Click here to download the full Industry Report.

Welcome to the first edition of Intrepid’s Food, Beverage & Agriculture (FBA) quarterly industry report. When I joined Intrepid in the fall of 2019 to head up the FBA practice, I could have never guessed what a rollercoaster of a year it would be. Despite COVID, I am very pleased with the progress we have made, which includes staffing up a dedicated four-person team, signing multiple engagements, penning articles, and partnering with our MUFG and Union Bank colleagues to bring the full capabilities of a global financial organization to our clients.

This summer provided us an opportunity to catch our breath and get ready to launch our inaugural industry report. There are plenty of services that aggregate articles and newsletters chock full of industry trading statistics and deal lists (we have that too – see our link to request our data book at the end of the report); however, we are striving to provide you with thoughtful content that reflects in-depth perspectives on the trends impacting our industry. These are our perspectives and insights and we hope they stimulate ideas and maybe even prompt some debates.

As the summer wore on, the opportunity to catch our breath quickly vanished as market activity ramped back up. The combination of pent up demand from the initial slowdown and the threat of changing tax laws have led to such a strong rebound in deal flow that some deal makers are saying they are as busy as they have been in recent memory. Heading into the close of 2020 and beyond, the M&A markets remain highly active across multiple industries and the FBA sector in particular is seeing renewed interest. We expect the market to remain fluid but highly active for the foreseeable future and we are always here to help you navigate through it.

Inside the Fall Issue

Deal of the Quarter

• Vital Farms reopened the IPO market for food and beverage with an eye-popping valuation and performance. Is this a longer-term trend? What should companies consider in evaluating whether to go public?

Commodity Corner

• Turkey, the other, other white meat, is chicken’s less popular cousin. With Thanksgiving around the corner and production restraints, this category is turning the corner and poised for possible recovery in 2021. What are the prospects for turkey to break out of its historical range of consumption?

Observations from the Aisle

• The debate over dairy continues and plant-based alternatives push beyond milk into other product forms.
• Beyond hard seltzers. What’s next? More sophisticated palates and consumers are looking for something more than White Claw.

What We Are Reading and Watching

• American Pickle: film review
• The Algebra of Happiness: book review