Royal A-ware buys Dutch butter business

Dutch dairy group Royal A-ware has struck a deal to acquire local butter producer LaBan Foods.

In a statement yesterday (24 August), Royal A-ware said the acquisition is aimed at "continuing its strategy of further diversification".

The company said LaBan Foods makes "butter specialities", which it added include spiced pastes and garlic butters.

Royal A-ware said LaBan Foods has focused on those types of butters since 1993 and has developed into the "market leader" in herb-flavoured butter.

LaBan Foods markets products under its own brands, Laban and LaViré. However, most of its activity is centred on producing private-label lines for large supermarket chains.

"With LaBan Foods, we are bringing specialist knowledge and a distinctive range of butter products in-house, enabling us to serve our customers even better and more comprehensively,' said Jan Anker, the chairman of the board at Royal A-ware.

The transaction is awaiting the approval of Dutch competition officials.

Royal A-ware supplies dairy products such as cheese, butter and yogurt to retail, foodservice and industrial customers.

It employs more than 5,300 people. In 2025, the company posted turnover of €4.4bn ($5.1bn).

In July, Royal A-ware agreed to buy a 35% stake in Dutch goat's cheese producer Amalthea from parent company Ausnutria Dairy.

As part of that arrangement, Royal A-ware took responsibility for the domestic and international marketing of goat's cheese and organic goat's cheese.

Ausnutria retained a 65% majority stake and will remain focused on the firm's whey protein processing for infant formula.

The same month, Royal A-ware agreed to acquire Spanish cheese producer and distributor Grupo TGT.

That built on the family-owned company's February purchase of Spanish distributor Global Dairy Ventures from Abac Capital.

"Royal A-ware buys Dutch butter business" was originally created and published by Just Food , a GlobalData owned brand.