Importance of long-term catering relationships

Long-term partnerships between caterers and clients are key to a successful catering operation, experts said last week.

Speakers at the British Institute of Facilities Management's annual corporate catering conference warned that as contractual risks were increasingly shared and clients demanded greater transparency, long-term relationships would become more important.

Food service consultant Jonathan Knight said consistency would benefit both parties. "With longer relationships, caterers can experiment with products, bring in new managers if necessary and get to know the needs of the client better," he said.