News today that Jordans, the Biggleswade-based family cereals business, is to be fully taken over by Associated British Foods (ABF). Facing global food price rises and severe competition from food giants, Jordans appears to have calculated that its long-term future will be best served as part of a major multinational group.

Bill Jordan, whose family have been baking in Bedfordshire for 200 years, told The Times: "When we started out, this was a niche area and we were seen as being a bit eccentric. Now we’re up against the likes of Pepsi and Nestlé and we need a bit more clout, a bit more scale. We’ve been briefing the staff and they can see the opportunity behind the deal.”

We have very fond memories of Jordans as a truly unusual business, which went to extreme, very successful and rather odd lengths to motivate its people. Click here (and scroll down) to read our article about Jordans and a few other kooky businesses.

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