UK meat industry of promoting cheap, unsustainable supply

Whistleblowers accuse UK meat industry of promoting cheap, unsustainable supply

7 Nov 2025

An anonymous group of industry insiders has accused the UK’s biggest food companies of systematically driving down meat quality and welfare standards.

Read more 
Bord Bia presents Irish dairy ingredient suppliers at Fi Europe

Bord Bia presents Irish dairy ingredient suppliers at Fi Europe

6 Nov 2025

Dairygold Co-operative Society, The Carbery Group, and Ornua Co-operative: Meet with sustainable producers of Irish dairy ingredients at Food ingredients Europe 2025, Hall 7.2 Stand M18.

Read more 
AI attraction means foodtech startups must ‘prove’ rather than ‘promise’

AI attraction means foodtech startups must ‘prove’ rather than ‘promise’

4 Nov 2025

Reports suggest that artificial intelligence (AI) is sucking investment from foodtech and agritech, but investors say the picture is complicated.

Read more 
Penguin and Club bars no longer classed as chocolate

Penguin and Club bars no longer classed as chocolate

30 Oct 2025

Penguin and Club bars can no longer be classified as chocolate after the pladis-owned McVitie’s brands turned to cheaper alternatives amid the ongoing cocoa crisis.

Read more 
Could plant-based protection replace plastic packaging?

Could plant-based protection replace plastic packaging?

29 Oct 2025

Swedish foodtech company Saveggy has launched an additive-free plant-based protection for cucumbers, offering a waste-free packaging solution for fruit and vegetables.

Read more 
Does promoting protein content push up plant-based sales?

Does promoting protein content push up plant-based sales?

27 Oct 2025

Promoting the protein content of meat-free products is a more effective sales strategy than adding carbon labels, a study of UK bakery chain Greggs suggests.

Read more 
Amazon Grocery launch aims to balance quality with affordability

Amazon Grocery launch aims to balance quality with affordability

22 Oct 2025

Global e-commerce giant Amazon has introduced a new private-label food brand, combining existing Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly products with new everyday items.

Read more