Contractors can benefit

It is refreshing to read that some contract caterers are moving out of their comfort zone into the public catering market.

Contract caterers have provided service in this sector for many years. Sadly, success has tended to be short-lived because of a cost-plus style of management, and the thorny issue of what to do with supplier discounts - which can act as a safety net to prop up any trading deficit.

Trading in a mature market means contract caterers are branching into other sectors.

We believe that there is great potential in public catering for commercially minded caterers.

While some caterers will learn the hard way how to deal with and manage this style of business, we believe that valuable lessons will be learnt, which may be applied to their mainstream business for the benefit of their fee-paying clients.

Barry Wainwright
Catering Consultancy Services Ltd

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