Swiss group Nestlé has agreed to acquire recipe kit company SimplyCook to further bolster its food and direct-to-consumer offerings in the UK and Ireland.

The deal, whose financial details were not disclosed, follows Nestlé’s acquisition of prepared frozen meals marker Mindful Chef last November.

Founded in 2014 by Oli Ashness, SimplyCook offers pre-portioned blends of ‘authentic flavours combined with easy-to-follow recipes’.

The brand is also sold in supermarkets and grocery stores.

Since its inception, the recipe kit company is said to have helped households across the UK to cook more than 20 million recipes.

SimplyCook CEO Oli Ashness said: “The more we got talking to Nestlé the more we realised that our ambitions and vision for the business aligned with what Nestlé sees as the right path for the SimplyCook business.

“Nestlé’s experience, operational expertise, and international know-how give us the opportunity to expand further in the UK and beyond, making cooking more accessible for millions of more consumers in far less time than we previously imagined.”

SimplyCook will continue to operate from its base in London and be led by its founding team.

Nestlé UK & Ireland CEO Stefano Agostini said: “I am delighted to welcome the SimplyCook team to Nestlé. We share an ambition to make cooking more accessible by offering delicious, nutritious and convenient solutions.

“This is an ideal partnership for both parties as Nestlé continues to transform its portfolio and SimplyCook accelerates its growth.

“There is a growing demand for great-tasting, nutritionally balanced food and this move underlines our focus on investing in businesses with attractive growth prospects and acting on current trends.”