Lion has acquired a minority stake in Schibello Coffee, owners of the Schibello, Arte Caffé and Cleanskin coffee brands, Paddington Fine Tea and Chocoloco hot chocolate.
Schibello Coffee will continue to operate independently under the leadership of founders Ross Schinella and Anthony Sorbello, with Lion’s investment providing the capital necessary for Schibello Coffee to accelerate its growth.
“We have a long history in beer of partnering with entrepreneurs and helping their businesses flourish,” says Lion CEO Stuart Irvine.
“We are looking forward to working with Ross and Anthony to build their great brands in the growing hot beverages category and realise the synergies the group has with Lion’s alcohol, dairy and juice businesses.”
“This is a fantastic development for us,” says Ross Schinella, Schibello Coffee CEO. “We’re at an exciting stage, and Lion’s investment will allow us to continue to accelerate our growth trajectory.
“While we will still operate independently, we’re looking forward to working with Lion on various joint initiatives where both Lion and Schibello Coffee will benefit from utilising our combined skill sets to create new opportunities for both parties.”
The strategic partnership will eventually be the basis for Schibello Coffee and Lion to broaden the availability of Schibello Coffee’s products via Lion’s extensive customer network.