Greenyard buys dairy-free ice cream producer Gigi Gelato

Belgian fresh produce company Greenyard has announced the acquisition of Gigi Gelato for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2018, Gigi Gelato is a plant-based Italian gelato start-up headquartered in the Netherlands.

Gigi Gelato uses fruits and vegetables to create a healthier alternative to traditional ice creams. With no dairy, additives or artificial flavours, the brand offers a “pure-plant” food experience with a creamy texture and flavour.

Gigi Gelato is available in three different flavours in various European countries, including strawberry, blueberry and beetroot; mango, passionfruit and fennel; and ginger, orange and carrot.

With the acquisition, Greenyard will gain access to a much wider market within the frozen category. 

According to Greenyard, the company aims to leverage its relationships with leading European retailers and foodservice partners to serve as a “commercial springboard” for this new product category within frozen fruits and vegetables.

The founders of Gigi Gelato will remain on board to provide support for the product’s commercial strategy and innovation process.

Kobe Vanhaecke, commercial director at Greenyard, said: “This is an important step in our journey to market innovative and convenient products that stimulate the consumption of fruit and vegetables. By expanding our frozen product range, we can now provide broader market availability for this revolutionary pure-plant product innovation. With the support of the original founders and our in-house expertise, we are confident Gigi Gelato will be a formidable contender for the ice cream industry.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.