Meringues business swallowed

Aldomak, a Scottish “ethical” food producer, has acquired the brand of The Handmade Meringue Company for an undisclosed sum, it emerged yesterday.

The Glasgow-based group already manufactures for the company and will now improve its margins through ownership of the brand. The meringue business, which is based in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, already has a listing in all seven Waitrose shops in Scotland.

Aldomak managing director Dario Riccomini, who has seen the family business make rapid progress in the competitive food production sector, said: “This is an opportunity to extend our product range which was too good to miss.

“We have just secured our first overseas order from a retail chain in Abu Dhabi; it’s a small order which will be shipped before Christmas but we are hopeful this will lead to stronger export links to this market in the future.

“We are also currently in talks with a number of prospective new customers on the supply of our existing range and by acquiring The Handmade Meringue Company brand we can now add this attractive offering. The brand also benefits from supplying Waitrose’s seven Scottish branches.”

Aldomak supplies major brands with fudge and macaroons and provides a number of supermarkets with a range of confectionery and oatbased products. It also supplies products for Aldi’s Specially Selected range.

The firm has been in existence since 1932, and in the Riccomini family’s hands since the 1970s. Riccomini, a former systems and IT specialist, took over the management of the firm in 2001. Earlier this year, it was awarded Grade A British Retail Consortium status.