In 1929, the first international subsidiary was created, building the first international factories in the United Kingdom and Belgium.
In 1933, the Group launched the Babybel® brand.
In 1937, Robert Fievet, son-in-law of Léon Bel, was appointed CEO. He became Chairman in 1941.
From then on, nothing could stop Bel’s growth: initially active in Western Europe, the Group ventured into the United States and Morocco in the 1970s, then later into Syria, Japan and China.
In 1960, the APERICUBE® brand was launched in France, followed by the launch of KIRI® a few years later in 1966, and finally the iconic Mini Babybel® in its red wax shell in 1977.
To keep pace with changing consumer trends, Bel is constantly evolving its products – an approach that combines innovation and continuous improvement to create brands that are increasingly responsible and attentive to the daily needs of families around the world. Babybel®, for instance, has established itself as an alternative to sweet snacks, while Pik et Croq® has diversified its snack offerings.
In 2001, Antoine Fiévet took over management of the Group and initiated a renewed push for CSR innovations, while restructuring the company around a new identity: “For All. For Good.” This resulted in more diversified offerings in the fruit and vegetable sectors.
In parallel with this bold international development, Bel also focused on a selective external growth strategy, with the acquisition of Boursin® in 2007.
Bel continues to take on new industrial and commercial challenges around the world, such as the construction of the very first Laughing Cow® plant in Asia in 2011, and the construction of a Babybel® plant in the United States in 2013.
In 2015, the Group reached a turning point and announced that it was expanding its business beyond cheese products to become a major player in healthy snacking.
In 2016, the Group followed through on these plans with the acquisition of the MOM Group, owner of the Materne® Pom’Potes®, GoGo squeeZ®, and Mont Blanc® brands, thereby diversifying its offerings in the fruit segment.
Also in 2020, the Bel Group acquired All In Foods (a specialist in plant-based alternatives), which owned the Nature & Moi brand and launched a sixth core brand in April 2021: Nurishh®, a 100% plant-based product.
These two recent acquisitions – in addition to plant-based versions of the Group’s core brands (Boursin and Babybel) – rounded out the Group’s offerings and diversified it into three complementary segments: dairy, fruit and vegetables.
In 2022, the Group strengthened its international development with two acquisitions: the first in the form of a majority stake in the Chinese company Shandong Junjun Cheese Co., Ltd, and the second in the form of a joint venture in India, where the Group acquired a 49% stake in Britannia Dairy Private Limited (BDPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Britannia Limited.