Candy Kittens owner in talks to buy Unilever snack brand Graze

Unilever is reportedly in advanced negotiations to sell British snack brand Graze to German confectioner Katjes Group. The deal, said to be worth £35m (€39m) would work out to a fraction of the price Unilever paid (£150m) for the London-based brand just six years ago. Katjes Group is already owner to British confectionery company Candy Kittens. Graze’s products, which are sold in major supermarkets and also through subscriptions directly to consumers, include espresso-flavoured almonds and honeycomb oat bars. Founded in 2008, Graze was bought by Unilever in 2019. However, the brand has performed poorly under Unilever’s ownership, prompting new chief executive Fernando Fernandez to put it up for sale earlier this year. The new Unilever boss has said he’s prioritising investments in faster-growing areas, including healthcare and beauty. If the deal goes through, Graze will join Katjes Group’s growing portfolio of better-for-you and premium confectionery brands, alongside Candy Kittens. For Katjes, the acquisition could open doors to the healthy snacking segment, while giving Graze a fresh opportunity to regain momentum under a more focused owner. For Unilever, the sale underscores its strategic pivot away from underperforming food assets and toward higher-growth categories like beauty and wellness. Industry watchers will be keen to see whether Katjes Group can revive Graze’s fortunes in a competitive snacking market, and whether this signals more portfolio reshaping moves from Unilever in the months ahead. Unilever declined our request for comment. Katjes Group has not yet responded to request for comment.