CH&CO Acquires Blue Apple and Pabulum (Equistone-backed)

Compass Group Acquires CH&CO from Equistone

January 22, 2024

Restaurants & Hospitality

Compass Group PLC has agreed to acquire CH&CO, a UK & Ireland premium contract catering and hospitality services provider, for an initial enterprise value of £475 million plus an earn-out. The transaction, subject to regulatory approval, buys CH&CO from private equity owner Equistone and expands Compass's capabilities and footprint in the UK and Ireland; CH&CO generates c. £450m revenue and employs over 10,000 people.

Equistone Partners Europe Acquires CH&CO Group from MML Capital Partners

April 18, 2019

Restaurants & Hospitality

Equistone Partners Europe has invested in CH&CO, a leading UK contract catering and hospitality group headquartered in Reading. The transaction is an acquisition from MML Capital Partners (which realized a reported 3x return); CH&CO's CEO Bill Toner and management retain a material shareholding and Equistone will support further add-on acquisitions and growth.

CH&CO (Equistone-backed) Acquires Mitie Catering (Gather & Gather & Creativevents)

August 19, 2019

Restaurants & Hospitality

CH&CO, a portfolio company backed by Equistone Partners Europe, has acquired Mitie Catering — comprising Gather & Gather and Creativevents — from Mitie. The bolt-on deal adds c.£137m of turnover, 330 sites across the UK and Ireland and approximately 3,600 team members to CH&CO, and includes a strategic partnership to continue serving Mitie's IFM clients.

Capol (Freudenberg Group) Acquires Blue Pacific Flavors

September 4, 2025

Food & Beverage

Capol, a Freudenberg Group company and global leader in confectionery coatings, has acquired Blue Pacific Flavors to create an expanded global food ingredients platform combining flavors, coatings, and product development capabilities. Blue Pacific Flavors will remain led by CEO Donald Wilkes and will continue operations as part of the combined group to accelerate innovation and expand customer reach across North America, Europe and Asia.

Leeds Equity Partners Acquires Big Blue Marble Academy from Avathon Capital

January 3, 2024

Education

Leeds Equity Partners has acquired Big Blue Marble Academy, a leading early childhood education and childcare provider operating 67 schools across eight U.S. states. The seller was Avathon Capital, which invested in BBMA in 2018 and helped grow the business to serve over 10,000 students with more than 2,000 staff; terms were not disclosed.

PDI Technologies Acquires Blue Cow Software from Repay Holdings

February 15, 2023

Software

PDI Technologies has acquired Blue Cow Software, a Massachusetts-based provider of fuel oil and propane management software, from Repay Holdings Corporation. The acquisition expands PDI's home heat offerings and enables PDI to offer Blue Cow's route optimization, analytics and CRM capabilities to its existing and future customers in the heating oil and propane vertical.