Kraft Heinz has made a $143bn (€134.5bn) offer for Unilever in what would be the largest-ever takeover in the food or beverage industry, opening a campaign to create a consumer-goods giant with household names from Dove soap to Heinz ketchup.

With a merger of Kraft and Heinz expected soon, entrepreneur-led food firms are wide-eyed with optimism for the future, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.