Brokers bet on food groups to buck the trend

LAST year’s deal that resulted in the merger of IAWS and Swiss bakery group, Hiestand into one of the largest bakers in the world, Aryzta, has won many plaudits.

The €2.5 billion deal was recently voted the best transaction of 2008. In a poll, half of the brokers surveyed named it deal of the year.

It was no surprise that Owen Killian, the brains behind the merger and now boss of the enlarged group, was also voted the chief executive of 2008 in a Sunday newspaper poll.