Matthew Mills has swooped to buy Fairoak Foods out of administration, giving his and wife Ella Mills’ Allplants vegan brand the capability to manufacture in-house, The Grocer has learned.
The deal to buy the business and assets, including a fully fitted and equipped 6,700 sq ft factory, of the Surrey-based private label food manufacturer saved the jobs of about 60 staff.
Mills plans to use the factory as a launchpad for further growth and new innovation for Allplants, the natural plant-based brand launched by Ella Mills of Deliciously Ella fame in 2022.
Fairoak Foods appointed administrators at Quantuma on 25 March 2026 after being hit with cashflow issues. The company continued to trade under the control of the insolvency firm while a buyer was sought.
Mills, who stepped down from his role as UK manager at Hero Group last month, said plans for a quiet summer to “pause, recharge and figure out what to do next” changed suddenly as the opportunity to buy Fairoak emerged.
“My happiest moments over the past 11 years were spent in factories,” he told The Grocer.
“People who work in food manufacturing are some of the best of us: they possess a quiet kind of excellence, they’re deeply skilled and immensely hardworking.
“Fairoaks became an opportunity I couldn’t say no to. After a frantic last week or so, we completed the transaction on Friday evening.”
A best-in-class manufacturer
To complete the deal, Mills set up Fairoak Culinary Ltd under the umbrella of his Cookplants Holdings group, which houses the Allplants brand and also has the UK distribution rights to Fruit Riot, a sugar-coated frozen grape product that went viral in the US.
Founded in 2011, Fairoak Foods makes premium, chef-led food ranging from vegan soups to pasta and stews, specialising in small batch cooking for high-end retail and foodservice customers.
“We [Fairoak] have a great existing customer base, the product quality is best-in-class, and the site will act as a key manufacturing partner for Allplants,” Mills added.
“Allplants is in very strong growth, and we have some exciting NPD that we can launch from the site. Employees have transferred across to our newco and I’m excited to start working with my new colleagues.
“It turns out we don’t get to choose the moments that pull us into our next chapter, but I couldn’t be happier to be back at it.”
Allplants will also continue to work with its current manufacturing partners for its existing wider product range.
Kelly Mitchell, Quantuma MD and Fairoak joint administrator, said: “I am incredibly pleased to complete the sale of this premium private-label manufacturer of high-quality, chef-led food.
“We were able to run a comprehensive sales process without delay and thereafter completed a sale within just eight weeks, and I am delighted the Quantuma team was well-placed to make this happen.
“In addition to maximising realisations [for creditor], the successful bid ensures the continuation of trade to support major client brands and protects the jobs of around 60 staff. It was important for us to find a buyer, whilst continuing to trade the business as a going concern, to enable the preservation of jobs and continued supply for key clients.”
Allplants history
Allplants was formerly known as Plants and was launched by the Mills’ in 2022 as a Deliciously Ella sub-brand in partnership with Waitrose. It exclusively supplied the retailer with a line of plant-based soups and yoghurts.
Plants was not included in the sale of Deliciously Ella to Hero Group in 2024, with its expanded offering of veggie burgers and bites, fresh & dry pasta, sauces, pesto and frozen meals supplied to Waitrose, Ocado and Whole Foods Market.
It rebranded as Allplants in February 2025 after it acquired the trademark, customer database, website and social media accounts of failed plant-based brand Allplants out of administration.
Allplants also offers a range of frozen meals to consumers on a weekly subscription service. Earlier this year, it unveiled a raft of new SKUs for Tesco in time for Veganuary.
Matthew Mills works closely with Allplants MD Kerry Atack, who runs the group’s day-to-day operations.
Ella Mills remains involved in the development of the Allplants brand. She also runs a new media company for her podcasts, cookbooks and various other activities. However, she isn’t involved in the wider Cookplants Holding group of plans brands, which now include Fairoak.
The Fairoak deal is not the first time the Mills have bought a factory out of administration. The pair acquired Green Way Foods in 2023. The Milton Keynes manufacturer had been a core partner with Deliciously Ella since 2016.
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