Les 2 Marmottes has been acquired by Jacobs Douwe Egberts
July 2022 — The Dutch coffee industrial Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) has acquired the well-known French herbal tea brand Les 2 Marmottes.
Founded in 1979 in Haute Savoie, France, Les 2 Marmottes is the number three herbal tea player in France through its emblematic and well-known brand. The company, with 90 employees, generated sales of approximately US$23 million in 2021, +31.6% year-on-year, just behind Lipton and L’Eléphant. From its workshop in Bons-en-Chablais, in the heart of the Alps, Les 2 Marmottes produces herbal tea without added flavoring selected directly from producers. The arrival of the private equity fund FrenchFood in 2018 with Christian Polge, previously at Coca-Cola, marked a turning point for the company that has demonstrated strong organic growth (CAGR 2018–2021, +14%) since then.
Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) is a Dutch-listed group that has more than 50 brands in its portfolio, such as L'Or, Senseo, Grand’Mère and Maxwell House. JDE sells 4,500 cups of coffee or tea per second worldwide and has a turnover of US$7 billion and an EBITDA of US$1.3 billion.
FrenchFood Capital is a private equity firm headquartered in Paris, focused on food businesses. The firm provides equity capital to innovative, fast-growing and value-added SMEs in the food sector with tickets between US$5 and US$15 million. It supports entrepreneurs in their growth projects in France and abroad, while adopting an environmental, societal and balanced governance approach.
Our role in the transaction
Oaklins’ team in France led a very competitive process in which it acted as the exclusive sell-side financial advisor to support Les 2 Marmottes in their choice of the best partner between several private equity funds and industrials to pursue its growth.
Talk to the deal team
Related deals
Mattina Holding has sold a 5% stake in Gens Aurea via accelerated bookbuild
Mattina Holding S.A. (DVC Partners) has sold a 5% stake in Italian company Gens Aurea S.p.A. through an accelerated bookbuild, raising approximately US$69.96 million.
Learn moreKPS Food Group has joined ForFarmers Polska, a joint venture controlled by ForFarmers N.V.
ForFarmers N.V. has strengthened its position in Poland’s growing poultry market through the establishment of a joint venture with KPS Food Group, a leading poultry producer with operations spanning farming, slaughtering and food processing. ForFarmers’ existing Polish joint venture, Tasomix, and KPS’s operations have been combined to form ForFarmers Polska, which has an enterprise value of approximately US$585 million. ForFarmers holds a controlling 50.5% stake and will fully consolidate the joint venture. The founders of KPS and Tasomix remain minority shareholders.
Learn moreTNT has been acquired by PM Studio
TNT Group has been acquired by PM Studio Group, backed by Andera Partners, bringing together two complementary specialists in premium packaging for the beauty and luxury industries. TNT’s expertise in bespoke primary packaging complements PM Studio’s secondary packaging, gifting and creative design capabilities, creating a broader, integrated offering for major luxury brands. The transaction strengthens the group’s geographical footprint in Asia and the USA, diversifying its customer portfolio. The combined group generates over US$145 million in revenue and has approximately 150 employees worldwide. Following the transition of operational leadership to CEO Damon Kennish, the founders completed the sale to PM Studio while making a significant reinvestment alongside the management team, demonstrating their confidence in the combined group’s long-term potential. It aims to reach US$280 million in revenue by 2029 through organic growth, commercial synergies and further acquisitions.
Learn more