Epiris to sell minority interest in Pure Cremation

POSTED 21 January 2026

Epiris to sell minority interest in Pure Cremation

Epiris today announces that Epiris Fund III, advised by Epiris LLP, and Dean Lamble, Pure Cremation’s CEO, have agreed to sell a structured minority interest in Pure Cremation, a leading funeral services provider in the UK, to Centerbridge Partners, who will be investing both in Pure’s debt and equity instruments. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

Pure is the leading provider of prepaid funeral plans in the UK and a pioneer of the market for direct cremations which offer a simpler, more affordable alternative to a traditional funeral. Epiris acquired Pure in 2023, working in partnership with industry veteran Dean Lamble who then became the company’s Chief Executive. Since then, Dean and his team have both driven rapid growth in the overall funeral plans market and cemented Pure’s leadership within it. At the end of 2025, Pure was named a national winner of the BVCA’s Vision Awards which recognise outstanding management teams.

Dean Lamble, CEO of Pure, said:

“I speak for my whole team when I say we have really enjoyed working with Epiris to deliver the vision we set out together three years ago. They have given us the space and support to transform Pure into a high-growth market leader that has now attracted significant new investment. We look forward to the next stage of Pure’s growth in partnership with Epiris and our new investors.”

Owen Wilson, Chief Investment Partner at Epiris, said:

“We take our hats off to Dean and his team who have done an incredible job. They have added their experience and expertise to Pure’s existing strengths to deliver what really matters to customers – the highest quality of service and care at an affordable price. This has taken the business to the next stage in terms of scale and growth. The transaction we are announcing today enables us both to deliver an outstanding result for our investors and to remain in control of the business as we embark on its next phase of growth with Centerbridge’s support.”

The Epiris team on the Pure investment is Owen Wilson, Thayne Forbes and Demi Ogunlela. Epiris was advised by Houlihan Lokey, Latham & Watkins, KPMG, LEK and Capstone. Debt financing for the transaction is provided by Pemberton Asset Management. The Centerbridge team was advised by RBCCM, Proskauer Rose, Oliver Wyman, CIL, Deloitte and Thistle.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and expected to close in the first half of 2026.

ENDS

For Epiris LLP please contact:

Greenbrook Advisory

Peter Hewer, Demi Kurban

+44 (0)20 7952 2000

[email protected] 

About Epiris

Epiris is a private equity firm building great businesses that deliver outstanding returns for investors. The firm focuses on identifying and resolving the complexities which hold businesses back, providing fresh capital and thinking to reposition businesses strategically and in terms of scale and growth. It targets control positions in UK and international businesses with an enterprise value of between £75 million and £750 million, deploying between £50 million and £250 million of equity in each investment.

Epiris’ current investments include Amber Taverns, a leading UK pub operator; Pure Cremation, the UK’s leading provider of funeral plans; GSF a leading UK supplier of aftermarket automotive parts; LoneStar, a supplier of high-performance fasteners to the world’s energy markets; Delinian, a global B2B information services business; Sepura, a leading global provider of digital radio systems for mission-critical applications; Inchcape Shipping Services, one of the world’s largest maritime services providers; Appello, a leading technology-enabled care provider; Fluid Water Group, a producer of pumps and water-boosting products for residential and commercial uses; Sharps, the UK’s leading supplier of bespoke fitted bedroom furniture; The Big Table, a leading UK restaurant operator; Nucleus, an investment platform; Diamorph, a supplier of advanced material solutions for demanding and safetycritical applications; and The Club Company, the UK’s largest country club operator. In December 2025, Epiris announced that Epiris Fund III had agreed its sixth investment, WBS, a leading provider of trading and custody solutions to the UK wealth management industry.

For further information, please visit www.epiris.co.uk.

About Pure Cremation

Pure Cremation is the UK’s biggest provider of funeral plans, offering a dignified alternative to traditional funerals that is approximately 70% cheaper and provides greater freedom of choice for families. Its proposition spans both at-need services and FCA-regulated pre-need plans. Pure’s service model is underpinned by exceptional customer advocacy, with more than 30,000 five-star reviews and delivery from its freehold-owned, state-of-the-art crematoria.

About Centerbridge

Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines — Private Equity, Private Credit and Real Estate — in an effort to develop the most attractive opportunities for its investors. The Firm was founded in 2005 and, as of September 30, 2025, has approximately $44 billion in assets under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies. For more information, please visit www.centerbridge.com.

Issued by Epiris LLP which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.