Barry Callebaut has signed an agreement to acquire GKC Foods, a producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, serving consumer chocolate brands in Australia and New Zealand. This strategic acquisition strengthens  Barry Callebaut’s direct presence and manufacturing capacity in Australia’s growing industrial chocolate market. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions, and is expected to complete by the end of the year.

“Our agreement with Barry Callebaut will ensure the successful future of GKC Foods and our team as part of a large, international, group. We really appreciate the business principles and the team spirit on which Barry Callebaut is based,” says John Borell, Managing Director of GKC Foods.

The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the transaction. Barry Callebaut’s investment involves the upgrade and expansion of a local factory’s existing infrastructure, the installation of a new state-of-the-art chocolate production line, and the deployment of an integrated management system to enhance automated production. In addition, the company will employ around 50 people at the site, including GKC Foods’ existing employees, who will transfer to Barry Callebaut upon completion of the transaction.

GKC Foods has been manufacturing chocolate and confectionery products since the 1980s. Today, the company produces a wide range of products including organic and vegan chocolate for dedicated chocolate shops, gourmet delis, specialty food outlets and key national retailers. The company operates a chocolate factory and a warehouse in Melbourne. 

In the last 12 months, Barry Callebaut has also expanded its sales operations in Indonesia and the Philippines, in addition to its existing sales offices in India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. To further boost the eco-conscious sentiment in the Japanese chocolate market, the company recently partnered with Tokyo-based Yuraku Confectionery.

The company recently announced the development of a new chocolate factory in India that is expected to be ready in late-2020. With Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, the company currently operates 10 chocolate and cocoa factories across Asia.

FoodIngredientsFirst recently caught up with Renata Januszewska, Global R&D Sensory Manager at Barry Callebaut, to discuss how emotions play a significant role in food and are simultaneously linked to initial food preferences. Particularly in chocolate, emotions may be natural integrators of the five sensory modalities: vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste.