Honey Monster’s debt could be sweetened by listing on the AIM

It is expected the move could value Big Bear, which also owns Fox’s Glacier mints and Poppets chocolates, at more than £75m.

Big Bear said the move would help it take on and develop more interesting but forgotten brands, both through the development of its existing portfolio and taking on new classic brands.

The firm, which plans to list on the AIM junior market, was formed in 2003 when it acquired brands from Northern Foods.

It specialises in revitalising underperforming “heritage”

food brands, and, in the year ending August 31 2009, had sales of £53.3m – up from £48m the previous year – and operating profits before exceptional items of £8.1m, a rise of £1.2m on the previous year.

The group said that it will use the proceeds of the placing to reduce existing debt, pay the costs of listing on AIM and to help develop further its portfolio.

John Jackson, co-founder and joint chairman, said: “We are very excited about bringing our portfolio of instantlyrecognisable food brands to the market as we continue to extend and develop them.

“We believe that the flotation will increase our flexibility to access capital markets, raise our profile and enable us to acquire further interesting but forgotten and under-utilised brands as attractive opportunities are identified.”

Fellow founders Mario Giannotta and Paul Wilkinson are chief executive and joint chairman respectively. Margaret Mountford, formerly an advisor on Sir Alan Sugar’s BBC show The Apprentice, is a non-executive director.

Big Bear acquired the business assets of Honey Monster Foods from PepsiCo International in 2006. The deal brought Honey Monster, Sugar Puffs and Harvest Cheweee cereal bars into its brand portfolio.

Prior to that, Big Bear took on Fox’s Confectionery from Northern Foods in 2003, including Fox’s Glacier (mints and fruits), XXX (extra strong mints), Poppets (bite sized chocolates) and the Just brand (most famous for Just Brazils).