Forest Feast marks 30 years of global growth
The premium snacking brand celebrates its tricennial anniversary with 'continued investment' as it sets sights on doubling in size by 2030
Print11 September 2026
Forest Feast celebrates its 30th anniversary this September, marking three decades of innovation and sustained growth that has seen the business evolve from a small family run operation into an internationally recognised premium snacking company.
Founded by Michael Hall MBE and his late wife Lorraine in 1996, Forest Feast was the first brand launched by the family business, Kestrel Foods Ltd.
Thirty years on, Hall remains at the helm as CEO, having grown the company into a portfolio of leading food brands including Acti-Snack, Just Live a Little Granola and Indie Bay, employing more than 150 people at its headquarters in Portadown, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland.
The brand’s tricennial anniversary comes at a significant moment for the business, following a period of exceptional growth.
Annual sales increase
Annual sales have increased from £23.2 million (approx. €27.0 million) in its full year 2023 to £43.8 million (approx. €51.0 million) in full year 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate of 23.7%, the premium snack brand highlighted.
Forest Feast noted that this is supported by continual investment in manufacturing, including expanding factory capacity and specialist production capability at its Portadown site, product innovation, people, and brand development, as the business works towards its ambition of doubling in size by 2030.
Over the past 30 years, Forest Feast has grown through a combination of entrepreneurial ambition and continual reinvestment.
From securing its first national Great Britain grocery listing with Waitrose in 1998 and winning its first Great Taste Award in 2011, to launching internationally recognised product innovations and building state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, the business has continually evolved in line with changing consumer tastes.
‘Rooted in discovery’
The wonderful world of Forest Feast has become synonymous with exploration – a brand rooted in discovery, where the finest of ingredients are sourced from all four corners of the globe and brought back to base in Co. Armagh to be carefully crafted into innovative, indulgent snacks, the brand highlighted.
Today, Forest Feast has won more than 20 Great Taste Awards and continues to develop premium products that respond to growing demand for better-for-you, high-quality snacking.
While the business has grown significantly, the team has a relentless curiosity for discovering new ingredients and creating products consumers keep coming back to.
Commenting on the company’s milestone, Hall, said: “Reaching 30 years is an incredibly proud moment.
“When Lorraine and I started Forest Feast, we believed that snacks could be better: more exciting, more delicious, more carefully crafted, more responsibly sourced and more memorable.”
“Looking back, what makes me most proud isn’t how much we’ve grown, but how we’ve done it. We’ve consistently reinvested in our people, manufacturing capabilities, our brands, and product innovation, while staying true to the values the business was built on.
“Thirty years later, I still come to work with the same excitement and belief that great products and great people are what drive long term success.
“We’re building a business that’s well positioned for the future of snacking.”
Ethical sourcing commitments
Since its launch, Forest Feast has been committed to ethical sourcing and responsible business practices.
Longstanding partnerships include PREDA mango in the Philippines, which supports farming communities and sustainable agriculture, alongside Cacao-Trace certified cocoa, renewable electricity across its manufacturing site and more than 20,000 trees planted through Ecologi.
The brand noted that it is also committed to its ongoing partnerships with FareShare to reduce food waste.
Read more: Forest Feast collaborates with PerfectTed to launch Matcha Chocolate Almonds
© 2026 by ShelfLife reporter
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