The owners of Hovis and Kingsmill have entered talks that could lead to two of the UK’s biggest bread brands merging amid “challenging” market conditions.
After weekend reports, Associated British Foods (ABF), which owns the Kingsmill parent Allied Bakeries as well as the budget clothing chain Primark, confirmed it was in negotiations with Hovis’s private equity owner, Endless, regarding a potential sale of the bakeries arm. It said last week that it was considering strategic options for the business.
