Compass triumphs in Ford feeding shake-up
Compass Group subsidiary Eurest has replaced Gardner Merchant as one of the main caterers for the Ford Motor Company in the UK in a deal understood to be worth £6m in annual turnover.
Eurest will feed 12,700 Ford staff at 14 sites across five locations. The 300 catering staff will transfer from 1 January 2000.
The locations include Ford's body and assembly plants at Halewood and Dagenham, its foundry in Leamington Spa, the UK parts distribution centre at Daventry, and the Belfast components factory.
Eurest's contract is initially for one year, with a possible three-year extension.
Meanwhile, Sutcliffe has retained its share of the Ford business, thought to turn over slightly more than £6m.
It will provide catering, hospitality and vending services to more than 13,500 Ford workers across 20 sites, including Ford's largest site at Dunton, near Basildon, Essex.
Catering & Allied also provides catering for Ford in a contract understood to turn over about £3m a year.
Unlike the other two parts of the business, the Catering & Allied sites were not put out to tender, as Ford was happy with the service being provided.
The last time Ford put its contract out to tender was in 1989.
A spokesman said: "After 10 years we thought it was time to go out to tender. We wanted to see what people had to offer."
The tender process has taken 18 months.
by David Shrimpton
