McCormick acquires Gourmet Garden herb brand

18-Apr-2016 - Last updated on 19-Apr-2016 at 15:24 GMT

Gourmet Garden stir-in pastes are widely avilable in the US market

McCormick has boosted its presence in the store perimeter with the acquisition of Australian company Botanical Food Company, which manufactures the Gourmet Garden brand of packaged herbs, for 150 million Australian dollars ($114m) in cash.

The deal to acquire Botanical Food Company – which generates annual sales of c.70m Australian dollars ($53m) and is posting double-digit growth – was announced a week after McCormick walked away from a deal to buy UK-based Premier Foods.

Gourmet Garden's ‘closer to fresh’ products complement McCormick's existing branded herb portfolio, said McCormick, which plans to drive sales of the Gourmet Garden brand by expanding global distribution and building awareness with increased brand investment.

CEO Lawrence E. Kurzius added: “The Gourmet Garden brand offers a more convenient alternative to consumers who currently buy fresh herbs.”

Founded in Australia in 1999, Gourmet Garden has approximately 200 employees and a manufacturing facility in Queensland, Australia. It currently exports to 15 countries including the US.