Crosta Mollica and European Pizza Group Have Merged
The two firms combined their operations to create a major international pizza group with one billion euros in sales.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Business Strategy
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Crosta Mollica and European Pizza Group have finalized a merger to form a consolidated entity. The combined company now reports one billion euros in total annual retail sales across the European market.
Why it matters
The merger leverages complementary product portfolios and increased scale to capitalize on the shift in consumer habits from delivery services to grocery retail pizza. By uniting, the group aims to accelerate international growth while maintaining established brand identities.
The merged group achieves one billion euros in annual retail sales, a significant increase from Crosta Mollica’s 90 million euros reported in January 2024. Crosta Mollica successfully tripled its retail sales to 270 million euros during that period.
The players
David Milner
He serves as the Group CEO of the newly formed combined entity.
Crosta Mollica
This food company specializes in Italian-inspired products and has seen rapid sales growth.
European Pizza Group
Formerly a division of Nestlé, this entity focuses on the production of chilled and frozen pizza products.
Nestlé
The global food and beverage giant previously owned the European Pizza Group before its 2023 spin-out.
PAI
This private equity firm is one of the key financial backers supporting the newly merged group.
The details
The companies will continue to operate as standalone businesses with no immediate changes to their existing operating models. Both firms will keep their major manufacturing operations in Italy and Germany as they continue serving their ten core European markets.
Timeline
European Pizza Group spun out from Nestlé in September 2023.
Crosta Mollica expanded its retail sales beginning in January 2024.
The merger between the two entities was officially announced on September 23, 2026.
Market Landscape
This merger follows the documented industry trend of grocery retail pizza gaining market share from the pizza delivery sector. The consolidation allows the group to compete more effectively against larger international food conglomerates.
Shoppers should not see immediate changes to product availability or pricing as the brands continue to operate as standalone businesses. The merger is focused on corporate scaling rather than changing current retail consumer experiences.
The takeaway
The consolidation of these pizza producers reflects a broader movement to capture the growing retail market for premium prepared meals. Consumers can expect the group to leverage its combined manufacturing presence in Germany and Italy to maintain product quality at scale.
Further reading
For more on how companies scale through consolidation, read our Business Strategy section.
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