Canada Bread acquires Harvestime Limited

Harvestime is a producer of par-baked breads, rolls and specialty bakery products, with sales of approximately £19 million.

30/03/06 Canada Bread Company Ltd. has announced the acquisition of the assets and business of a Harvestime Limited bakery in Walsall, England, effective March 24, 2006.

Harvestime is a producer of par-baked breads, rolls and specialty bakery products, with sales of approximately £19 million. Harvestime employs approximately 250 people at a bakery plant in Walsall, England. The bakery produces par-baked breads and rolls and specialty artisan bakery products, including ciabatta breads, primarily for retail customers in the United Kingdom.

With the acquisition of Harvestime, Maple Leaf Bakery UK is now a broad-based UK bakery company, diversifying its operations from predominantly bagel production to being a multi-category producer. The company is now a major supplier of in-store bakery products to some of Britain's largest retailers and a leading manufacturer of specialty breads.

Canada Bread Company Limited, which is 87.5% owned by Maple Leaf Foods Inc., is Canada's leading manufacturer and distributor of flour-based products including fresh, frozen and par-baked bread, rolls and bagels, sweet goods and specialty pastas and sauces. Canada Bread maintains a national presence in the marketplace with six principal brand names: Dempster's®, Olivieri®, POM®, Bon Matin®, McGavins®, and Ben's®.

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