Lakeview, noosa Combine As Novus Foods
Lakeview Farms and its newly-acquired noosa brand have merged to form new entity Novus Foods. The move comes less than three months after CapVest Partners-owned Lakeview announced its plans to acquire noosa from Campbell’s.
“We are thrilled to join the noosa yoghurt business with Lakeview Farms as we create Novus Foods,” said Tom Davis, CEO of Lakeview Farms. “This represents a huge opportunity for both businesses to leverage their strengths and innovate within the growing yogurt category and beyond.”
Noosa currently sells whole milk Australian yogurt, gelato and cheesecake bites in over 18 flavors. Its products are available at a slate of retailers nationwide including Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, Whole Foods and more. Those offerings complement Lakeview’s existing expertise as a manufacturer of fresh dips, desserts and specialty products for retail and foodservice.
Novus will now focus on innovating for the refrigerated perimeter of the grocery store, the company noted, with a “bold vision” to become a CPG leader within this segment. The rebrand is expected to be complete during the second half of 2025.
Noosa will continue to operate as a standalone division of Novus with nearly 240 current team members joining the new entity, per terms of the merger agreement. Novus will also add noosa’s manufacturing facility in Bellvue, Colorado to its production footprint, which includes four R&D centers and a production facility in Delphos, Ohio.
“We are excited to join Lakeview Farms, a company that shares our deep commitment to quality and a passion for the refrigerated snacking space,” said Paula Benedetto, noosa SVP and general manager, in a press release. “Together as Novus Foods, we have a stronger platform to continue growing and delivering exceptional products to our customers and consumers.”
While a new name in itself does not necessarily signal a monumental change in the market, the shift adds another notch to the growing consolidation and realignment of CPG brands across all food and beverage categories.
Snack maker Our Home, for example, has scooped up an array of brands – including Sonoma Creamery, Pop Secret, ParmCrisps, Popchips, among others – and worked to align the production and distribution of its portfolio of cheese crisps, vegetable-based snacks and popcorn-adjacent products.
Others like yogurt and egg outfit Pasture Brands, which was acquired by specialty egg house Pete & Gerry’s earlier this year, have shifted out of the hands of private equity and under the wing of larger strategics as part of efforts to support continued growth by tapping distribution and manufacturing synergies.
Campbell’s, which acquired noosa as part of its acquisition of Rao’s parent Sovos Brands in 2023, had always intended to sell the brand. The company noted from the start of its Sovos integration that the yogurt business was strong but sat outside of its core category focus.
“Novus Foods will embody the companies’ combined expertise and passion for delivering high-quality, innovative fresh foods to consumers,” Davis emphasized.
