Ferrero Group has acquired the Irish protein bar company Fulfil Nutrition.

Ferrero said it plans to maintain and further build Fulfil’s brand authenticity, while supporting the company and its distributors with innovation and expansion to new markets and category segments opportunities.

Fulfil was founded by Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon in 2016. In August 2018, they sold their shares in the protein bar business they created, following a falling-out with their former employer and partner in the venture, Barry Connolly of Richmond Marketing.

McGrath and Gannon met while working in Richmond Marketing and hatched an idea to sell protein bars with chocolate included so they taste good. They say they used their savings and remortgaged their homes to fund the Fulfil launch.

With Connolly on board as an investor and with the heft of the Richmond Marketing distribution network, Fulfil got off to a flying start.

In its first year of trading, operating company Bartoni Ltd hit sales of €11m. The shareholder split was Connolly 50% and the two younger men 25% each. So delighted were the shareholders at Fulfil’s explosive success that after year one they shared €2.3m in dividends.

In Association with

Revenue doubled in 2017 to €22m, and Connolly turned to Brian O’Sullivan for counsel. His background was nearly two decades of executive experience with Cadbury owner Mondelez, and initially O’Sullivan (52) had a consultancy role.

In November 2017, he joined the Bartoni board and was appointed chief executive. A couple of months later McGrath and Gannon exited the company after their shareholdings were acquired with debt sourced from AIB.

In August 2019 US candy giant Hershey joined the party, acquiring what was described as a significant minority stake in the Fulfil venture.

One year after their formal departure from Bartoni, McGrath and Gannon launched Cali Cali, a range of sauces and snack crisps.

Italian giant Ferrero, best known for its Kinder brand, had an annual turnover of €12.7bn in the year to August 2021.

The company has 32 manufacturing plants worldwide, selling directly and via distributors in 170 countries.