Assisi Pet Care acquires UK natural pet food brand Forthglade
Bottom line
Assisi Pet Care has acquired Forthglade, the UK-based natural pet food manufacturer known for minimally processed wet and dry dog food, treats, and supplements. The deal, announced July 20, 2026, gives Assisi another established premium brand as it continues a buy-and-build strategy under Wind Point Partners, which acquired Assisi in 2023. Forthglade, founded in 1971 and based in Okehampton, Devon, had been owned by IK Partners since 2020; during that period, the company said it doubled revenue, expanded production capacity, and grew its digital commerce footprint. Financial terms were not disclosed. (ikpartners.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the transaction is another sign that consolidation in premium natural pet nutrition is continuing, especially around brands with strong grocery, specialty retail, and e-commerce reach. Assisi said Forthglade will join a portfolio that already includes Burns, Hollings, HiLife, Maced, Pet Munchies, Yakers, and NAW, broadening its manufacturing base across the UK and continental Europe. That scale can influence product availability, channel strategy, formulation pipelines, and how nutrition-focused brands are positioned to pet parents. Burns is particularly notable in veterinary circles because it was founded by veterinary surgeon John Burns. (ikpartners.com)
What to watch: Watch for how quickly Assisi integrates Forthglade into its wider platform, and whether the company uses the deal to expand premium nutrition lines, manufacturing capacity, or cross-channel distribution in the UK and Europe. (ikpartners.com)
Assisi Pet Care has added another major UK natural pet food brand to its portfolio, acquiring Devon-based Forthglade from IK Partners in a deal announced July 20, 2026. The acquisition strengthens Assisi’s position in premium natural pet nutrition and gives the group a larger foothold in the wet food, dry food, treats, and supplements segments. Financial terms were not disclosed. (ikpartners.com)
The move fits a pattern that’s been building for several years. Assisi was founded in 2020 as a platform to acquire and grow pet food and treat businesses across Europe, and Wind Point Partners acquired the group in October 2023. Since then, Assisi has continued to add brands, including Burns Pet Nutrition in late 2023 and NAW in May 2026, alongside earlier acquisitions such as Hollings, HiLife, Maced, and Pet Munchies. In other words, Forthglade isn’t a one-off purchase; it’s part of an ongoing effort to assemble a broader European natural pet care group. (petfoodprocessing.net)
Forthglade brings both brand equity and manufacturing assets. According to the deal announcement, the company was founded in 1971, is headquartered in Okehampton, Devon, and operates a manufacturing facility there. Assisi and trade coverage described Forthglade as a leading UK premium natural pet food brand with a diversified omnichannel model spanning major grocery retailers, independent pet specialty stores, direct-to-consumer sales, and third-party online channels. Under IK Partners’ ownership, which began in August 2020, Forthglade said it doubled revenue, expanded production capacity, accelerated e-commerce growth, and broadened its range across wet and dry food, treats, and supplements. (ikpartners.com)
Company leaders framed the acquisition as a scale-and-growth play. Assisi CEO Chris Melander said Forthglade is an “outstanding fit” and emphasized the brand’s multichannel reach and reputation for natural, high-quality nutrition. Forthglade CEO David Cox said the business had become a trusted leader in minimally processed pet food and that Assisi’s backing should help accelerate the next stage of growth. IK Partners, for its part, described Forthglade as one of the UK’s fastest-growing pet food brands during its ownership period. (ikpartners.com)
Industry context matters here. Pet Food Processing recently highlighted Assisi’s Forthglade deal in its July 2026 mergers-and-acquisitions coverage, underscoring that M&A activity has remained active in pet food and treats this year. That suggests investors and strategic buyers still see value in scaled brands with premium positioning, manufacturing control, and omnichannel distribution, even in a more selective deal environment. Based on the companies’ own descriptions, Forthglade adds exactly those attributes to Assisi’s platform. This is an inference from the transaction pattern and trade reporting, rather than a stated company forecast. (petfoodprocessing.net)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this kind of consolidation can shape the commercial nutrition landscape that pet parents encounter before, during, and after veterinary visits. Larger multi-brand groups can invest more heavily in manufacturing, category expansion, and retail placement, which may increase visibility for “natural” and minimally processed diets in both specialty and mainstream channels. At the same time, consolidation can blur distinctions between independent-seeming brands as they come under larger platforms with shared growth strategies. Assisi’s portfolio now spans several recognizable UK and European brands, including Burns, which has veterinary roots, making the group more relevant to conversations around trust, formulation narratives, and referral patterns in companion animal nutrition. (ikpartners.com)
There’s no public indication yet of immediate product reformulations, regulatory changes, or channel shifts tied to the transaction. But the combination of Forthglade’s Devon manufacturing base and Assisi’s existing UK and Polish operations could give the group more flexibility in supply, distribution, and future product development across Europe. For clinics and industry watchers, the near-term question is less about day-one disruption and more about whether Assisi uses its growing scale to push deeper into premium food, functional treats, and adjacent wellness categories. (ikpartners.com)
What to watch: The next signals will likely be integration plans, brand positioning updates, and any follow-on investments in manufacturing or category expansion, especially as Assisi continues building what it calls a leading European platform in premium, natural pet care. (ikpartners.com)