BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 November 2024 - Dusit Foods, a subsidiary of Dusit International, one of Thailand's leading hotel and property development companies, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Green House Co., Ltd, a prominent player in Japan's food industry, to accelerate the growth of Epicure Catering Co., Ltd., a leading provider of food and beverage services to the international school sector in Thailand, with the aim to expand Epicure's current operations and broaden its reach to include healthcare facilities, corporate clients, and airlines, both domestically and internationally.

As part of the agreement, Green House, in collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation, will establish a new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to acquire a 20% stake in Epicure Catering. Dusit Foods will retain a 70% share, with the remaining 10% held by existing Epicure shareholders.

Green House brings over seven decades of expertise in food services across sectors such as corporate, healthcare, and education, in addition to restaurant and ready-to-eat food management, health service applications, kitchen consulting, and food distribution. Serving over a million meals daily, Green House offers more than 4,000 menu items crafted to meet the highest standards of quality and safety through the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) framework.

Green House previously collaborated with Dusit International by providing consultancy services for Dusit Thani Kyoto—the first Dusit Thani branded hotel in Japan—in 2023. The positive impact of this collaboration underscored the potential to extend the partnership beyond hospitality and into the food sector.

"We are delighted to deepen our collaboration with Green House and embark on this strategic partnership that underscores our commitment to expanding Dusit's food business on a global scale," said Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International. "With Epicure Catering's position as a leading provider of food and beverage services for the international school sector, holding over 70% market share in Thailand, we see tremendous potential for growth. Together with Green House, we aim to leverage our combined expertise and resources to bring Epicure's high-quality offerings to new markets in education, healthcare, and airlines across Thailand and Asia. This collaboration also provides a unique opportunity to explore sustainable cooperation models that can contribute to the long-term development of the food industry as a whole."

Mr Chiaki Tanuma, President and CEO, Green House, said, "This strategic partnership with Dusit Foods not only reaffirms our dedication to delivering high-quality food services across the education, healthcare, and corporate sectors but also marks a significant step in our global growth strategy. Together, we are committed to setting new standards in the food industry and pursuing innovative solutions that create lasting value for all stakeholders."

Ms Manisa Mitpaibul, Managing Director, Dusit Foods, explained that beyond driving the expansion of Epicure Catering, the partnership is designed to unlock new opportunities across food and beverage production, distribution, and services. "Through knowledge sharing and the adoption of best practices, we aim to enhance employee development, streamline operations, and foster sustainable growth across food business overall," she said. "Our focus remains on achieving a positive environmental and social impact that benefits both our clients and the communities we serve."

Established in 2018 with the vision to "Bring Asia to the World," Dusit Foods aims to strategically invest from 'farm-to-fork' across Dusit's entire food supply chain. This includes working to standardise food and beverage offerings at Dusit Hotels and Resorts worldwide by delivering high-quality ingredients and optimising costs, as well as developing premium products for the international market.

Alongside Epicure Catering, Dusit Foods' primary investment portfolio currently includes The Caterers, a leader in school catering and off-site receptions in Vietnam; Bonjour Bakery Asia, a French baking factory and franchise business based in Thailand; Savor Eats (Pinto Hub), a joint venture comprising cloud kitchen/food delivery services and a central kitchen manufacturing hub in Bangkok; and Dusit Gastro, a sourcing and distribution hub servicing Dusit Hotels and Resorts in Thailand and affiliated companies and customers in the hotel, restaurant, café, and catering industry (HoReCa).