The deal is the first acquisition for Host, which was founded in 2004 and operates 86 contracts in the B&I, healthcare and independent schools sectors.
Privately-owned Couture has eight retail contracts including prestigious heritage sites such as the People’s Museum in Manchester, Liverpool Cathedral and the Institute Français in London, two high-profile film studios - Pinewood Studios and Elstree Studios - and an impressive B&I site at Ogilvy & Mather in London’s Canary Wharf.
Couture has a total annual turnover of £5m, taking Host’s annualised turnover to £22m.
Host chief executive Bill Toner said: “We are delighted to be working with such a strong brand as Couture. This is a fantastic acquisition for Host, taking us into a new, and relatively untapped segment.
“When the rest of the market is stagnant we are proud that our plans for growth are on track. We hope to follow this with further acquisitions.”
The Couture brand name will be retained, with the company becoming a division of Host.
“It was always our intention to grow Host and our aim is to get to £30m annualised by the end of the year. This acquisition will help give us the strength and credibility to compete further in the market and give us a good foundation from which to grow even further,” Toner added.
“Couture operates strong contracts, in interesting areas, but we feel Host can bring additional value with our focus on food quality, chef training and strong operational support.
“Our national sales team will also be concentrating on growing both brands by adding further contracts to the mix.”
Couture was launched in 2006 by Mark Warde, who previously worked for Compass’s Restaurant Associates division and niche B&I operator Artizian before deciding to set up on his own.
Host is an independent, national contract catering company founded in 2004 and headed by former Aramark UK chief executive Bill Toner.