Almond now Scotland's biggest contract caterer

Almond Catering has bought Buckley Support Services for more than 1m to become Scotland's largest independent contract caterer.

Almond, set up last November by former BaxterSmith managing director Alan Aitken and operations director Mike Ball, will take on Buckley's 80 staff and 12 contracts.

The Livingstone-based caterer will become a 300-strong company with 45 contracts and expects annual turnover to reach 14m in the next 18 months.

Its clients include VisitScotland, Amazon and British Aerospace.

Aitken said: "This is a hugely significant deal for both firms and the industry in Scotland.

"We launched Almond with the aim of becoming the country's biggest and best independent food service provider."

Almond will set up a facilities management division as a result of the purchase, which Aitken hopes will turn over £5m in its first year.