Apetit Plc acquires Swedish Foodhills AB – Apetit strengthens its position in Sweden and increases the volume of frozen peas

Apetit announced in stock exchange release on 9 October 2025 that it has signed a contract according to which Apetit acquires 100 percent of the shares of Foodhills AB, a Swedish producer of frozen peas.  The acquisition requires approval from Swedish ISP (Inspektionen för strategiska produkter) authority.

Acquisition of Foodhills is in line with the growth strategy of Apetit.

“The acquisition promotes two of Apetit’s strategic focus areas: We increase significantly the volume of frozen peas and get a stronger platform in the Swedish market where Apetit brand has already established a solid foothold in recent years”, Esa Mäki, CEO of Apetit says.

Apetit’s frozen vegetables have improved their position in Sweden

During recent years, Apetit has strengthened its position in the frozen food category in Swedish retail. The company’s sales organization in Sweden was established at the end of 2023. Retail sales have expanded into new customers. The product range consists mainly of frozen vegetables. Apetit is working towards securing a stronger position in Sweden’s food service sector.

”As in Finland, in Sweden the origin of food – and especially sustainability – plays an important role across sales channels. In the future Apetit can offer locally cultivated frozen peas in Sweden. We will assess the possibility of producing other vegetables in Sweden also”, Mäki says.

A strong foothold for Apetit among European frozen pea producers

Apetit has steadily increased the cultivation area of frozen peas in Finland. The aim is to maintain a high cultivation area among Finnish contract growers also in the future.

”The acquisition of Foodhills represents growth for Apetit – a reduction of the cultivation area in Finland does not align with our objectives. The Nordic pea has a unique flavor, making it a highly desired product globally. As a result of the acquisition, we estimate that we will produce over 10 percent of the frozen peas in Europe. By cultivating strategically important frozen pea both in Finland and Sweden, we diversify the geographical area of pea cultivation and mitigate the seasonal harvest risk”, says Mäki.

In Finland Apetit covers a significant part of its raw material sourcing for frozen products through contract farming. In terms of volume, the largest contract farming crops alongside frozen peas are potato, carrot, spinach, and swede. Contract farming of onions started in the current growing season.

“The acquisition of Foodhills doesn’t affect consumers or our customers in Finland. We will continue to provide the domestic options that support sustainable eating”, Mäki says.