Foodservice forum: 2023

Angus Brydon
Managing director, BM
The sector experienced a year of significant evolution and growth, alongside having to tackle a challenging economic backdrop. We, like so many across the industry, had to find ways to adapt to changing work patterns.

As remote work continued to be a major factor, we had to reevaluate our service models. We saw an increased desire for employers to get their teams back into offices and worked with them to use catering as a vehicle to encourage this.  

We presented a multitude of hybrid solutions, offering both on-site and remote catering options through our off-site kitchens to meet the needs of our diverse client base. We’ve invested in this area significantly to help our clients grow. This flexibility allowed us to cater to an evolving workforce and maintain a steady flow of business, while also preserving the wellbeing of our teams. 

Technology has also played a pivotal role this year. The adoption of digital ordering and payment systems has surged, making it more convenient for customers to access catering services. 

However, the contract catering sector faced several challenges as well. The cost-of-living crisis, labour shortages and rising labour costs have put pressure on many companies. The need to attract and retain skilled culinary and service teams became a priority for the industry.

As a business, we were fortunate to have brilliant partnerships with our clients, which means we have been able to create working environments that are inclusive, productive and make people feel part of a wider family. Salaries and benefits packages are really important, but creating inclusive and engaging working environments is crucial to ensuring retention – this can make or break businesses in challenging times. 

We’ve invested heavily in our equality, diversity and inclusion, and learning and development resource in 2023, as well as building on our operational and sales teams. We’ve also spent a huge part of the last year looking closely at our suppliers’ partners and, through the support of our WSH network, been able place an even closer emphasis on ensuring that they are looked after and engaged on the BM journey. 

This has helped hugely to deal with the industry supply chain disruptions, which have been a recurring concern since the global pandemic. Fluctuations in food prices, availability and distribution affected the sector's cost structures and operational efficiency. 

We had to be nimble in adapting to these challenges. We explored alternative sourcing options and supply chain strategies, as well as using the talent of our culinary teams to develop menus that mitigated against these issues.

While the year was transformative for the contract catering sector, as ever, it emerged as a more resilient and versatile industry. The year has been strong and we have performed above expectations; the next year will be about building on this even further. 

Allister Richards
Chief executive officer, CH&CO
I’m always conscious of not being ‘that person’ who chirps on with unbridled positivity whatever the weather, but genuinely we’ve had a pretty good year. I reckon that if you’d pitched 2023 to me 12 months ago, I’d have bitten your hand off.

To begin with, the core business has performed ahead of plan. Higher return-to-office volumes for workplaces, both inside and outside of London, have helped and we’ve seen strong trading across destinations and visitor attractions. Our education business has also seen marked improvements since the new academic year began. So, revenue-wise, we’re up.

We also got back on the merger and acquisition trail, a sure sign of our confidence in the sector. Blue Apple and Pabulum joined the CH&CO family during the summer, bringing to the party clear propositions that complement our ‘house of brands’. Both businesses are performing strongly in their own right too, which is testament to the strength of the teams involved.

It’s hyper-competitive out there with everyone battling to regain lost volume. This is reflected in retention results, with some of our sectors experiencing softer retention rates than forecast, but others holding up well. However, with the end of 2023 in sight, it looks like we’ll deliver a record-breaking year for new contract wins.

To make sense of a shifting market, having a clear strategy that your people actively support is essential. This year we launched Accelerate, our ambitious growth plan that pinpoints measurable key performance indicators across five strategic pillars. It importantly gives everyone across our business clarity, aligned purpose and common goals.

Tangible social value has been a big focus – it’s important to us, our clients and customers. Our brands, such as Company of Cooks, Vacherin and Gather & Gather, have established amazing partnerships with social enterprises like Well Grounded and Luminary Bakery. These are in no way mascot partnerships, but are deeply embedded in our business and culture and deliver genuine impact for both parties and the communities we work within.

2023 has also been a year for caterers to face up to the challenges of net zero across their scope three emissions. Some notable competitors have already shifted their projections slightly, to (rightly) acknowledge the challenges and shifts in reporting guidelines. This is a good thing. It encourages us to adopt broader measurements of sustainability, thinking and acting beyond decarbonisation and delving deeper into our wider impacts on nature and society. I expect to see that momentum continue in 2024 as this part of our industry ‘grows up’ further.

Mark Webster
Managing director, Compass One
This year has been all about collaboration – enhancing the experience of those working in services that keep the nation running; expanding into new markets; working with some fantastic new clients; introducing tech and innovation; and delivering social value.

A major highlight of the year has to be the nation celebrating the event of our generation: the Coronation of King Charles III. Our government services team supported the Metropolitan Police 24/7 throughout the week of the event, providing over 30,000 meals to officers. Alongside this, several of our defence sites hosted military personnel rehearsing in the lead-up to the event, with our teams preparing and serving over 110,0000 meals to UK and Commonwealth troops.

Within the healthcare sector, it has been really rewarding to support several hospital partners in achieving exemplar site status from National Health Service (NHS) England for services such as portering, cleaning and catering. We all know the NHS is under great pressure, so our teams have gone above and beyond working alongside clinical staff in these areas.

In May this year, our One Retail business held its 24/7 NHS event, which supported the National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink mandate around 24/7 food for staff. This was an opportunity to look at different solutions with suppliers and those working within the NHS.

Technology is proving to be ever-more important to our service delivery, and this year has seen the significant roll-out of innovative apps and app-based ordering services, as well as an array of self-service solutions. We have also introduced two frictionless stores, delivering a huge step forward in innovation for these clients.

Social value continues to gain momentum and a huge part of that is making progress on our ambitious target to reach climate net zero by 2030. Some examples of success include introducing 70 new plant-forward dishes as part of our defence food offer; investing in The Artisan Grower, an Aberdeenshire farm that grows a range of products for use within our menus; and continuing to work with Incredible Edible to transform available land into areas cultivated for growing food.

Our clients operate in highly complex environments, often 24/7, to keep the country running. We are incredibly proud to work in partnership with them and do not underestimate our responsibility. So, as we look ahead to 2024, it is with optimism and a laser-sharp focus on the importance of our partnerships, our people and preserving our planet. 

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