Lotus Bakeries
Belgian multinational snack-food company best known internationally for Lotus Biscoff caramelised biscuits.
Last updated August 27, 2026
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Overview
Lotus Bakeries NV is a Belgian multinational snack-food company headquartered in Lembeke, East Flanders. Founded in 1932 by brothers Jan, Emiel, and Henri Boone, the company developed from a local bakery business into an international branded-food group. Its name, Lotus, was chosen for the flower's associations with purity. The group is best known for its speculoos-style caramelised biscuit, sold in many markets as Lotus Biscoff. The word Biscoff combines “biscuit” and “coffee,” reflecting the product's long-standing role as an accompaniment to coffee. The company's early growth was built on distribution and usage occasions rather than on a broad packaged-food portfolio. In the 1950s, Lotus began individually wrapping its biscuits, making them convenient for cafés and restaurants. From 1956, Belgian catering establishments commonly served the biscuits with coffee, helping establish the product as a recognizable hospitality item. International distribution to neighboring countries began in 1960. In 1974, Lotus partnered with the Stevens family and merged with Corona, expanding its activities into cakes, pastries, and other baked products. The company subsequently broadened its portfolio through brand integrations and acquisitions. A major branding milestone came in 1986, when Lotus introduced the Biscoff name. The brand was progressively rolled out across countries, and airline service helped expose the biscuit to international travelers during the 1980s. Lotus later built a wider portfolio around biscuits, waffles, gingerbread, crackers, fruit snacks, children's snacks, and nutrition-oriented bars. Businesses and brands associated with the group include Suzy waffles, Peijnenburg gingerbread, Annas ginger cookies, Dinosaurus children's biscuits, nākd and TREK snack bars, BEAR fruit snacks, Kiddylicious, and Peter's Yard sourdough products. Since 2015, the company has pursued a two-pillar strategy: continued international expansion of its Lotus Biscoff business and development of a natural-foods portfolio. Its natural-snacking activities include bars, fruit-based children's snacks, baby and preschool snacks, sourdough crackers, crispbreads, and crisps. Acquisitions and partnerships with Natural Balance Foods, BEAR, Kiddylicious, and Peter's Yard expanded the group beyond traditional bakery products. In 2020, Lotus Bakeries obtained full control of Natural Balance Foods and established an international headquarters for its natural-foods activities in Switzerland. Lotus Bakeries manufactures in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, South Africa, and the United States. Its Mebane, North Carolina facility, opened in 2019, was the first Biscoff manufacturing site outside Belgium. A further Biscoff production facility is being developed in Thailand and is expected to become operational in 2026. The group also operates production for natural-food brands in South Africa, including a nākd facility built adjacent to the BEAR site in early 2024. Local Heroes products are made in home markets including Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden. Lotus Bakeries is active in approximately 70 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. The company has been listed on Euronext Brussels since 1988 and remains substantially influenced by the Boone and Stevens families. Jan Boone, a grandson of founder Jan Boone Sr., became chief executive in 2011. The group reported revenue of EUR 1.23 billion for 2024 and had approximately 3,300 employees, according to the cited reference material. Its contemporary positioning combines heritage bakery expertise, strong coffee-pairing and indulgence credentials, international branded-snack growth, and expansion into natural and family-oriented snacking.
History
Lotus Bakeries began in 1932 in Lembeke, Belgium, where brothers Jan, Emiel, and Henri Boone established a bakery company. Jan Boone selected the Lotus name, associating the flower with purity. The business initially developed around traditional baked goods, but its speculoos biscuit became the foundation of the modern group. During the 1950s, Lotus changed the commercial format of its biscuits by wrapping them individually. This made the product suitable for cafés, restaurants, and other catering venues. From 1956, the biscuits were served with coffee in Belgian hospitality establishments, creating a distinctive consumption ritual. The company began distributing to neighboring countries in 1960, giving the brand an early international route to market. In 1974, Lotus entered into a partnership with the Stevens family and merged with Corona. The combination added cakes and pastries to the product range at a time when prepackaged pastries were growing rapidly. The company later used integrations and acquisitions to build a broader bakery portfolio. Suzy waffles were integrated in 1999, the Dutch gingerbread business Peijnenburg in 2006, and Swedish ginger-cookie brand Annas in 2008. Lotus acquired the Dinosaurus brand in 2012 and began producing it itself from the middle of 2013. The international identity of the core biscuit business developed further in 1986, when Lotus launched the Biscoff name. The name linked the biscuit to coffee while offering a more exportable brand identity. Biscoff was introduced progressively in different countries, and airlines began serving the biscuits as in-flight treats during the mid-1980s. This helped the product move beyond its Belgian bakery origins and become a recognizable international snack. From 2015 onward, Lotus Bakeries expanded into natural snacking. It formed a strategic partnership with British whole-food company Natural Balance Foods in 2015, gaining exposure to the nākd and TREK bar brands. In 2016, it acquired BEAR, a children's fruit-snacking brand. In 2018, it acquired Kiddylicious, which makes snacks for babies, toddlers, and preschool children. In 2020, Lotus Bakeries acquired the majority of the remaining Natural Balance Foods shares, bringing the entire Natural Foods portfolio under its control, and created an international headquarters for that division in Switzerland. In 2022, it acquired all shares of Peter's Yard, a British producer of artisanal sourdough crackers, crispbreads, and crisps. Manufacturing expansion accompanied the brand and portfolio strategy. Biscoff continued to be produced in Lembeke, while a factory in Mebane, North Carolina, opened in 2019 as the first Biscoff plant outside Belgium. Lotus Bakeries also established BEAR production in Wolseley, South Africa, in 2019, followed by a nearby nākd facility in early 2024. A new Biscoff facility in Thailand is planned for operation in 2026. Local Heroes products continue to be produced in selected European home markets. Governance has remained closely connected to the founding families. Karel Boone, the founder's son, joined the board in 1966, became chief executive in 1974, and served as company president from 1966 to 2012. His brother Matthieu became chief executive in 2006. Jan Boone, the founder's grandson, assumed the chief executive role at the end of 2011. Lotus Bakeries has been listed on Euronext Brussels since 1988 and operates internationally across roughly 70 countries.
- 2022
Peter's Yard acquired
[1]Lotus Bakeries acquired all shares of British sourdough-snack producer Peter's Yard.
- 2020
Natural Balance Foods brought under full control
[1]Lotus acquired most of the remaining shares in Natural Balance Foods and established a Swiss international headquarters for Natural Foods.
- 2019
First Biscoff factory outside Belgium
[1]Lotus opened a Biscoff manufacturing facility in Mebane, North Carolina.
- 2018
Kiddylicious acquired
[1]Lotus acquired British baby and preschool snack brand Kiddylicious.
- 2016
BEAR acquired
[1]Lotus acquired the BEAR children's fruit-snacking brand.
- 2015
Natural Balance Foods partnership
[1]Lotus entered a strategic partnership with Natural Balance Foods in the natural-snacking segment.
- 2012
Dinosaurus acquired
[1]Lotus Bakeries acquired Dinosaurus and started its own production of the brand the following year.
- 2008
Annas integrated
[1]The Annas ginger-cookie brand was integrated into the group.
- 2006
Peijnenburg integrated
[1]Lotus integrated the Peijnenburg gingerbread business.
- 1999
Suzy waffles integrated
[1]The Suzy waffles business became part of the Lotus Bakeries portfolio.
Products and positioning
A heritage Belgian bakery group positioned around globally recognizable branded snacks, with Lotus Biscoff as its international flagship and a complementary portfolio spanning natural, family, and artisanal snacking.
Caramelised biscuits and spreads · 1986
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff is the group's flagship speculoos-style caramelised biscuit. It was developed as an accompaniment to coffee and later became an international branded snack. The range has expanded beyond individually wrapped biscuits to include formats such as spreads and other products built around the Biscoff flavor profile. It is manufactured in Belgium and, since 2019, in the United States, with additional Thai capacity planned.
Gingerbread
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg is a Dutch gingerbread brand integrated into Lotus Bakeries in 2006. It represents the group's expansion from biscuits into traditional and packaged cake products in the Netherlands.
Ginger cookies
Annas
Annas is a Swedish ginger-cookie brand incorporated into the Lotus Bakeries portfolio in 2008. The brand supports the group's presence in Scandinavian bakery and seasonal cookie categories.
Children's biscuits
Dinosaurus
Dinosaurus is a children's biscuit brand acquired by Lotus Bakeries in 2012. Lotus began its own production from the middle of 2013, making the brand part of the group's locally rooted European bakery portfolio.
Natural snack bars
nākd and TREK
nākd and TREK are snack-bar brands associated with Natural Balance Foods. They form part of Lotus Bakeries' natural-snacking platform and broaden the group into whole-food and nutrition-oriented bar products beyond conventional biscuits.
Fruit snacks for children · 2016
BEAR
BEAR is a children's fruit-snacking brand offering products made from fruit. Lotus Bakeries acquired it in 2016 and established production in Wolseley, South Africa, in 2019.
Baby and preschool snacks · 2018
Kiddylicious
Kiddylicious makes snacks aimed at babies, toddlers, and preschool children. Lotus Bakeries acquired the British brand in 2018 as part of its expansion into family and early-childhood snacking.
Sourdough crackers and crispbreads · 2022
Peter's Yard
Peter's Yard is a British artisanal sourdough brand producing crackers, crispbreads, and crisps. Lotus Bakeries acquired the company in 2022, adding an artisanal savory-snack position to its natural-foods portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 1980Airline in-flight service
International
Airlines began serving Lotus biscuits as in-flight treats during the 1980s, giving international travelers direct exposure to the product.
Outcome. The practice supported the biscuit's recognition beyond Belgium.
- 1956Biscuit with coffee service
Belgium
Lotus developed a strong hospitality association by offering individually packaged biscuits alongside coffee in Belgian catering establishments.
Outcome. The coffee-pairing occasion became a defining platform for later international growth.
Brand decisions
2026
Build a third Biscoff production facilityStrategyBackground
Lotus Bakeries is expanding production capacity to support Biscoff's international markets.
Action taken
The company is building a third Biscoff facility in Thailand, with operation expected in 2026.
Aftermath
If completed as planned, the facility will add an Asian manufacturing base to the Belgian and United States network.
2022
Acquire Peter's YardM&ABackground
Lotus Bakeries continued to broaden its natural and premium snack portfolio.
Action taken
The company acquired 100 percent of the shares of British sourdough producer Peter's Yard.
Aftermath
The acquisition added artisanal sourdough crackers, crispbreads, and crisps to the group.
2019
Localize Biscoff production in North AmericaStrategyBackground
Growing international demand required manufacturing capacity outside the historic Belgian base.
Action taken
Lotus opened a Biscoff factory in Mebane, North Carolina, the first Biscoff production site outside Belgium.
Aftermath
The group established a second continental manufacturing base for its flagship product.
2015
Enter natural snackingStrategyBackground
Lotus Bakeries sought growth beyond traditional bakery products and entered the natural-snacking segment.
Action taken
The company formed a strategic partnership with Natural Balance Foods, whose portfolio included nākd and TREK bars.
Aftermath
The partnership became the starting point for the group's Natural Foods platform.
1986
Introduce the Biscoff international brand nameStrategyBackground
Lotus needed a consistent and exportable identity for its coffee-associated speculoos biscuit.
Action taken
The company launched the Biscoff name and progressively introduced it across international markets.
Aftermath
Biscoff became the group's best-known international product identity.
Recent events
Lotus Bakeries announces Mebane production campus expansion[2]
Reported:
Lotus Bakeries announced plans to expand its production campus in Mebane, North Carolina, adding 111,000 square feet and three production lines.
Sources2 sources
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