The merger brings together Crosta Mollica with European Pizza Group’s Wagner and Buitoni brands, creating a major European pizza business.
Crosta Mollica and European Pizza Group have announced a merger that will bring together three established pizza brands and create a combined business with €1 billion in retail sales.
The deal combines UK pizza brand Crosta Mollica with European Pizza Group, the producer of the Wagner and Buitoni pizza brands.
The companies say the combined group will be one of Europe’s largest pizza businesses, with the two existing businesses continuing to operate as standalone companies in the short term.
New Group Leadership
As part of the merger, David Milner, currently Chairman of Crosta Mollica, will become CEO of the combined group.
Tom Sirett will continue as CEO of Crosta Mollica, while Matthias Casanova will remain CEO of European Pizza Group.
The companies say there are currently no short-term plans to change the operating model of either business.
The combined group will bring together Crosta Mollica’s growing UK pizza business with European Pizza Group’s established operations across continental Europe.
Crosta Mollica’s Rapid Growth
The merger comes after a significant period of growth for Crosta Mollica.
According to the companies, retail sales have increased from €90 million to €270 million since David Milner and Tom Sirett joined the business in January 2024.
Crosta Mollica has subsequently become the UK’s number two pizza brand and was named 2026 Food Brand of the Year by The Grocer.
The brand’s growth has also been reflected in wider retail sales data. The Grocer reported that Crosta Mollica’s sales had grown by 48% to £113.2 million in its latest ranking of Britain’s biggest brands.
The company has increasingly positioned its products around premium, restaurant-style pizza for the grocery market, with recent product launches expanding its range across different Italian pizza styles.
European Pizza Group
European Pizza Group has also undergone significant development in recent years.
The business was spun out from Nestlé in September 2023, bringing together pizza operations and brands including Wagner and Buitoni.
The group says growth has accelerated since the spin-out, with its brands continuing to build market share across its 10 core European markets.
Its manufacturing operations are based in Italy and Germany, supporting the supply of its pizza brands across Europe.
The merger therefore combines a rapidly expanding UK pizza brand with established European pizza operations and brands.
A Changing Pizza Market
The deal comes at a time when the pizza market is seeing increased competition between traditional foodservice, takeaway and retail offerings.
Crosta Mollica has been particularly focused on bringing premium pizza into the grocery market, with the company arguing that consumers are increasingly looking for restaurant-quality experiences that can be enjoyed at home.
That shift is also relevant to the wider pizza and street food sector, where independent pizzerias, mobile pizza businesses and established takeaway operators increasingly compete around quality, authenticity and the overall food experience.
Recent industry commentary from Crosta Mollica has highlighted the increasingly blurred distinction between premium supermarket pizza and takeaway or home-delivery pizza.
Building a Larger European Pizza Business
Commenting on the merger, David Milner said:
“Wagner and Buitoni are strong brands with excellent positions across Europe. Bringing them together with Crosta Mollica creates a highly complementary portfolio.”
Milner said the focus would be on building on the strengths of each business while using the scale and capabilities of the combined group to support further growth.
“We have outstanding brands, talented people, and a strong platform from which to take our growth forward.”
The combined group will continue to be backed by the existing shareholders of the two businesses, including PAI, Perwyn, Nestlé and management.
With Crosta Mollica’s rapid growth in the UK and European Pizza Group’s established presence across continental Europe, the merger creates a substantially larger player in the European pizza market.
Street Food Hub will follow further developments as the two businesses begin operating under the new combined structure.
