Vandemoortele will have to sell a third Délifrance factory

The operation Délifrance (March 2025) is still causing problems for Vandemoortele, because it has alerted the British Competition and Markets Authority .

The acquisition, once it reaches closing – the CMA observes – would in fact create a group concentrated in bakery products, with a combined turnover, in equivalent euros, of 2,4 billion.

Major acquisition, major difficulties

At this point Vandemoortele – which with this move has completed its largest acquisition of a 2024-2025 driven by an intense shopping spree both in Italy, and in Europe and the USA – has considered a remedy consisting of the sale of its Worchester plant.

It is worth noting, in passing, that Délifrance closed 2024 with consolidated turnover of 930 million euros and turnover for the parent company (Délifrance SA) of 564,30 million, practically unchanged from 2023. Before the operation, it had 14 production sites.

The Whorchester hub employs 73 people and occupies 13.400 square metres. It produces frozen bakery products and, above all, puff pastry, and carries out a range of important commercial activities.

Vandemoortele has already given up two plants in France

Vandemoortele's troubles, historic group founded in 1899, have a major backstory. In December 2025 the Belgian company had to sell, to address the demands of the European Commission, two Délifrance factories in France: one in Avignon (with around 60 workers) and the other in Béthune (200 employees and 10 million finished products per week). For these plants, which also serve the United Kingdom, as a possible buyer, Sammontana was indicated, but, at least for now, the sale has not taken place and tensions are running high among the workforce.

Let us return to Whorchester. The proposed remedy is not limited to the factory alone and, to avoid further delays, also includes a complete divestment of the production activities related to puff pastry, the transfer of all contracts with companies and of the distribution activities.

What will happen now? The future is as straightforward as it is uncertain, because the CMA has launched a public consultation period to assess whether the remedies are suitable for maintaining a healthy and competitive market.

If finalised, the agreement will allow Vandemoortele to finally take possession of what remains of Délifrance's international presence, finally promoting its own expansion strategy that looks both to Europe and to Asia.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.