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Drawing on the depth of our experience in this area we are pleased to provide an overview of contract catering, its history, current status and future aspects in an easily accessible format. Whether you are looking for new direction within this exciting industry or are looking to explore possibilities from outside it, this part of the site will provide an invaluable tool. Contract catering is defined as a contract undertaken to provide catering services for the staff of an organisation or in an environment open to the public. The types of organisation which employ contract caterers are wide ranging, from blue-chip multinationals to schools. Today, contract caterers are in demand for the increased range of benefits they bring to a client’s organisation: management expertise, greater purchasing power, more sophisticated marketing and merchandising skills, and a growing appreciation of branding or theming of contracts. The days of the old ‘staff canteen’ are long gone. Contract catering operates in a number of areas, namely: Business & Industry Manufacturing and commercial office environments. Education Independent and state schools, colleges and universities. Healthcare Private and NHS hospitals and nursing homes. Government & Local Authority MoD, prisons and the Police. Catering for members of the public Sports and leisure centres, sports stadia, transport termini and theatres. The Main Players Contract catering is serviced by a number of companies which vary greatly in size and style. It is however dominated by four main players, namely:
Other key operators include:
In addition, there are a number of smaller companies formed by experienced players within the industry. These include:
Branding Increasingly, the contractor must be able to match the atmosphere and quality of the most successful high street operations. The nature of the contractual agreement is changing and contractors are now working on more commercial footing. Consequently, branding is now an important factor to contractors and the number of has brands increased dramatically over the past ten years. However, branding does not suit everyone and the bespoke/tailored environments have increased, as has the number of small contract caterers in the marketplace. Beyond Pure Catering Alongside the growth in outsourcing of catering, contractors now offer other support services such as reception, cleaning and grounds maintenance. Indeed, complete support services are now being outsourced. All of the large contractors, and many of the medium-sized ones, can now offer multi-faceted services to their clients beyond catering. Conversely facilities companies are now increasing services to include catering and cleaning services. Careers within Contract Catering Whilst individual companies use different titles and have different set ups, the structure is generally similar. Unit Level What is a unit? It can range from a site where a Chef Manager provides limited services to a small number of people, to a site where 6,000 employees are offered complete support services over a 24 hour, seven day week operation. In certain instances, unit managers may also take responsibility for satellite units. At this level, you would be expected to prepare and achieve a budget, recruit and train a team, and liaise with the client. Multi-site Level The next step usually means a group role or multi-unit/service manager, which involves looking after a number of sites for one client. The number of units will vary, depending on experience, the size of the units and the geographical spread. Operations/ Area Management Level At this level, role can vary from looking after a small number of sites for various clients to a regional role looking after over 100 units with the support of group or junior area managers. Career paths through contract catering can follow a number of routes depending on the size of the company. From within operations you can progress to director/regional level; into the support functions or a more facilities orientated environment you can cross over. In high volume, low margin areas, such as state education or public hospitals, salaries tend to be lower than within business and industry. Either way once at management level, salaries are good and can include attractive benefits packages. Is Contract Catering for You? The skills required to be successful in this field are transferable from other sectors in hospitality. You need to:
Why Contract Catering? This sector offers a solid grounding in operations, as well as finance, human resources and business development which can be used to progress within CC or transferred to another sector of the hospitality industry. Career paths are structured, but offer variety in terms of the diversity of clientele. In general, the hours are more regular than in other areas of the hospitality sector, although with more diverse and multi-faceted services being provided, they are expanding beyond the traditional Monday to Friday office hours. Contract catering offers a challenging environment for career-minded individuals. At the same time, the growth of contracting in the commercial sector has significantly broadened the opportunities available. The Down Side There are problems associated with bottlenecks as people move up the career ladder. Contracts change hands and this may mean either transferring to another unit within the outgoing contractor's company or transferring to a new company, and this can sometimes be disruptive. On the other hand, it may offer a great opportunity. Future Trends The general outlook for contract catering in the UK is very favourable. Trends such as greater commercialism, more contractor investment in clients' premises, greater customer awareness and more refined marketing and management skills, have become very evident in recent years.
Sources of Information
Berkeley Scott Group Plc Berkeley House 11 - 13 Ockford Road Godalming Surrey GU7 1QU Tel: 01483 414141/0870 0117777 Fax: 01483 414457/0870 1372169 Email: Darren Campbell |
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