Mount Charles Group wins £7m college catering, cleaning and vending contract

The Mount Charles Group has won a £7m contract to provide catering, cleaning, vending and ancillary services to the Southern Regional College (SRC) in Northern Ireland.

The seven-year contract (worth £1m a year) will see the Belfast-based foodservice firm operate in nine SRC campuses including at Kilkeel, Armagh, Banbridge, Lurgan, Newry and Portadown.

Managing director of the Mount Charles Group, Cathal Geoghegan said: "We are of course delighted to have won this prestigious contract after a rigorous tender process.

"While it's a tough sector to work in with the increasing imperative to keep costs low and quality of service high, we have substantial experience in meeting those needs. The multi service nature of our business means that we can create tailored packages that meet specific business needs.

"This contract with SRC has boosted our employee figures by 80, taking the total number to 1,600. Those 80 team members have TUPE'd across to work for us and with their help, we have begun to successfully operate the contract," he added.

The Mount Charles Group also provides cleaning and catering across four South Eastern Regional College campuses as well as several schools, including Belfast Royal Academy and Friends' School Lisburn.