The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has been notified of the proposed acquisition of the company which owns the Pat The Baker and Irish Pride.
The proposed transaction would see Mayfair Equity Partners LLP, through Ceres Midco 2 Limited, take sole control of Azeda Unlimited Company.
Mayfair is a private equity firm, headquartered in London which controls a number of portfolio companies in the State, including Irish bakery supplier, Promise Gluten Free.
The CCPC stated that Azeda Unlimited Company is the ultimate parent company of the Pat the Baker and Irish Pride brands.
CCPC
Pat the Baker began in 1953 when Mayo native Pat Higgins set up a small bakery at the back of his home in Granard, Co. Longford.
Today, Pat the Baker is among the country’s top bread companies supplying a range of products to shops across the entire island.
There are now distribution centres in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Donegal, Kerry, Galway and Armagh.
In 2015, Pat the Baker bought rival bakery Irish Pride which was then in receivership.
Irish Pride operates a large modern bakery located in Taghmon, Co. Wexford and has one of the largest fresh distribution networks every day in Ireland.
The company has 23 depots located across the country and a team of 170 van sales distributors who make over 2,000 deliveries daily to stores.
The CCPC is currently carrying out a preliminary investigation (Phase 1) of the proposed acquisition, with submissions from third parties being accepted by the competition watchdog until Wednesday, January 8, 2025.