Major ingredients supplier Solina has bought Epicurean, the US B2B and consumer butter business.

The France-based ingredients major said the deal – struck for an undisclosed sum – “expands our capabilities in dairy”.

Based in Denver, Epicurean makes flavoured compound butters and “customised flavour solutions” for food manufacturers, foodservice operators and retailers in the US.

In a statement announcing the deal, Solina said the transaction “will create new opportunities” across the three channels. The business will be able to provide “customers with an even broader range of customized solutions”, the company added.

"Customers are looking for partners who can help them move quickly, create differentiated food experiences, and bring new ideas to market with confidence," Michael Marks, the CEO of Solina’s US business said. “Epicurean brings exactly that combination of culinary creativity, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit, expanding our capabilities in dairy and unlocking new opportunities to support our customers across the US market.”

In a statement announcing the deal, Solina said Epicurean Butter will continue operating from its facility in Denver. The site will be a “centre of excellence for butter and dairy innovation” for Solina’s US business, it added.

Epicurean CEO Stephen Owens, who will remain in place, added: “We have a passion for bringing exceptional flavour to life through innovation, speed and close collaboration, and Solina shares those same values.”