5 advantages of contract catering

Contract catering is when an organisation hires an independent caterer to provide their workplace catering services every day. The decision to outsource is an important one; it will have wide-ranging consequences for the organisation, their employees and the catering team. This expert guide outlines the main advantages of contract catering.

1. Accountability

Contract caterers hold the risk and responsibility for achieving success. Inspiration and ideas will be driven by them, and tailored to client needs. The caterer is accountable for all catering costs and reporting at the detail level that suits the client.

2. Clients can focus on their business

Contract caterers focus on the catering so that clients can focus on their business. The caterer employs experts in every field from marketing and food safety to food innovation. This team is an extension of the client’s catering team and can be used as a resource when required.

Specialist caterers can spot and react faster to trends than a client can. The caterer’s resource to process administration including invoicing and payment means clients only have one invoice to process. The client’s time will not be taken up setting up and managing a specialist supply chain.

The strength of larger caterers like bartlett mitchell means our wider team can cater for large and special events that a client may need.

3. Catering team managed by expert HR professionals with catering specialism

By being employed by a catering company, your in-house catering team will have lots more personal development opportunities. At BM we are an award winning ‘Investors in People’ Gold accredited organisation. This is because we have comprehensive and robust people development processes.

Caterers have the ability to recruit skilled people from their existing pool and extensive network. Caterers have the systems and processes to manage team member’s performance, and it’s part of their contractual obligation to get the team right. Caterers are able to call on the support of a dedicated catering trainer, who understand all aspects of legislative and motivational training.

4. Legislative compliance

Caterers employ independent and fully-certified Health and Safety officers to complete full risk assessments and respond to any queries. Their service includes supplying comprehensive Health and Safety and Food Safety training programme for every team member. This gives clients huge peace of mind.

A caterer will complete Independent quality audits annually, to benchmark and achieve best in class. The caterer can supply completely separate, auditable financial controls.

5. Enhance reputation for CSER

If the right contract caterer is selected their sustainability achievements can enhance the client’s business and reputation. Ideas include how food waste is managed, supplying sustainable bottled water and serving Fairtrade coffee. Our sustainability achievements include the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s ‘Food Made Good’ Sustainable Caterer of the Year Award.

Download the 5 advantages of contract catering here

Expert advice

To share best practice, we have developed bartlett mitchell’s expert guides for workplace and contract catering. Download the pdf guide to 5 main advantages of contract catering or read our expert guide to How to tender a catering contract

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