Jimmy’s Cookies in Clifton will acquire artisan bread brand Ecce Panis from Camden-based Campbell Soup Co., the company announced Jan. 5.
Ecce Panis has operated under Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm family of brands since 2009, when the soupmaker acquired the brand and its facility for an undisclosed amount.
Financial terms of the current transaction were also not disclosed. Closing is anticipated at the end of January.
“With the acquisition of Snyder’s-Lance, our growth strategy is focused on unique and differentiated brands within our snacking categories. We are pleased we were able to find a buyer that sees the value and the potential of this brand and the talented team at the East Brunswick bakery,” a spokesperson for Campbell Snacks told NJBIZ Tuesday via email.
The addition of the brand, the acquired 113,000 square-foot baking facility will provide Jimmy’s with significant additional capacity for its gourmet cookie business. The acquisition doubles Jimmy’s manufacturing capacity.
“The addition of the Ecce Panis brand is consistent with our strategy to drive growth through expanding and diversifying our product line,” said Jimmy’s CEO Howard Hirsch in a prepared statement. “Artisan breads represent a fast-growing segment of the bakery category and will complement our cookie business, providing customers with a full range of premium baked goods from a trusted partner.”
Ecce Panis was founded in 1988 as a small bakery in Manhattan and has since expanded to grocery stores nationwide, where its artisan breads are sold primarily through the in-store bakeries that finish the baking process.
