Yamazaki Baking, the Japanese bakery group, has snapped up US firm Bakewise Brands from private-equity firm Ancor Capital Partners and investment fund Merit Capital Partners.

Merit and Ancor set up Bakewise Brands in 2010 as the corporate identity for Fleischer’s Bagels, which they had acquired in 2005, and Tom Cat Bakery, which they bought in 2008.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Bakewise Brands, based in New York state, supply branded and private-label products to retail and foodservice customers in the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

In a statement, Yamazaki said it would “strive to develop” what it called “an artisan bread business”. Yamazaki said Bakewise Brands generated sales of US$23.8m in 2015.

Yamazaki has a US subsidiary, Vie de France Yamazaki, which sells into the country’s foodservice channel.

Terry Shipp, MD of Merit Capital, said: “We are proud of the significant accomplishments of Bakewise and its leadership position as a leading manufacturer and distributor of fresh, frozen and refrigerated bagel products.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Financial details were not disclosed.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact