Three private equity firms linked to the purchase of UK firm R&R Ice Cream are understood to have gone through to a second round of bidding.
R&R Ice Cream, which has operations across Europe and supplies branded ice cream under licence as well as own-label lines, is reported to have received first-round bids before Christmas.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
US investment fund Oaktree Capital owns 82% of R&R. Management including chief executive James Lambert owns the remainder of the business.
According to Reuters this week, three private equity firms, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and PAI Partners, have all submitted second-round bids for the firm. It is understood the business could fetch around EUR900m (US$1.2bn).
R&R had said in October it was exploring strategic options that could include a sale.
Ontario Teachers Pension Plan declined to comment on the reports, while CD&R and PAI Partners did not return a request for comment.

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 GlobalDataDespite the sale reports, R&R Ice Cream this month acquired the Yoomoo frozen yoghurt brand for an undisclosed sum.