Big Bear, the owner of Sugar Puffs and the iconic Honey Monster character, is planning to go public.

The company – which acquired Sugar Puffs in 2006 from PepsiCo and in 2003 relieved Northern Foods of its Fox’s sweets brand – hopes to raise cash via a placing on London’s junior stock exchange, the Alternative Investment Market.

Big Bear notched up sales of £53.3m in the year to 31 August 2009, with operating profits of £8.1m.

“The flotation will increase our flexibility to access capital markets, raise our profile and enable us to acquire further interesting but forgotten and under-utilised brands as attractive opportunities are identified,” said Big Bear chairman John Jackson.

“We are very excited about bringing our portfolio of instantly recognisable food brands to the market as we continue to extend and develop them.”

Read more
Sugar Puffs moves into cereal bars (7 November 2009)
Acid Test: Monster Rocks (23 May 2009)
Honey Monster takes up the health message with Rocks (9 May 2009)