Hilton Food Group has sold off Dalco, its Dutch private-label and co-manufacturing business for vegan and vegetarian products.
Bought by Livekindly, a Dutch collective “on a mission to make plant-based living the new norm”, Dalco fetched Hillton £5.4m. Livekindly also operates meat-free brands including Like, Fry’s, and Oumph, which are distributed by major UK supermarkets.
Hilton said the sale would help it “focus investment on and drive growth from its core meat and fresh prepared food businesses”.
Dalco had made an adjusted operating loss of approximately £2m in the first half of 2026.
Hilton warned earlier this year that its profits would remain under pressure from rising beef and fish prices. In its full-year update at the end of January 2026, it estimated pre-tax profits would come in at £72m-£75m. Volatile trading conditions had seen profits fall in 2025 as well, and cost CEO Steve Murrells his job in November that year.
The group found a measure of stability at the top last month, however, as it appointed Mark Clare as its new non-executive chairman. Executive chairman Mark Allen had stepped in to replace Murrells, and has now given up the chair to lead the group as CEO.
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