Triumph Higher Education buys Culinary Institute of Barcelona

Triumph Higher Education, the Camden Partners-backed provider of hospitality and culinary training, has acquired the Culinary Institute of Barcelona, PE Hub reported. The deal expands Triumph’s culinary education portfolio across North America and Europe and will bring its network to more than 8,000 students a year, according to PE Hub.

The acquisition places CIB alongside the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia, within Triumph’s group of career-focused culinary schools, PE Hub reported. The enlarged network will have an alumni base of more than 25,000 and more than 150 faculty members and chef instructors, according to PE Hub.

Barcelona campus to remain in operation

CIB is a private international culinary school in Spain. PE Hub reported that the institution will continue to operate from its campus in Barcelona after the transaction.

The addition gives Triumph a further European base in a sector where training providers typically combine classroom instruction, practical kitchen work and career preparation for the hospitality industry. PE Hub described Triumph as a global provider of education, training and recruitment services for professionals in hospitality and culinary arts.

Beyond its academic programs, CIB also runs innovation initiatives, according to PE Hub. The report did not provide further details on those initiatives.

Platform backed by Camden since 2014

Camden Partners made a growth investment in Triumph in 2014, PE Hub reported. Growth investments are generally used to support expansion at established companies, including through new programs, additional campuses or acquisitions, depending on the company’s strategy and the investor’s mandate.

For Triumph, the CIB acquisition broadens a portfolio already anchored by culinary education brands in the United States and Canada. The company’s institutions now include Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and Culinary Institute of Barcelona, according to PE Hub.

The transaction also extends Triumph’s reach in the global market for professional culinary and hospitality education. PE Hub reported that the combined network is focused on career-oriented institutions serving students, alumni and instructors across multiple regions.

This story draws on original reporting from PE Hub.