- €40 million revenue pasta business is BiaVest’s first continental Europe acquisition;
- Deal represents BiaVest’s fourth investment in two years;
BiaVest, the Irish-based specialist food investment group, today announced that it has acquired an 80% stake in leading German-based pasta company, Riesa Nudeln. Riesa Nudeln, with annual revenues exceeding €40 million, employs 150 people and operates a well invested manufacturing facility from its base in the town of Riesa in Saxony, Germany. It also has a pasta museum, restaurant, and shop, known as the Riesa Nudelcenter – at it’s manufacturing facility in Riesa, which sees over 200,000 visitors a year.
BiaVest was founded in 2021 by experienced food sector specialists, Hilliard Lombard and David McKernan. The deal is BiaVest’s first continental Europe acquisition and becomes its fourth investment in just two years. Riesa Nudeln joins leading UK and Irish convenience snacking brand Nomadic, leading fresh Donut brand Offbeat Donuts and award-winning ‘better for you’ food brand Nobó in the BiaVest portfolio.
The Riesa brand has a strong retail presence across key German retailers, including ALDI, Lidl, Edeka, Rewe, Kaufland, Penny and Netto. It has an annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes of pasta with the current investment programme set to double its output to 50,000 tonnes, using durum wheat sourced locally through strong local partnerships with farmers and mills.
As part of its growth strategy, Riesa is currently completing a €4 million new production line for specialised pasta, spätzle. This investment will further enhance capacity and facilitate expansion into new markets, generating an estimated €15 million in additional annual revenues. It also has a strong online platform presence.
Under the terms of the deal, BiaVest’s Co-Founder, Hilliard Lombard and Chief Financial Officer, Warren Codd will join the Riesa Nudeln board contributing their expertise to enhance the company’s strategic direction and growth. Andre Freidler and Olivier Freidler, experienced leaders from the German food industry, will continue to be involved in Riesa on an advisory capacity and as a 20% strategic shareholder, underpinning the partnership between Biavest and the Freidler family to continue to drive the growth of Riesa, both organically and through further acquisitions, to develop a leading ambient food branded business in Germany and continental Europe.
The Freidler brothers will continue to operate and own their own leading food businesses, ALB-GOLD and Spaichinger Nudelmacher, based in Swabia, Germany and, Al Dente based in Detroit USA.
Riesa Nudeln will continue to be led by Chief Executive, Mike Hennig who leads a great team of food professionals at Riesa.
Hilliard Lombard, co-Founder, BiaVest said:
“Riesa is a brand with a respected heritage and proven provenance in Germany. Its track record of success is striking, as is its growth potential. The team has exciting plans to continue to expand and develop the business. We look forward to supporting this next phase and to working alongside Mike Hennig and his team and with our strategic partners – André and Oliver Freidler.
“Riesa is a milestone moment for BiaVest, representing our first continental Europe acquisition. We are passionate about the food sector, believe in the founders and brands we invest in, and back them in achieving their growth ambitions. Biavest believe the Freidler family are the right partners for Biavest sharing strong values and complementary growth ambitions.
André Freidler, Riesa Nudeln said:
“In BiaVest, we have found a capital-strong partner with a great deal of expertise to drive the brand business forward while at the same time leveraging the site’s existing potential. These considerations were very important to us in our choice of partner, and we are pleased to be able to continue to accompany the company’s development in partnership with BiaVest.”