Compagnie Léa Nature, a Paris-based organic product manufacturer, has acquired a 40% stake in the Jarnoux group, which makes crêpes, pancakes and blinis.
Brittany-based Jarnoux is made up of two entities: Crêperie Jarnoux for fresh products and Le Monde des Crêpes for frozen items.
Compagnie Léa Nature, founded by Charles Kloboukoff to promote the development of organic agriculture, replaces the Crédit Mutuel ARKEA development capital fund as a shareholder in the business.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Jarnoux group is managed by the children of the founder, Béatrice and Hugues Jarnoux, and by Hervé Corbin, who together hold 60% of the group’s capital.
The company achieved €47m ($51.4m) in turnover in 2022 and employs 220 people. It has two production sites, based in Lamballe in the Côtes d’Armor.
“The Léa Traiteur division of Compagnie Léa Nature, managed by Frédéric Vignolet, is strengthened thanks to a new category of fresh products and integrates a new market segment, frozen food. At the same time, the out-of-home offer is also increasing,” the group said.
Compagnie Léa Nature, present mainly in the south west and the south east of France, also sees opportunities to establish itself in Brittany.
Compagnie Léa Nature employs 2,000 people and achieved €480m in turnover in 2022. It has around 40 brands in four product areas – food/dietetics, health, beauty hygiene/make-up/aromatherapy/dental hygiene and home care. It has 20 production sites in France.
Last year, it invested in French organic peer Alpes Biscuits.
