Ed Devlin
Ed is The Grocer's finance editor
Contact info
- Mobile:
- 07936 685 375
- Email:
- ed.devlin@wrbm.com
Analysis & FeaturesWill 2026 be the year food & drink dealmaking comes back?
What do the dealmakers in the City think of the M&A prospects in food & drink for 2026?
NewsGrowUp Farms rescued by former CEO in pre-pack administration deal
Marcus Whately, who ran the company for six years until November 2024, has acquired GrowUp Farms Ltd
NewsM&S drinks supplier Hydrate Drinks rescued by directors following collapse
Formerly known as Happy Drinks before changing its name to Hydrate earlier this year, the business appointed insolvency firm Begbies Traynor as administrator on 1 December 2025
NewsInnocent bounces back to black as volumes at the ‘Blender’ factory ramp up
The latest accounts signalled an end to a turbulent run at the Coca-Cola-owned juice brand
NewsSupplements challenger Heights valued at £60m in latest funding round
The latest round values the company at £57.8m, a significant jump from the £33m level hit during the previous £2m fundraising in 2024
NewsApplied Nutrition shares bulk up on surprise growth upgrade
Shares in Applied Nutrition have jumped more than 10% today as the sports performance business upgraded growth expectations
NewsBako Group buys Bako Western as expansion continues
It is the latest step in the expansion of Bako Group’s operations following the merger of its three regional trading divisions in Preston, Durham and Wimbledon
NewsAB InBev agrees deal to acquire 85% stake in BeatBox
AB InBev has revealed plans for its US brewing arm to acquire a majority stake in BeatBox for a purchase price of up $490m (£368m)
NewsOcado and Kroger agree $350m compensation payment
The decision reflected Kroger’s plan to close the three CFCs in Maryland, Wisconsin and Florida in January, as well its decision to no longer proceed with a new Ocado warehouse in North Carolina, one of the two planned CFCs due to go-live in 2026
NewsFootfall slumps as shoppers stay home for Black Friday deals
Gloomy weather and anxiety ahead of the budget combined to form a toxic brew for the high street in November as footfall slumped across the UK
NewsCandy Kittens outlines plans for ‘unshackled’ Graze
Ed Williams, Candy Kittens CEO and co-founder alongside Jamie Laing, told The Grocer he was excited to see what Graze it could do once ‘unshackled’ from corporate ownership
Comment & OpinionFuture of Food: inspiring stories and reasons to be cheerful
Barney Mauleverer’s Future of Food platform encourages the next generation of entrepreneurs in food to be the change the industry desperately needs
NewsNo More Lids takes home top spot at Future of Food
Judges commended founder and MD Chris Brown for ‘game-changing environmental achievements’ in an industry that uses more than 10 million takeaway cups and generates in excess of 51 tonnes of waste every day
NewsQatar Investment Authority to offload £300m worth of Sainsbury’s shares
The Qatar Investment Authority has revealed it would sell up to 84 million shares in Sainsbury’s to institutional investors in a placing
Comment & OpinionGraze sale is a smart step for Unilever. What’s next?
With Unilever focused on power brands, it’s clear, like Graze, that Marmite, Bovril and Colman’s would be better served by a new, more focused owner who can champion and get the best out of them
NewsCandy Kittens snaps up Unilever’s Graze as part of new growth strategy
Candy Kittens has swooped to acquire Graze from Unilever as the confectionery supplier takes its first steps into the wider snacking category
NewsBorough Broth ready for next stage as PE firm Piper invests
The funding would support the next phase of sustainable growth and marked ‘a significant step’ in the company’s mission to take nutrient-rich and naturally made stock into the mainstream
NewsUnilever in advanced talks to sell Graze to Katjes
Unilever is close to selling underperforming snacking brand Graze to Germany’s Katjes at a discount price
NewsAsda hit by Fitch ratings downgrade as turnaround stutters
Ratings agency Fitch pushed the long-term default rating on Asda parent company Bellis Finco’s borrowings further into junk territory, downgrading it from ‘B+’ to ‘B’
NewsSilbury Marketing acquired by Japan’s Kagome
The acquisition of Oxfordshire’s Silbury gives Kagome its first foothold in the UK and wider European market