Jimmy’s Cookies to enter artisan bread category with Ecce Panis acquisition

New Jersey-based cookie producer, Jimmy’s Cookies, has announced that it will acquire artisan bread brand Ecce Panis from Campbell Soup Company.

The transaction – which is expected to close at the end of the month – will include Ecce Panis’s bakery operations located in New Jersey.

The Ecce Panis business has been run by Campbell – which acquired the brand in 2009 – as part of its Pepperidge Farm bakery operations.

Jimmy’s Cookies plans to continue producing the brand’s full range of products, which includes stone-baked artisan breads and rolls, at Ecce Panis’s 113,000 square-foot baking facility.

The addition of the site will also provide Jimmy’s with extra capacity for its gourmet cookie products business.

Commenting on the acquisition, Jimmy’s CEO Howard Hirsch said: “The addition of the Ecce Panis brand is consistent with our strategy to drive growth through expanding and diversifying our product line.

“Artisan breads represent a fast-growing segment of the bakery category and will complement our cookie business, providing customers with a full range of premium baked goods from a trusted partner.”

Jimmy’s president, Michael Pisani, added: “We are excited about this acquisition, doubling our manufacturing capacity and keeping so many quality jobs in New Jersey.”

The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.