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Italy’s Ferrero set to buy Nestle’s US candy business

Italy's Ferrero is closing in on a $2.8-billion deal for Nestle's US confectionary business, Bloomberg said on Wednesday, amid signs a deal could be completed by Sunday.

Published: 11 January 2018 10:24 CET

Italy's Ferrero set to buy Nestle's US candy business

Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Nestle USA registered sales of some 900 million Swiss francs (€828 million, $900 million) in 2016, in a market worth an overall $8 billion, according to Ibis World – equivalent to around a fifth of the global market.

The firms declined to comment on the deal.

READ ALSO: The curious story behind Italy's world-famous Nutella

Earlier reports had said Ferrero, above all known for its Tic Tac, Nutella and Ferrero Rocher brands but which has traditionally preferred organic growth to acquisitions, had been vying with Hershey and private investor groups including France's Rhone Capital for the deal.

Nestle owns brands including Crunch, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Skinny Cow.

The acquisition would see Ferrero, world number three in the candy sector after doubling turnover to €10 billion in the past ten years, become the third-largest sweets producer in the United States behind Hershey and Mars.

Currently, its US business only accounts for around five percent of its business having bought Ferrara Candy in December.

A Nutella production line in France. Photo: Charlie Triballeau/AFP

Family-owned Ferrero, which opened its door in 1946, has 22 production sites and more than 40,000 employees and sells in more than 170 countries. Its Nutella chocolate spread has 32 million fans on Facebook.

In 2014 it bought Turkey's Oltan, then a year later Britain's Thorntons, before setting its sights on the US market.

With demand for sugary fare stagnating Nestle has been moving toward healthier foodstuffs, while holding on to its prepared-dishes, ice cream and global confectionery businesses, Bloomberg noted.

Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

Italy’s favourite aperitivo-hour cocktails are known far beyond the country’s borders, so their names will probably be familiar to you whether you drink them or not.

But if you’re in Italy and not drinking alcohol, you might find yourself stumped when it comes time to order your aperitivo at the bar.

The first time I found myself in this situation, there was no menu. The waiter instead rattled off a long list of all the soft drinks available, most of which I’d never heard of, and I just picked something I thought sounded nice.

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as ‘virgin’ versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

They might not be quite as iconic as the Aperol Spritz, but they’re as thoroughly Italian – plus, effortlessly ordering one of these will make you look like a true local.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino’s SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that’s not an accident: it’s said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it’s worth trying: it’s one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don’t let the appearance fool you.

(Photo by Eugene Gologursky /Getty Images via AFP)

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino’s is the most popular. It also sells a ‘bitter’ aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It’s far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you’re likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it’s worth trying if you can track it down.

It’s another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you’re more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it’s produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

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