United Biscuits
Encyclopedia
__FORCETOC__
United Biscuits ("UB") is a British multinational
food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits
, McVitie's
biscuits, KP Nuts
, Hula Hoops
, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks
, Jacob's
Cream Crackers
, and Twiglets
. The Company was listed on the London Stock Exchange
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
but in December 2006 it was acquired by a consortium of Blackstone Group
and PAI Partners
.
In 1972, it acquired Carr's of Carlisle, makers of the eponymous Table Water biscuits
.
The Company owned the Wimpy Bar
fast food restaurant chain between 1977 and 1989. It also acquired the chilled food company Ross Young's
in 1988.
The Company was acquired in May 2000 by Finalrealm, a consortium of financial investors, as well as Nabisco
Holdings Corporation: as part of the transaction, UB acquired Nabisco's European businesses.
The Company sold Young's Bluecrest
in 2001, in order to concentrate on the sweet biscuit sector.
In September 2004 the Company bought the UK portion of Groupe Danone's
Jacob's Biscuit Group for £240 million.
In July 2006 it sold its Southern European biscuits business to Kraft Foods
, which in turn left the owner syndicate.
In October 2006 the Company was sold to a consortium made up of the Blackstone Group
and PAI Partners
. The deal was completed in December 2006.
biscuits, KP Nuts
, Hula Hoops
, McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks
, Jacob's
Cream Crackers
, and Twiglets
.
The company manufactures in a number of countries across Europe, such as the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
The company's headquarters
is in Hayes
, Middlesex. The company's main UK distribution centre is at Ashby-de-la-Zouch
, where it also has a factory manufacturing KP Snacks
.
, a closed-circuit radio network serving their factories across the UK which was active from 1970 to 1979, spawned the career of UK radio presenter Steve Allen
and TV and radio personality Dale Winton
.
chronicles his tour and brief experiences with employees of United Biscuits as they launched the "Moments" biscuit line.
United Biscuits ("UB") is a British multinational
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits
BN Biscuit
The BN Biscuit is a brand of biscuit, consisting of a filling, such as chocolate, sandwiched between two biscuits. It was launched on 12 May 2000, acquired from Lefèvre-Utile by United Biscuits in 1998, and relaunched in September 2000...
, McVitie's
McVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
biscuits, KP Nuts
KP Snacks
KP Snacks is a British producer of branded and own-label maize and potato based snacks, "Choc Dips" and nuts. The KP originally stood for Kenyon Produce. The company is based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England....
, Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops are a potato-based snack, in the shape of short, hollow cylinders. They were first introduced in 1973. Hula Hoops come in several different flavors. They are produced by KP Snacks...
, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks
Phileas Fogg snacks
Phileas Fogg snacks are a brand of snack products in the United Kingdom based on snacks from around the world. Each bag originally featured a cartoon picture of Phileas Fogg along with a letter from him explaining where in the world he found the particular snack, and the adventures he had trying...
, Jacob's
Jacob's
Jacob's is a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits.-History:...
Cream Crackers
Cream cracker
A cream cracker is a flat, usually square savoury biscuit. It is similar to a matzo, but it contains yeast and is typically thicker and approximately 8 cm square...
, and Twiglets
Twiglets
Twiglets are a wheat-based crisp snack shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. The taste of Twiglets has been compared to Marmite.- Manufacture and marketing :...
. The Company was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
FTSE 100 Index
The FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
but in December 2006 it was acquired by a consortium of Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
and PAI Partners
PAI Partners
PAI partners is a major European private equity house and is the leading private equity investor in the French market. It is one of the oldest and most experienced firms in the sector with its origins dating back to Paribas Affaires Industrielles, the historical principal investment activity of...
.
History
United Biscuits was formed in 1948 from the merger between McVitie & Price and MacFarlane Lang.In 1972, it acquired Carr's of Carlisle, makers of the eponymous Table Water biscuits
Water biscuit
A water biscuit is a type of biscuit or cracker. Water biscuits are baked using only flour and water, without shortening or other fats usually used in biscuit production. They are thin, hard and brittle, and usually served with cheese or wine...
.
The Company owned the Wimpy Bar
Wimpy (brand)
Wimpy is the brand name of a chain of fast-food hamburger restaurants based in the United Kingdom.-History:The Wimpy brand was created in the 1930s. The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar...
fast food restaurant chain between 1977 and 1989. It also acquired the chilled food company Ross Young's
Ross Group
The Ross Group was a British food company founded in Grimsby, England in 1920.The Ross brand remains common in the retail frozen fish market...
in 1988.
The Company was acquired in May 2000 by Finalrealm, a consortium of financial investors, as well as Nabisco
Nabisco
Nabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
Holdings Corporation: as part of the transaction, UB acquired Nabisco's European businesses.
The Company sold Young's Bluecrest
Young's Bluecrest
Young's Seafood Ltd. is a British producer and distributor of frozen, fresh, and chilled seafood, supplying approximately 40% of all the fish eaten in the United Kingdom every year. It is headquartered in Grimsby, England....
in 2001, in order to concentrate on the sweet biscuit sector.
In September 2004 the Company bought the UK portion of Groupe Danone's
Groupe Danone
Groupe Danone is a French food-products multinational corporation based in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It claims world leadership in fresh dairy products, marketed under the corporate name, and also in bottled water...
Jacob's Biscuit Group for £240 million.
In July 2006 it sold its Southern European biscuits business to Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, which in turn left the owner syndicate.
In October 2006 the Company was sold to a consortium made up of the Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
and PAI Partners
PAI Partners
PAI partners is a major European private equity house and is the leading private equity investor in the French market. It is one of the oldest and most experienced firms in the sector with its origins dating back to Paribas Affaires Industrielles, the historical principal investment activity of...
. The deal was completed in December 2006.
Operations
The core of the business is in the United Kingdom, where it produces biscuits, crisps and other snacks under a number of brand names including: McVitie'sMcVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
biscuits, KP Nuts
KP Snacks
KP Snacks is a British producer of branded and own-label maize and potato based snacks, "Choc Dips" and nuts. The KP originally stood for Kenyon Produce. The company is based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England....
, Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops are a potato-based snack, in the shape of short, hollow cylinders. They were first introduced in 1973. Hula Hoops come in several different flavors. They are produced by KP Snacks...
, McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks
Phileas Fogg snacks
Phileas Fogg snacks are a brand of snack products in the United Kingdom based on snacks from around the world. Each bag originally featured a cartoon picture of Phileas Fogg along with a letter from him explaining where in the world he found the particular snack, and the adventures he had trying...
, Jacob's
Jacob's
Jacob's is a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits.-History:...
Cream Crackers
Cream cracker
A cream cracker is a flat, usually square savoury biscuit. It is similar to a matzo, but it contains yeast and is typically thicker and approximately 8 cm square...
, and Twiglets
Twiglets
Twiglets are a wheat-based crisp snack shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. The taste of Twiglets has been compared to Marmite.- Manufacture and marketing :...
.
The company manufactures in a number of countries across Europe, such as the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
The company's headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
is in Hayes
Hayes, Hillingdon
Hayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
, Middlesex. The company's main UK distribution centre is at Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
, where it also has a factory manufacturing KP Snacks
KP Snacks
KP Snacks is a British producer of branded and own-label maize and potato based snacks, "Choc Dips" and nuts. The KP originally stood for Kenyon Produce. The company is based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England....
.
United Biscuits Network
The United Biscuits NetworkUnited Biscuits Network
United Biscuits Network was an internal radio station serving the factories of United Biscuits. It was in operation from 1970 to 1979.-About:...
, a closed-circuit radio network serving their factories across the UK which was active from 1970 to 1979, spawned the career of UK radio presenter Steve Allen
Steve Allen (LBC radio presenter)
Steven William Allen Steven William Allen Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, [[Brinsworth], [[Kent]], [[England]]) is an english [[television presenter|television]] and [[radio presenter]], who is currently...
and TV and radio personality Dale Winton
Dale Winton
Dale Winton is an English radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Winton's father, Gary, was "domineering" and died when Winton was 13. Winton was brought up by his mother, actress Sheree Winton...
.
Recall
On 2 November 2007, United Biscuits issued a recall on its Crawford's Bourbon Cream biscuits. The reason for the recall was the possible presence of small pieces of thin metal wire in the biscuits.In popular culture
In his 2009 book The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, Alain de BottonAlain de Botton
Alain de Botton is a Swiss writer, television presenter, and entrepreneur, resident in the UK.His books and television programs discuss various contemporary subjects and themes in a philosophical style, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. In August 2008, he was a founding member...
chronicles his tour and brief experiences with employees of United Biscuits as they launched the "Moments" biscuit line.
See also
- BN BiscuitBN BiscuitThe BN Biscuit is a brand of biscuit, consisting of a filling, such as chocolate, sandwiched between two biscuits. It was launched on 12 May 2000, acquired from Lefèvre-Utile by United Biscuits in 1998, and relaunched in September 2000...
- Burton's FoodsBurton's FoodsBurton's Foods is a United Kingdom biscuit manufacturer.The company was formed from the merger of Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits and Horizon Biscuit Company in October 2000...
- Jacob Fruitfield Food GroupJacob Fruitfield Food GroupThe Jacob Fruitfield Food Group is an Irish food company. It was formed by Fruitfield Foods' acquisition of the Irish portion of Jacob's Biscuit Group in 2004 from Groupe Danone. The CEO and part-owner is Michael Carey. Other major shareholders include Lioncourt with a 36% stake.It is the owner of...
- Huntley & PalmersHuntley & PalmersHuntley & Palmers was a British firm of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. The company created one of the world's first global brands and ran what was once the world’s largest biscuit factory. Over the years, the company was also known as J...
- Tunnock'sTunnock'sThomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a family baker in Uddingston, Scotland.The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Uddingston. The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were...
- Digestive biscuitDigestive biscuitA digestive biscuit, sometimes referred to as a sweet-meal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit originated in the United Kingdom and popular worldwide. The term 'digestive' is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed...
- Jaffa Cakes