Disability services provider Bedford’s Cultivate Food and Beverage arm buys Adelaide Hills Foods

A food and beverage social enterprise backed by disability services provider Bedford has bought the Adelaide Hills company behind Emmaline’s baked treats.

Adelaide Hills Foods founders Andrew and Susan Horwood with Bedford divisional general manager hospitality services Travis Kerkman. Picture: Andre Castellucci

A food and beverage social enterprise backed by disability services provider Bedford has acquired bakery and food manufacturing company Adelaide Hills Foods.

Cultivate Food and Beverage, which was established by Bedford last year to create more inclusive employment opportunities in South Australia, has ambitions to expand the Lobethal-based company’s retail footprint.

Adelaide Hills Foods’ brands, including Emmaline’s, Positano, Emma + Myrtles Bakehouse, James Road and Barossa Pizza, are currently sold nationally across more than 1500 retail stores, including Coles, Woolworths, Foodland and IGA.

Bedford divisional general manager hospitality services Travis Kerkman said the investment would generate more opportunities for people experiencing barriers to work, while also boosting production capacity.

“The Adelaide Hills Foods and Cultivate partnership delivers the South Australian food manufacturing sector significant growth opportunities,” he said.

“At Cultivate, we have a scalable workforce and production facilities, enabling Adelaide Hills Foods to grow its national retail footprint and meet market demand.

“We are committed to delivering more of Adelaide Hills Foods’ delicious, quality products to consumers around the country and this aligns with Cultivate’s strategy to expand services to more partners as we enter the retail industry.”

Cultivate will take on 76 workers at Adelaide Hills Foods, boosting its workforce to more than 100 following its launch last March.

Adelaide Hills Foods founders Andrew and Susan Horwood and their family will remain with the business as part of the change of ownership.

“We are thrilled to work in partnership with Cultivate to build our production capacity to meet the ever-growing demand for Adelaide Hills Foods product range,” Mr Horwood said.

“Our Lobethal factory is near capacity and Cultivate provides the perfect business solution with access to their Brooklyn Park facility in the immediate term and an expanded workforce.

“We are excited for the future and the next growth phase for Adelaide Hills Foods and our stable of brands, which includes over 300 product lines.”

Cultivate opened last March as an employment provider for medium and large-size food and beverage producers, and unlike Bedford’s traditional model of providing supported employment for NDIS participants, recruits people of all ability, including those who identify as socially disadvantaged.

Bedford recently commenced construction of a new $45m advanced manufacturing hub and headquarters at Salisbury South, adjacent to the Saints Shopping Centre on Main North Rd.

The facility will also become the new home of Cultivate Food and Beverage, featuring a commercial kitchen, beverage production facilities and a public entertainment area.

Originally published as Disability services provider Bedford’s Cultivate Food and Beverage arm buys Adelaide Hills Foods