Who's who in contract catering
Many think of it as the unglamorous side of the industry, but there are plenty of reasons to choose contract catering.
Compass Group
With an annual turnover of £3b and more than 110,000 employees, Compass Group is the world's largest contract caterer. The group has contracts in airports, staff restaurants, food courts, hospitals and corporate hospitality, and operates brand names such as Upper Crust and Harry Ramsden's. Compass experienced turnover growth of 5% in 2003 and anticipates a strong performance in 2004, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors.
Sodexho
Employing more than 50,000 people at nearly 3,500 locations, Sodexho Catering and Support Services is part of Sodexho Alliance, one of the world's largest food and management services companies. Markets include business and industry, government, healthcare, leisure, hotels and restaurants. It expects to grow net profits by 5% in 2004.
Aramark
Once described as "up-and-coming", Aramark is now the UK's third-largest contract catering company. With a broad spectrum of blue-chip clients from sectors including business and industry, education, hotels and the Ministry of Defence, Aramark has grown rapidly over the past two years. It now has more than 1,000 contracts. As well as developing its own brands, the company works alongside names such as Starbucks and Java. Chief executive Bill Toner is a good example of how you can work your way up in contract catering. He started his career as a chef and now heads the company.
Avenance
Formed in 1999 from an alliance between High Table, Catering & Allied and Brian Smith, and later joined by Nelson Hind Catering Management, Avenance provides food and hospitality to more than 600 organisations in the UK. Services range from cafés to delis, staff restaurants to private dining, retail shops and reception services. Avenance is backed by parent company Groupe Elior, one of France's leading contract caterers.
Charlton House Catering Services
Set up by Robyn and Tim Jones in the early 1990s, Charlton House is a fast-growing independent company with a mission to change the face of staff restaurants. It is now the UK's third-largest independent contract caterer and in 2003 boosted profit by nearly 40%. It employs 1,000 people.
Wilson Storey Halliday
The business has come a long way since the early days, when it was based in a Maidenhead attic. The firm already has in the region of 140 contracts. In 2003 it won the Sage Business Award for the fastest-growing business of the year for businesses with 100 or more staff. Turnover reached £45m in 2002. The company has about 260 contracts and employs more than 1,500 people.
Initial Catering Services
Initial Catering Services is part of the giant business service company Rentokil Initial Group. Formed in 1991, it is the largest provider of school meals in the UK. Its business and industry wing, Autograph Foodservice, offers bespoke office restaurants to more than 150 blue-chip clients.
BaxterSmith
This young catering company manages and operates employee restaurants and executive dining rooms for corporate clients from the business and industry sector. Established in the South-east in 2000, it has recently opened sister company BaxterSmith Scotland. Clients include Marks & Spencer, Daimler Chrysler, Powergen, Marriott and Selfridges.
Just Deli
The Just Deli concept is far removed from the meat-and-two-veg canteen dining of old. By bringing casual, deli-style food to the workplace, it aims to give the clients' employees a feeling of "going out to lunch, without going out". With more than 40 clients, the company turned over in the region of £9.5m in 2003. It also has an executive dining room division.
Cygnet Catering
An offshoot of food production company Cygnet Foods, Cygnet Catering was formed in 2000 to specialise in traditional eating in the workplace. The privately owned company now services 196 food outlets and 60 café operations.
