Italian coffee company Illycaffè has acquired the Illy division from Euro Food Brands, and will now directly manage its UK distribution operations.

The acquisition includes the complete transfer of business, assets and Euro Food Brands staff responsible for the distribution of Illy coffee products in the UK.

Illycaffè has stated that it will form a new subsidiary which will be responsible for Illy products, based in Brackmills, Northampton, and will look to recruit new staff to expand the newly-formed unit.

Euro Food Brands has been Illycaffè’s UK distributor for over 25 years, and Illycaffè says that the company will continue to grant operational support to the subsidiary for retail and e-commerce customers.

Illycaffè claims that the move signals the company’s intention “to keep on investing in the United Kingdom, despite Brexit uncertainties.”

Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO of illycaffè said: “We evaluated this move carefully, and decided it was now time to further develop this strategic market by strengthening our focus and efforts there.

“By internalising the distribution, we will be able to directly steer the development of the Illy brand and grow the relationships we have with our UK customers.

“We will keep investing in the UK market in order to really boost our presence there.

“I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank Euro Food Brands, which has been distributing Illy products during the last 25 years, significantly contributing to the success of our brand in the United Kingdom.”