Kelsen Group

The story begins in 1933 in a small village in Jutland, Denmark, not with a grand vision, but with a family bakery. Marinus Kjeldsen, married to Anna, the daughter of a master baker, founded Kjeldsen & Co. Home Bakery. Anna played a crucial role, using her skills to convince local grocers to carry their butter cookies, returning from sales trips with empty tins and a full wallet. This husband-and-wife team laid the foundation for what would become a global cookie empire, built on traditional Danish baking. The company, known for its Kjeldsens and Royal Dansk brands, quickly found an international audience. A key moment was the 1990 merger with Royal Dansk, uniting two major Danish butter cookie makers and forming the Kelsen company. This created a powerhouse in the cookie market, particularly in Asia. The company's journey was marked by a series of ownership changes. After being family-owned, it was sold in the early 1970s. In 2013, the Campbell Soup Company acquired Kelsen Group, aiming to expand its own international footprint and capitalize on Kelsen's strong position in markets like China. However, this was not the final chapter. In a strategic shift to focus on its North American business and reduce debt, Campbell sold Kelsen Group in 2019. The buyer was CTH, a Belgian holding company affiliated with the Italian confectionary giant Ferrero, in a deal valued at $300 million. Today, as part of the Ferrero family, the Kelsen Group's iconic blue tins continue to be a staple on shelves in over 100 countries, a testament to the enduring legacy of Marinus and Anna's small Danish bakery.