Cerealto
Cerealto is the largest European contract manufacturer of cereal-based products, producing biscuits, breakfast cereals, snacks, and pasta as a B2B co-manufacturer and private-label supplier for retailers and branded food companies. It operates 12 production centres across Europe, the UK, the US, and Mexico, with €574M in FY2025 revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cerealto does
Cerealto is the largest European contract manufacturer of cereal-based products, producing biscuits, breakfast cereals, snacks, and pasta from 12 production centres across Spain, Portugal, the UK, the United States, and Mexico. The company operates as a B2B co-manufacturer and private-label supplier, developing and producing products for retailers and branded food companies rather than selling directly to consumers under its own consumer brand. Its product portfolio spans Galletas (biscuits including breakfast biscuits, mini biscuits, English specialties such as Ginger Rings and Bourbon Cream, sandwiches/wafers, and salted crackers), Cereales de Desayuno (indulgent cereals, muesli, and flakes), Snacks (rice/corn cakes and Berlinas doughnuts), and Barritas (cereal and granola bars), with Popchips and the Hill Biscuits UK range as notable branded assets. The company is the primary Spanish entity Cerealto Industrial Spain, S.A. (NIF A34002527), with headquarters in Venta de Baños, Palencia, and a complex wholly-owned subsidiary structure spanning Europe and the Americas.
The business generates revenue primarily through contract manufacturing and private-label production for two customer segments: retailers seeking private-label cookie, cereal, and snack products, and branded food companies needing co-manufacturing capacity. Pricing is undisclosed and operates through B2B contracts, and revenue scaled to €574 million in FY2025, with the company citing growth acceleration. Cerealto pursues R&D through CDTI/FEDER-funded programmes including SMARTFOODS (functional foods), BISCOTEX (oral processing dynamics for biscuit textures), INTALIM (gluten/lactose-free products), and RANCIEL (advanced cookie rancidity detection methods), positioning it on functional, free-from, and quality-analytic innovation. Recent corporate activity includes the July 2024 acquisition of UK biscuit maker Hill Biscuits from LDC, the November 2025 majority investment in Colorado-based Fresca Foods (a co-manufacturer of natural and organic snacks), the February 2026 divestiture of the pasta business to Portuguese group Cerealis to refocus on snacks and breakfast cereals, and a €110 million financing in March 2026. A SAP S/4HANA migration led by Telefónica is positioned to underpin future data-driven operations.
Cerealto firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cerealto
- Legal name
- Cerealto Industrial Spain, S.A.
- Website
- https://cerealto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Cerealto is the largest European contract manufacturer of cereal-based products, producing biscuits, breakfast cereals, snacks, and pasta as a B2B co-manufacturer and private-label supplier for retailers and branded food companies. It operates 12 production centres across Europe, the UK, the US, and Mexico, with €574M in FY2025 revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cerealto industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Food Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing (31123), Snack Food Manufacturing (31191), Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182)
- SIC
- Cookies & Crackers (2052), Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers Manufacturing (AFAKAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Breakfast Foods & Cereals (Cereal, Granola, Oatmeal) (CRADAAAE), Grain-Based Breakfast & Nutrition Bars Manufacturing (cereal bars, granola bars) (AFAKABAI), Rice Cakes & Grain Snack Manufacturing (AFAKAIAK), Crackers, Biscuits & Grain Snacks Manufacturing (savory biscuits, crispbreads) (AFAKABAH)
Keywords
Where Cerealto is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Cerealto business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Manufacturing / Private Label: B2B co-manufacturing services for retailers and branded food companies. Develops and produces cereal-based products including cookies, breakfast cereals, snacks, and pasta under client brands.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Cerealto product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cerealto develops and manufactures cereal-based food products including biscuits, breakfast cereals, snacks (rice cakes, corn cakes, doughnuts), and cereal bars on a contract-manufacturing and private-label basis for retailers and branded food companies. The company operates 12 production centers across Spain, the UK, the US, and Mexico, serving as a B2B co-manufacturer rather than selling directly to end consumers.
Product overview
Cerealto is a European contract food manufacturer specializing in the development and production of cereal-based products. The company operates a multi-category portfolio including biscuits (Galletas), breakfast cereals (Cereales de Desayuno), snacks (Tortitas/Berlinas), and cereal bars (Barritas). With 12 production centers across Europe, UK, US, and Mexico, Cerealto serves retailers and branded food companies as a private-label and co-manufacturer. The company has expanded internationally through acquisitions including Hill Biscuits (UK, 2024) and Fresca Foods (US, 2025), and recently divested its pasta business to focus on core snacking and breakfast categories. North America is expected to represent approximately 20% of future revenues through the Fresca Foods partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Galletas (Biscuits) Wide range of biscuits including breakfast biscuits, cookies, mini biscuits, English specialties, sandwiches/wafers, assortments, children's biscuits, and salted crackers, manufactured for retailers and branded food companies under private-label and contract manufacturing arrangements.
- Cereales de Desayuno (Breakfast Cereals) Breakfast cereals including indulgent cereals, muesli, healthy specialties, and flakes variants, produced as private-label and contract-manufactured products for retailers and branded food companies.
- Snacks (Tortitas and Berlinas) Snack products including rice cakes (tortitas), corn cakes, doughnuts (berlinas), and specialty cakes in various flavors and coatings, manufactured as private-label and contract-manufactured snacks for retailer and brand customers.
- Barritas (Cereal Bars) Cereal and granola bars including classic cereal bars, specialty bars, and healthy bars in various flavors, produced under private-label and contract manufacturing for retailer and brand customers.
- Popchips Popped potato chips snack brand available through Cerealto's product portfolio as a sub-brand/acquired product.
- English Specialties (UK Biscuits) Traditional British biscuits including Ginger Rings, Bourbon Cream, Custard Cream, Fig Rolls, Coconut Rings, Garibaldi, Malted Milk, Gingerbread Men, Nice, and Fruit Shortcake, produced as an acquired-brand range within Cerealto's UK biscuit operations.
- Hill Biscuits UK-based biscuit manufacturer acquired by Cerealto UK in July 2024, producing traditional British biscuits with revenues exceeding £40 million; operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within Cerealto's UK operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- North America expected to represent 20% of future revenues through Fresca Foods partnership
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cerealto
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cerealto technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cerealto partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.
- TelefonicastrategicTelefonica is leading the migration of Cerealto's SAP system to SAP S/4HANA environment. The project includes planning, execution, and post-migration support, ensuring operational continuity and improved system performance. This digital transformation enables Cerealto to leverage data-driven capabilities and emerging technologies like AI and predictive analytics.
- CerealisminorCerealto agreed to sell its pasta business and associated manufacturing site in Venta de Baños, Palencia, to Portuguese agri-food group Cerealis. The deal, subject to regulatory approval from Spain's CNMC and Portugal's AdC, is part of Cerealto's strategy to focus on core snacking and breakfast categories. The facility has annual capacity of ~90,000 tonnes with 125 staff transferring to the new owner.
- Fresca FoodscoreCerealto made a majority investment in Fresca Foods, a Colorado-based co-manufacturer of natural and organic snacks. The partnership establishes Cerealto's first significant US manufacturing presence and is expected to generate approximately 20% of Cerealto's future revenues. Fresca Foods' leadership team retains significant shareholding and continues managing daily operations.
- Hill BiscuitscoreCerealto UK acquired Hill Biscuits from private equity firm LDC, which had partnered with the company since 2017. During LDC's ownership, Hill Biscuits' revenues more than doubled to over £40 million by 2024. The acquisition represents Cerealto's expansion in the UK snack market.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cerealto competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lotus Bakeries: Belgian biscuit and natural snacking company (Biscoff, Natural Foods). Lotus operates in adjacent categories with similar cereal-based products and has grown via branded innovation — directly comparable to Cerealto's cookie/bar portfolio.
- TreeHouse Foods: US private-label food manufacturer with a broad portfolio across snacking and breakfast categories. TreeHouse is a direct business-model peer to Cerealto, selling private-label products to retailers rather than building consumer brands.
- Burton's Biscuit Company: Burton's is one of the UK's largest biscuit manufacturers, producing branded and private-label biscuits for retailers. It directly overlaps with Cerealto's UK biscuit operations (Hill Biscuits) and competes for the same retail customers.
- Pladis Global: Pladis is a UK-headquartered global biscuit and confectionery manufacturer (McVitie's, Jacob's, Carr's). It is a direct competitor in the biscuits category, also serving retailers with private-label and branded products across multiple geographies.
- Flowers Foods: US-based bakery company producing branded and private-label breads, buns, and snack cakes. Flowers is a directly comparable US private-label bakery manufacturer serving similar retail customers to Fresca Foods.
Broad incumbents
- PepsiCo (Frito-Lay): Global snacks giant owning Frito-Lay and Quaker (cereals). PepsiCo is a broad incumbent competing in the same snacking and breakfast cereal categories, though with a branded rather than co-manufacturing model.
- Grupo Bimbo: World's largest bakery company with operations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Bimbo is a broad incumbent operating in many of the same cereal-based categories (bread, cookies, snacks) as Cerealto, with overlapping retailer relationships.
- Mondelez International: Global snacks giant (Oreo, Ritz, Belvita, Chips Ahoy!). Mondelez is the dominant incumbent in the biscuits and snack bar categories where Cerealto competes, with far larger scale and brand investment.
- Conagra Brands:
Emerging players
- Hain Celestial Group: US-based natural and organic food company with snacks, cereals, and bars. Hain is comparable to Fresca Foods' organic/natural snacking focus and to Cerealto's stated direction into better-for-you cereal-based products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cerealto social profiles
Digital presenceCerealto financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cerealto leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cerealto subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries19 records
Cerealto funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cerealto M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cerealto
What does Cerealto do?
Cerealto develops and manufactures cereal-based food products including biscuits, breakfast cereals, snacks (rice cakes, corn cakes, doughnuts), and cereal bars on a contract-manufacturing and private-label basis for retailers and branded food companies. The company operates 12 production centers across Spain, the UK, the US, and Mexico, serving as a B2B co-manufacturer rather than selling directly to end consumers.
Is Cerealto a public or private company?
Cerealto is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cerealto founded?
Cerealto was founded in 1991. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Cerealto based?
Cerealto is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Cerealto make money?
One revenue line is on record: contract Manufacturing / Private Label.
Who are Cerealto's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lotus Bakeries, TreeHouse Foods, Burton's Biscuit Company, Pladis Global and Flowers Foods. Broad incumbents are PepsiCo (Frito-Lay), Grupo Bimbo, Mondelez International and Conagra Brands. Hain Celestial Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cerealto have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cerealto.
What industry is Cerealto in?
Cerealto's product category is Contract Food Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAAAC, Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADAAAE, Breakfast Foods & Cereals (Cereal, Granola, Oatmeal). Its NAICS code is 311821 and its SIC code is 2052.