Egg processor Bumble Hole acquired by Hardeman

Bumble Hole Foods has been acquired by Dutch egg producer Hardeman, strengthening both companies’ cross-channel supply lines and building sector resilience.

The companies, both of which produce fresh eggs and egg-derived products like mayonnaise, egg whites, powders, boiled and liquidised eggs, were now more “agile, resilient, and ready to lead in a rapidly evolving market”, according to Ton Gielen, CEO of The Hardeman Egg Group.

Hardeman, in business for over 200 years, has established itself as a significant player in the Netherlands and Germany for free-range, barn and organic eggs, rather than those from battery hens.

Andrew Hewston, outgoing owner of Bumble Hole, said that an industry shift towards cage-free production made him confident that selling to Hardeman was “the right step to secure a sustainable and successful future” for Bumble Hole.

Simon Bennett, Bumble Hole’s managing director, will stay on as owners Hewston and Sharon Jones step aside.

He told The Grocer there were no immediate staffing changes planned, with the company aiming to “build on what’s already working” to achieve an “even stronger focus on growth, customer experience, and efficiency”.

“This acquisition opens up significant opportunities. We now have access to expanded resources, a broader network, and deeper industry expertise,” he added.

Part of this growth will come immediately from a new 7,500-pallet storage area now under construction at Bumble Hole’s Bromsgrove site.

Further planned investment includes stacking robots, with site visits underway to check for suitability, and a new dissolved air flotation water treatment plant that will clean the factory’s water effluent before it goes into sewers, reducing carbon emissions and nutrient pollution. 

This capex, Bennett said, would only mean more jobs and more growth for the £30m, 70-person business.

“There are clear synergies in technology, operations, and market reach: by combining our strengths, we’ll be able to innovate faster, serve customers better, and scale more efficiently,” he said.