Japanese Baker Acquires Brooklyn Brands

Private brand baked goods supplier Brooklyn Brands has been acquired from the Astor Group by Japanese baker Taguchi & Co., according to a report from Forbes.

According to the report, Brooklyn Brands produced a variety of private label products for an array of well known retailers including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Costco, Kroger and Albertsons. While no specific sale price was made public, the article said the deal was priced at “eight figures.”

The company also operates a high-end baker good brand, Lilly’s Baking Co. 

Seth Zalkin, a co-found of Astor Group, told Forbes the deal will allow Brooklyn Brands to leverage a dedicated research and development team in Japan and has already identified resources for U.S. operations. 

“Taguchi will be investing significant resources in new equipment so Brooklyn Brands can make more and more innovative products,” he said. 

Zalkin and his business partner, Mickey Klein, in 2015 founded Aster Group, acquired bakeries and founded Brooklyn Brands. According to the company’s website, their goal was to make significant investments to support the brands and help bring artisanal Brooklyn baked goods around the country.