Solihull kitchen equipment maker Aga Food Services has continued on the expansion trail with the £7.1 million purchase of German oven maker Eloma.

Aga, which has its corporate HQ in Shirley, bought the maker of combi steam ovens from German food service firm Gustatus.

Last year the business, which also sells bakery ovens, achieved profits of £480,000 on sales of £14.2 million.

Eloma specialises in combi steaming ovens, which are used in restaurants and hotels, and has over 25 per cent of the German market and five per cent of the worldwide market.

The firm employs 150 people at it base in Dresden, eastern Germany and has a sales office and research and development centre in Munich.

The acquisition follows the £2 million Aga's purchase of Canadian cooker and fridge firm Heartland in December.

William McGrath, chief executive of Aga, said: "A well known European and technically strong food service operation has been a target of ours for some time and we are delighted to have made Eloma, a business with great international potential, part of our group.

"The move will boost our growing European food service operations."

Finance director Shaun Smith added: "This acquisition increases our geographical footprint in Europe and gives us a route to market in Germany, central and eastern Europe where we don't have a presence for our UK refrigeration and cooking equipment.

"It also allows us to take steam combi ovens to sell them into the UK and into the US through a business called Stellar Steam which we bought last year."