Flora Food Group
Flora Food Group is a global culinary essentials company producing butter, spreads, cream, cheese, and sauces under heritage brands including Flora, Becel, Rama, Country Crock, and Violife. It serves retail consumers and professional foodservice customers across 100+ countries, generating approximately €3 billion in annual revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Flora Food Group does
Flora Food Group is a global culinary essentials company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that produces and sells butter, spreads, cream, cheese, and culinary sauces under a portfolio of heritage brands including Flora, Becel, Rama, Country Crock, Blue Band, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Violife, and Bertolli. The company traces its heritage to 1871 through the Jurgens Company's acquisition of the margarine patent, and today leverages over 150 years of expertise in oils and fats, supported by a dedicated R&D center (the Flora Culinary Centre in Wageningen) and 14 manufacturing sites that produce more than 90% of its products in-house. The business operates across more than 100 countries, serving both retail consumers (grocery and national retailers) and professional foodservice customers via its Flora Professional business, with approximately €3 billion in annual revenue and ~4,600 employees.
Flora Food Group was acquired by KKR & Co. from Unilever in 2018 for approximately €6.8 billion and rebranded from Upfield to Flora Food Group in September 2024 to align with its plant-based and multi-category positioning. Recent strategic moves include the 2020 acquisition of Violife (dairy-free cream cheese leader), the 2024 acquisition of a dairy manufacturing facility in Hugoton, Kansas to strengthen North American capacity, a relaunch of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter with the NutriRich formula and Gordon Ramsay ambassadorship, the launch of the Red Barn Creamery Butter dairy brand in 2026, and a foodservice partnership with Compass Group. The company is also divesting its Latin American operations (seven markets including Colombia) to Alicorp in a transaction expected to close in late 2026.
The revenue model is sales-led, generating income primarily through consumer packaged goods sales of branded culinary essentials, with unit-based retail pricing (e.g., $4.49 suggested retail for an 8-ounce Red Barn butter block) and direct foodservice distribution to enterprise kitchen operators. Customer segmentation is hybrid, split between home cooks (persona) and professional kitchens (persona), with distribution through both physical retail storefronts and direct enterprise sales channels. The company has invested in influencer and celebrity chef partnerships, product placement collaborations (e.g., Sony Pictures' The Breadwinner), and event sponsorships (TCS London Marathon, Stockholm Food Forum) to support brand engagement across diverse markets.
Flora Food Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Flora Food Group
- Legal name
- Flora Food Group B.V.
- Website
- https://florafoodgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Flora Food Group is a global culinary essentials company producing butter, spreads, cream, cheese, and sauces under heritage brands including Flora, Becel, Rama, Country Crock, and Violife. It serves retail consumers and professional foodservice customers across 100+ countries, generating approximately €3 billion in annual revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Flora Food Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Culinary Essentials
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Salad Dressings & Vinaigrettes Manufacturing (AFAKADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets (CRAHAFAL), Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands) (AFANAKAA)
Keywords
Where Flora Food Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Flora Food Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Packaged Goods Sales: Revenue generated from selling culinary essentials including butter, spreads, creams, cheese, and sauces to retail consumers and foodservice professionals across 100+ countries
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium dairy butter products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Flora Food Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Flora Food Group produces and sells branded culinary essentials including butter, blends/spreads, cream and creamers, cheese and cream cheese, and culinary liquids and sauces. The portfolio is delivered through 14 brands such as Flora, Becel, Rama, Country Crock, Blue Band, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Violife, Bertolli, and Red Barn Creamery Butter, with over 90% of products manufactured in-house at 14 manufacturing sites across more than 100 countries. The company also operates a Flora Professional business providing foodservice solutions (milkshakes, dairy-free soft serve, ice cream) to professional kitchens.
Product overview
Flora Food Group is a global Culinary Essentials company operating a multi-category platform spanning 10 categories including butter and blends/spreads, cream and creamers, cheese and cream cheese, and culinary liquids and sauces. The portfolio comprises 14 distinct brands including Blue Band™, Country Crock®, Rama™, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!™, Flora™, Becel™, Violife™, Sana™, Croma™, Elmlea™, Tulipan™, Bertolli™, and Flora Professional™. The company also recently launched Red Barn™ Creamery Butter, a new U.S. dairy product. The portfolio includes heritage brands over 100 years old alongside newer acquisitions like Violife (dairy-free cream cheese). Flora Professional provides foodservice solutions including dairy-free soft serve and ice cream for professional kitchens. The company leverages over 150 years of expertise in oils and fats, with products distributed across over 100 countries through 14 manufacturing sites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blue Band™: Heritage spread brand with strong presence in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- Country Crock®
- Rama™
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!™
- Flora™
- Becel™
- Violife™
- Sana™
- Croma™
- Elmlea™
- Tulipan™
- Bertolli™
- Flora Professional™
- Red Barn™ Creamery Butter
Products and services
- Blue Band™ Heritage spreads brand dating to the 1920s, used for baking and cooking applications across multiple markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- Country Crock® Butter and spreads brand originally launched in 1954, offering products for spreading, cooking, and baking in the U.S. market.
- Rama™ Iconic spreads brand launched in Germany in 1924, serving as a core brand in the European market.
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!™ Butter alternative brand launched in the USA in 1999, featuring the NutriRich formula with added vitamins A, D, E, B12, and Omega-3s, containing 80% less saturated fat than dairy butter.
- Flora™ Plant-based spreads brand launched in the UK in 1964, with products containing essential fatty acids including Omega-3 and Omega-6, plus the ProActiv line clinically proven to lower cholesterol.
- Becel™ Healthy spreads brand launched in the Netherlands in 1962 for healthcare-driven nutrition, including the ProActiv line with plant sterols proven to lower cholesterol.
- Violife™ Leading dairy-free cream cheese brand in the U.S. and Canada (acquired 2020), offering products including Supreme Cheddarton (boosted protein, 30% less fat than dairy cheese) and lentil-based coffee creamers.
- Sana™ Plant-based brand serving various markets within Flora Food Group's multi-category culinary platform.
- Croma™ Regional brand in the portfolio serving specific European markets as part of the multi-category culinary platform.
- Elmlea™ Cream brand offering dairy cream alternatives for cooking, pouring, and whipping applications.
- Tulipan™ Regional spreads brand with heritage presence in selected European markets.
- Bertolli™ Spreads and culinary brand with Italian heritage, sold across multiple international markets.
- Flora Professional™ Foodservice and professional kitchen solutions business providing value-added products including dairy-free soft serve, milkshakes, and ice cream for professional food preparation.
- Red Barn™ Creamery Butter U.S. Grade AA premium butter made in Kansas with 100% American cream, batch-churned to 84% butterfat content, available in salted and unsalted 8-ounce blocks at $4.49 suggested retail price.
- Violife™ Supreme Cheddarton Dairy-free cheese alternative offering boosted protein and 30% less fat than dairy cheese, launched under the Violife brand.
- Violife™ Lentil-Based Coffee Creamers Lentil-based dairy-free coffee creamers launched in the U.S. market under the Violife brand.
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® NutriRich™ Formula Reformulated I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with NutriRich formula, offering creamier consistency, added vitamins A, D, E, B12 and Omega-3s, and 80% less saturated fat per serving than dairy butter.
- ProActiv™ (Becel / Flora) Becel/Floral product line containing plant sterols clinically proven to lower cholesterol, available in multiple markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- ProActiv (Becel/Floral) clinically proven to lower cholesterol
Companies that use Flora Food Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Flora Food Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Flora Food Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major, flagship and core.
- Sarah FennelminorCulinary influencer partnership to promote Red Barn Creamery Butter through content and recipe development.
- Iron Chef Marc ForgioneminorCulinary influencer partnership to promote Red Barn Creamery Butter through content and recipe development.
- Weis MarketsminorWeis Markets partnered with PA Dairymen's Association and other dairy organizations to commemorate World Milk Day and National Dairy Month, with Fill A Glass With Hope campaign donating fresh milk to families in need.
- TriStar PicturesminorProduct placement and marketing collaboration for Country Crock in Sony Pictures' 'The Breadwinner' family comedy film, with digital and social media campaign support.
- AlicorpmajorPeruvian consumer goods group Alicorp signed agreement to acquire Flora Food Group's Latin American operations covering seven markets: Guatemala, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, including a manufacturing facility in Cali, Colombia. Transaction excludes Brazil and Mexico operations and is subject to regulatory approvals.
- Gordon RamsayflagshipCelebrity chef Gordon Ramsay appointed as ambassador for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter to reverse declining sales. The collaboration features NutriRich formula butter alternatives and targets health-conscious consumers including GLP-1 drug users.
- Bozoma Saint JohnminorCultural icon collaboration with Violife to promote a philosophy of authentic taste and living without sacrifice, targeting consumers who prioritize superior taste over dietary restrictions.
- EATminorPartnership with EAT at Stockholm Food Forum to shape the future of global food systems.
- Compass GroupcorePartnership to provide healthier food options across Compass's UK and Ireland operations. Flora Food Group's products are embedded across school, healthcare, sports, and defense catering, with Compass reducing salt content by 2,700 kg through the collaboration.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Flora Food Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Unilever: Flora Food Group was carved out of Unilever in 2018. Unilever retains competing spreads brands (Stork, Hellmann's in adjacent categories) and remains the most direct peer in the global culinary essentials / spreads space with similar heritage brands and global distribution.
- Danone: Global dairy and plant-based food company with brands in yogurt, cream, and dairy alternatives. Comparable in plant-based dairy alternatives (Alpro) where Flora competes via Violife, and in cream/dairy where Elmlea operates.
- Conagra Brands: Major North American packaged food company with competing butter/spread brands (Parkay) and similar multi-category shelf-stable food portfolio. Operates in the same grocery retail channels with overlapping target consumers.
- Land O'Lakes: U.S. dairy farmer-owned cooperative producing butter, spreads, and dairy products with strong North American retail presence. Directly competes in the U.S. butter and spreads category where Flora is expanding via Red Barn Creamery.
- B&G Foods: U.S. packaged food company with portfolio of heritage shelf-stable food brands. Comparable multi-category, brand-licensing-driven business model in retail grocery channels serving similar value-oriented consumers.
- Dairy Farmers of America: U.S. dairy farmer-owned cooperative with extensive dairy processing capabilities. Comparable in dairy ingredient sourcing and B2B dairy supply, relevant as Flora expands U.S. dairy manufacturing via Hugoton, Kansas.
- Arla Foods: European dairy cooperative producing butter, spreads, and cheese. Direct competitor in European markets where Flora's Becel, Rama, and Blue Band brands operate, with similar farmer-owned heritage and retail grocery distribution model.
Emerging players
- Oatly: Plant-based dairy alternative company specializing in oat-based milk, cream, and ice cream. Direct competitor to Violife in plant-based dairy alternatives and to Flora Professional in dairy-free foodservice ice cream.
Broad incumbents
- Kerry Group: Irish taste and nutrition company serving food and beverage manufacturers with dairy, oils, and culinary ingredients. Adjacent overlap in dairy and culinary ingredient categories serving both retail and foodservice.
- Nestlé: Global food and beverage conglomerate with extensive dairy, spreads, and culinary products. Competes broadly across Flora's categories but operates at much larger scale and is not specialized in spreads/culinary essentials as a core focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Flora Food Group social profiles
Digital presenceFlora Food Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Flora Food Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Flora Food Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Flora Food Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Flora Food Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Flora Food Group
What does Flora Food Group do?
Flora Food Group produces and sells branded culinary essentials including butter, blends/spreads, cream and creamers, cheese and cream cheese, and culinary liquids and sauces. The portfolio is delivered through 14 brands such as Flora, Becel, Rama, Country Crock, Blue Band, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Violife, Bertolli, and Red Barn Creamery Butter, with over 90% of products manufactured in-house at 14 manufacturing sites across more than 100 countries. The company also operates a Flora Professional business providing foodservice solutions (milkshakes, dairy-free soft serve, ice cream) to professional kitchens.
Is Flora Food Group a public or private company?
Flora Food Group is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Flora Food Group founded?
Flora Food Group was founded in 2018. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Flora Food Group based?
Flora Food Group is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Flora Food Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: consumer Packaged Goods Sales.
Who are Flora Food Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Unilever, Danone, Conagra Brands, Land O'Lakes, B&G Foods, Dairy Farmers of America and Arla Foods. Oatly is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Kerry Group and Nestlé.
Does Flora Food Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Flora Food Group.
What industry is Flora Food Group in?
Flora Food Group's product category is Culinary Essentials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKADAC, Salad Dressings & Vinaigrettes Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRAHAFAL, International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets. Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2090.