Where We’re Going & Where We’ve Been: 125 years of Vandemoortele

2024 marks an exciting year for Vandemoortele: our 125th anniversary of providing delicious, authentic products across the globe. In celebration of this monumental anniversary, it’s only fitting to take a glance into the past and a look at where we are headed in the future.?

Vandemoortele’s story begins in 1899 when Constant Vandemoortele and his son Adhémar opened a factory in Izegem, Belgium initially to harvest linseed and rapeseed. Since that moment 125 years ago we have seen significant business changes, growth and perseverance that has brought us to where we are now.

1900s: The Beginning

• 1930s – Vandemoortele transitioned into a national producer of bulk edible oils and became the first company to start selling oil to consumers in pre-filled bottles.
• 1960s – We began creating added value products for bakeries such as dough and puff pastry.
• 1974 – Vandemoortele starts a new product category, launching soy milk under the Alpro? brand.?
• 1978 – Vandemoortele creates a new business unit for frozen bakery products.
• 1983 – Banquet d’Or, Vandemoortele’s line of easy-to-prepare baked goods and French pastries, is launched.

1990s - 2000s: An Era of Refinement

From 1990 and into the early 2000s, Vandemoortele was heavily focused on refining our business goals and positioning ourselves for long-term growth.

• 1997 – Vandemoortele sells upstream oil activities, oil bottling and mayonnaise production activities.
• 2004 – We continue to expand our bakery business via acquisitions including Les Pains Pérènes de Roland Cottes artisanal bread in 2004; Colombus Food Belgium donuts in 2004; and Panavi France bread and pastries in 2008.?
• 2009 – Vandemoortele sells Alpro?, the main part of its direct-to-consumer business.

2015 - Now: United States Expansion

• 2015 – Vandemoortele acquires the Italian company LAG, a leading producer of authentic focaccia and ciabatta, therefore adding the Lanterna? brand to our portfolio.
• 2016 – We integrated all international businesses under the Vandemoortele corporate name.
• 2018 – Vandemoortele patents the freezer-to-oven Bake’Up? technology, delivering freezer-to-oven authentic French flavor in minutes.
• 2020 – After bringing delicious French flavor to Europe for nearly 40 years, Banquet d’Or’s easy-to-bake baked goods become available for United States distribution.
• 2024 – Vandemoortele acquires a majority stake in Banneton Bakery, marking our first production platform in the United States.?

The Next 125 Years: Where We’re Headed

The last 125 years have been filled with invigorating steps toward growth and we are confident the next 125 years will continue trending upward.?

What’s to come? Delectable new products. Continued passion for providing bakery solutions. Commitment to United States expansion. The same authentic flavor in each bite.?

We’re looking forward to what the future holds, and hope you are too. Want to get in now? Contact our team at https://banquetdor.com/en/contact