Our Company History
Over in Yorkshire, UK
1985
Farmer Jonathan Ropner and businessman James Lambert co-acquired Cardosi, a local ice cream manufacturer and Richmond Ice Cream was born.
A UK Merger
1998
In the UK, Richmond’s merger with leading lolly manufacturer Treats plc gave the firm access to a new product sector. The business retained Treats listing on the London Stock Exchange and became Richmond Foods plc.
Acquisition of Allied Frozen Foods Ice Cream Division
2000
Richmond acquired the ice cream division of Allied Frozen Foods, their major competitor in the UK ice cream sector. With four sites across the UK, Richmond became the UK’s largest ice cream producer with regard to both volume and range of products.
Acquisition of the UK Nestlé Ice Cream Business
2001
Richmond’s acquisition of the Nestlé Ice Cream business in the UK added instantly recognisable brands such as Fab, Smarties and Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles lolly to its product portfolio.
A Sheffield Acquisition...
2003
Sheffield-based ice cream business Oldfield’s became Richmond’s latest acquisition.
A busy year
2004
This was a particularly busy year for Roncadin with the acquisition of Zielona Budka in Poland, and the purchase of production and licensing rights for the Valensina fruit ice and healthy Fit For Fun ice cream brands. Richmond acquired De Roma Ice Cream which increased the group’s ability to produce lollies, handheld ice creams and Arctic rolls.
A Roncadin Take Over
2006
Roncadin took over the ice cream division of Nordmilch eG and acquired the Botterbloom brand and licenses for Masterfoods and Ahoj-Brause. In addition, the business acquired Schröer Eis GmbH whose North Rhine production plant enabled Roncadin to produce a wider range of products. Oaktree Capital Management purchased Richmond Foods to merge with Roncadin. The result was R&R Ice Cream - a business with the potential to be not only the largest private-label ice cream group in Europe, but also the most profitable.
Acquisition of Kelly’s of Cornwall
2008
R&R acquired Kelly’s of Cornwall - the UK’s leading producer of premium Cornish ice cream.
R&R's European Strength
2010
R&R strengthened its presence in the European ice cream sector with the acquisition of Rolland, France’s third largest ice cream manufacturer. The acquisition meant R&R became Europe’s second largest ice cream group in terms of supermarket sales in the UK, Germany and France, selling more than 500 million litres of ice cream a year. In the UK, R&R celebrated its 25th anniversary and the Leeming Bar factory was visited by HRH The Duke of Kent. The business also collected its 37th award at the annual British Frozen Food Federation Awards. Finally, its finance-raising Euro bond proved to be one of the most successful newcomer bonds into the London market that year.
R&R with France and Germany
2011
R&R acquired French ice cream business Pilpa and leading German own label ice cream manufacturer Durigon. It also entered into a licensing agreement with Mondelēz International to launch a range of products under the Milka, Toblerone, Daim, Oreo and Philadelphia brands.
R&R Gelato Dream
2012
R&R bought Eskigel, Italy’s largest own-label ice cream manufacturer.
R&R's year of Acquisitions
2013
R&R acquired Lancashire-based Fredericks Dairies which added the Mondelēz brand Cadbury to its portfolio along with Del Monte, Vimto and Britvic. At about the same time, leading European private equity group PAI Partners bought R&R from Oaktree Capital Management. Ibrahim Najafi, previously CEO Europe and Chief Operating Officer, was appointed Group CEO with James Lambert becoming Chairman.
2014
Acquisition of Peters Ice Cream in Australia. Peters Ice Cream has been an Australian tradition since 1907. As Australia’s most loved and favourite ice cream, we’ve continued the legacy that founder Fred Peters began over 110 years ago. With our diverse stable of brands ranging from healthy and low sugar options, to fun everyday snacks the whole family can enjoy on any occasion – from Drumstick, Connoisseur, Maxibon, Frosty Fruits, Proud & Punch, to the favourite Aussie classic, Peters Original. Almost all of our ice creams are Australian-made in our factory in Mulgrave, Victoria, and still honouring Fred Peters’ forward-thinking spirit that created the foundation for our continuous culture of innovation. We have always been ready to embrace – and invent – new ways of delivering ice cream to Australians using the latest technology, imagination, and a bit of know-how magic.
2015
Acquisition of Nestlé South Africa ice cream business called Dairymaid. Dairymaid South Africa was established in 1938 and has developed some of the most loved iconic South African brands over the course of the past 40 years. Today, with a strong and passionate leadership team, the company is leading category growth and profitability and is strongly positioned to deliver its vision to be the best ice cream company in Southern Africa.
2016
R&R merges with Nestlé ice cream to create Froneri, a global ice cream company.
2019
Acquisition of Tip Top ice cream and Nestlé Israel ice cream business. Tip Top has been one of New Zealand's favourite and most award-winning ice cream brands, with over 80 years experience making our ice cream in New Zealand. We start with fresh New Zealand milk and cream, from there we only use natural colours and flavours, and where we can, locally sourced real fruit. We're focused on providing New Zealand's best ice cream, with a large variety of ice cream flavours for Kiwis to enjoy throughout the year. Good times, good friends, and good ice creams. Let’s share!
2020
Acquisition of Nestlé USA ice cream business. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, is in the business of putting smiles on people’s faces, with ice cream. Our U.S. ice cream business has nearly 100 years of winning experience in the market and with a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that everyone knows and loves. From Häagen-Dazs to Outshine, Drumstick and more, our suite of delicious ice cream treats includes something for everyone. Headquartered in the Bay area, a hub for up and coming food trends, so that we can focus on both the future and the present for ice cream. Our 2,400+ employees share the same love and passion for ice cream and are continuously pursuing new ideas to deliver the best ice cream experience to all consumers. We have our eyes set on making ice cream history, and we’re having plenty of fun in doing so.