Nestlé in talks with R&R to create ice cream joint venture in selected geographies

The proposed joint venture will combine Nestlé’s strong and successful brands and experience in ‘out-of-home’ distribution with R&R’s competitive manufacturing model and significant presence in retail.

Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke: “We are pleased to be in talks with R&R and its owner PAI Partners. We have a long-standing relationship with R&R. Combining the capabilities of our two companies in this way would offer an exciting opportunity for future growth in a dynamic category.”

Nestlé would contribute its ice cream businesses in Europe, Egypt, the Philippines, Brazil and Argentina to the new joint venture. It would also transfer its European frozen food businesses, excluding pizza. R&R Group would join the new joint venture in its entirety. Following the conclusion of the talks, the employee consultations and subject to approval from regulatory authorities, the new arrangements would be implemented in the course of 2016.