UK crisp maker Tayto Group has bought control of local firm Portlebay Popcorn for an undisclosed sum.

Tayto has acquired a majority stake in Devon-based Portlebay, which went into administration on 31 January after a period of “difficult trading”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

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

Find out more

Tayto and two of the founding shareholders, Jonty White and Neil Adams, acquired the trade and assets from administrators. The business will be run independently from Tayto although it will have access to the wider group capabilities and know-how. 

Paul Allen, Tayto’s CEO, said: “This is great investment for us, popcorn is a growing market and Portlebay is a great, premium product. We are also delighted that all the staff, including founders Jonty White and Neil Adams, will be staying on and will continue to run the business. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to combine our many years of experience and some investment with their exuberance and innovation but, for now, we just want to provide some stability and security for both staff and customers. We are in the process of putting together a plan for how we are going to develop Portlebay and will be sharing that with the trade in the near future, so watch this space.”

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