City limits

Carlton Catering Partnership is on target to expand its client base beyond industrial manufacturing sites. Contracts at offices and court houses are secured, and the West End of London is now in its sights.

It has often been said there are two geographic areas of business for contract caterers: central London and the rest of the UK. Until this month, Carlton Catering Partnership had steered clear of central London, but that is about to change.

The company has been asked to tender for two contracts in the heart of the West End, the result of recommendations from existing clients. Carlton's directors had thought they may move into London one day, but it certainly wasn't at the forefront of company thinking.

Managing director John Salisbury says he is pleased at the recommendation, but is aware that London offers unique challenges to contract caterers. "The problems are delivery of goods and finding suitable catering staff prepared to stay and produce the desired level of customer service. But we're already operating close to London with two industry sites in Slough."

Two of the team took the opportunity to have a preliminary look at one West End site during a break from touring Hotelympia '96 last month. They were visiting the exhibition to look at two areas of equipment.

Computer technology was their first stop. Carlton's company operations director, Malcolm Smallwood, was doing the rounds of the technology stands with North-west operations director David Stanistreet, as Carlton is looking at getting all its units on-line to headquarters.

At present, Carlton Catering's units fax through their sales and stock records, which are re-keyed into the main management system. The hope is that a system can be found that will provide the technical facility and be simple for unit staff to operate.

The company doesn't want catering managers and chefs to spend hours staring at computer screens. Stanistreet says: "When it comes down to it, we are caterers, not computer experts. We want to be looking at the food and the customers, not computer screens."

The duo were also searching for a system that was within their budget. "Every unit will need its own computer terminal and modem. We could be looking at a substantial investment," says Stanistreet.

They spotted two systems they would like to investigate further and plan to hold talks with suppliers.

The other purpose of the tour was to look at equipment that would work well in a fast food-style operation. Salisbury remains tight-lipped about this sudden interest in fast food cooking equipment and serveries, but hints that the next few weeks may see a major development for Carlton.

Beating the elements

The huge snowfalls in February caused big problems at several sites and some staff had to battle through thick snow to get to their units.

Among the worst of those affected was the Hillhouse industrial site at Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, where two staff members had to make a six-mile trek through snow seldom less than knee-deep to get to work.

Food sales were 15% down on the corresponding period last year because of the weather at another of Carlton Catering's contracts, livestock auction Chelford Market, near Knutsford, Cheshire. Farmers were unable to get stock to the market and buyers stayed away.

Also snow-bound was the Astley Bank conference and training centre in the foothills of the Pennines, in east Lancashire. The snow was so deep there that a group staying overnight for a conference was trapped when the road became impassable.

Salisbury says that there was no option but for the guests to stay over for an extra night. The rooms were due to be re-let to another party, he explains. But just as no one could out of the training centre, no one could get in, so they stayed until the next day, when the road reopened.

Point of law

The contracts in law courts continue to do well, though with three now in full operation, Salisbury has noticed something unusual about the eating habits of people in court houses.

"The dwell time at tables is longer than you would expect in any other type of contract. People have got time on their hands or documents to read. We would like more tables and chairs, but there isn't the room."

After a flurry of new contracts towards the end of last year, things have gone quiet on the new business front. Several decisions are expected in the next few weeks, a number of which pit Carlton against the big names in contract catering.

Salisbury says that being a small private company is often an advantage in this situation. "When we are going for contracts to feed a work-force of 300 or fewer, the client sees itself as a small company and has a natural empathy with another small company. We describe ourselves as a small, caring company.

NEXT visit to Carlton Catering Partnership: 11 April