Emmi Group has snapped up The English Cheesecake Company to gain presence in the burgeoning retail premium desserts market in the UK.
The Swiss dairy major – which owns yogurt brand Onken, Kaltbach cheeses and Emmi Café Latte among others – already operates in the UK foodservice space through Mademoiselle Desserts, a multinational desserts and patisserie company acquired in 2024.
The English Cheesecake Company acquisition bolsters Emmi’s position in UK foodservice and allows it to enter the premium retail desserts space.
According to Nielsen data, the UK cheesecake segment is growing at around 6% per year. Independent research confirms similar growth expectations for the coming years, Emmi told us.
The English Cheesecake company is firmly placed within the premium everyday-indulgence segment and resonates strongly with younger consumers.
“With only a few branded competitors, we see growth potential in the brand,” a spokesperson for the Swiss company said. “The product performs exceptionally well in consumer testing. Expanding distribution and increasing brand visibility in retail and foodservice will drive future profitable growth expectations.”
The English Cheesecake Company has a presence in every major UK retailer through a portfolio of artisan-style cheesecakes, vegan and frozen delights, and snacks. It generated £23m in revenue (a 15% YoY increase) and a net profit of over £1.1m (around 21% increase) in FY24.
According to Companies House records, Mademoiselle Desserts group MD Nigel Taylor and Raadhika Sudir, group finance director, have been appointed as directors at the cheesecake business.
Can premium desserts thrive in the GLP-1 era?
Emmi’s desserts EVP Didier Boudy described the premium cheesecakes segment as “fast-growing”, adding that the acquisition represents “a further step towards advancing our strong market position in the global premium desserts market and creating synergies within our portfolio”.
Asked about the future of the indulgence trend, a company spokesperson told us premium cheesecakes across various formats remain central. “Demand is growing for innovative flavours and snacking-oriented products along this global mega trend.”
While complementary to Emmi’s business model and offering clear growth opportunities and differentiation paths for the Swiss dairy major, the acquisition comes at a time when analysts question the future of indulgence in light of the growing weight management trend.
Around 1.5 million people in the UK access GLP-1 agonists privately and NHS prescriptions have jumped 900% since 2020, according to OpenPrescribing data.
Kantar estimates that usage has doubled in a year, rising rising from 2.3% in March 2024 to 4.1% in 2025, with nearly two thirds (64%) of UK consumers on GLP-1 medications snacking less.
Asked how this movement could impact indulgence categories like premium cheesecake, a spokesperson for Emmi told us: “Emmi offers a broad portfolio aligned with evolving consumption trends – from high-protein premium products to natural dairy and balanced indulgence.
“Consumers follow a holistic approach in their choice of product and continue to enjoy small moments of delight, which ensures sustained demand for high-quality treats along the trend for indulgence. Emmi offers small portions of sweet treats.”
In other news, Emmi Group affirmed its outlook for 2-3% organic sales growth and EBIT at the lower end of the CHF330-350m range for 2025.
