Bespoke, hands-on support delivered around your procurement and contract management needs
Catering is one of the most visible services you buy. It touches pupils, patients, residents, staff and visitors every day. It is also complex. Menus, allergens, nutrition standards, TUPE, equipment, utilities, food waste and volatile ingredients pricing all pull in different directions. Add the Procurement Act 2023 transparency requirements and the expectation to demonstrate social value and carbon reduction, and it is clear why many authorities, housing providers, NHS trusts, academies and charities ask for specialist help.
We provide practical, outcome focused catering procurement consultancy. You get extra capacity and category expertise to run a defensible process, achieve value for money and mobilise a service that works on the ground.
What we deliver
We start with a costed options appraisal that compares frameworks, further competition and a fresh competition. The appraisal sets out total cost, timeline, risk, market interest and how each route supports your objectives, including nutrition, inclusion, budget control and social value. We then run soft market engagement so you understand service models, menu engineering, digital ordering and waste reduction technology without skewing the field.
Specifications and pricing schedules are outcomes based and vendor neutral. We define service levels clearly, from meal uptake and customer satisfaction to allergen controls and food waste per cover. Pricing models are transparent and future proofed, with the right blend of fixed and variable components, clear indexation, and incentives for uptake and quality. During evaluation we brief and support your panel, manage clarifications, site visits and food tastings, and moderate to a consistent, auditable decision. Post award we negotiate terms, finalise SLAs and KPIs, and run a practical mobilisation plan that covers TUPE, menu sign-off, training, equipment readiness, cashless and pre-order systems, and communications with parents, ward teams or staff.
If you need ongoing support, we act as your contract management partner. We run quarterly reviews, analyse management information, challenge variances and convert continuous improvement plans into action.
Where we focus
Catering spans multiple subcategories, each with its own compliance and commercial risks. The table shows the areas we typically support and what good looks like.
| Category | Common pitfalls | What we build into the spec and contract |
| Education catering for schools and MATs | Weak allergen controls, low uptake, stigma around FSM, poor portion control, price drift | School Food Standards compliance, universal and means-tested FSM safeguards, pre-order and cashless, allergen management that is practical in service, service credits tied to uptake and feedback, menu rotation with seasonal local produce |
| Patient and resident meals in health and care | Texture modified diets not consistent, late trays, poor nutrition data, siloed ward and kitchen processes | Diet codes and IDDSI alignment, hot-cold chain plans by site, timed delivery windows, calorie and macro targets, protected mealtimes, clear roles between catering and ward staff, SMART KPIs |
| Staff restaurants, cafes and kiosks | Hidden subsidies, declining footfall, weak retail offer, unclear risk share | Retail range and pricing architecture, mystery diner and NPS targets, income share that rewards innovation and footfall, marketing plan, energy conscious equipment use |
| Hospitality and events | Last minute orders, high waste, inconsistent quality | Tiered menus with allergen data and lead times, dynamic headcount rules, waste and reuse expectations, charge controls and transparent extras |
| Vending and micro markets | Poor availability, cash collection risk, no allergen info | Remote telemetry, planograms and availability targets, cashless only unless agreed, allergen and nutrition display, refill SLAs |
| Catering equipment and maintenance | High lifecycle cost, breakdown risk, non compliant gas and electricals | Asset register with condition grades, planned maintenance regimes, safety certification, energy efficiency standards and end of life replacement rules |
| Ingredients, grocery and disposables | Volatile pricing, inconsistent quality, unsustainable packaging | Contracted core list with substitution rules, indexation to agreed baskets, Red Tractor or equivalent sourcing where relevant, recycled or reusable packaging roadmap |
| Food waste reduction | Poor measurement and behaviour change | Baseline studies, plate and production waste targets, digital tracking, redistribution and composting routes, staff training expectations |
Commercials that protect your budget
Catering contracts can unravel quickly if commercials are loose. We design pricing and performance mechanisms that keep you in control. For management fee contracts we separate food cost, labour and management so you can see and influence the drivers. For retail and hospitality we agree an income share model that rewards growth without exposing you to unplanned subsidy. Indexation is limited to agreed indices and applied to defined cost lines only. Service credits focus on moments that matter such as allergen incidents, late meals, missed wards, FSM anonymity breaches and unresolved equipment failures.
Where you own the equipment we ensure responsibilities for gas safety checks, extraction cleaning, refrigeration temperature logs and reactive maintenance are crystal clear. If a refresh is needed, we align capex with energy and waste reduction benefits so there is a business case you can stand behind.
Compliance and assurance built in
Every procurement embeds the Procurement Act 2023 transparency steps and auditable award reports. Food safety is non negotiable. We require a documented food safety management system based on HACCP, robust allergen management that reflects Natasha’s Law for prepacked for direct sale, and evidence of staff training and supervision. Safeguarding is addressed for settings with children or vulnerable adults. Data protection is handled in cashless systems and pre-order apps. Modern slavery and ethical sourcing statements are built into supply chain requirements. Health and safety is made real through mobilisation, toolbox talks and simple site rules, not just a policy on the shelf.
Social value, nutrition and carbon
Meals are a lever for wellbeing and community benefit. We write specifications that encourage healthy choices, reduce salt and sugar and promote fruit, veg and wholegrains, without sacrificing appeal. Social value is contract specific. For councils and housing providers that can include local supplier participation, apprenticeships, community cookery sessions and surplus redistribution. For trusts and charities it may focus on supported employment, volunteering and nutrition education. Carbon is addressed through seasonal menus, lower carbon protein choices, food waste prevention, reusable serveware and energy efficient equipment. We set reporting standards you can trust so progress is transparent.
In-house, outsource or hybrid
There is no single right answer. Some clients seek a managed service with a clear management fee and open book accounting. Others want an output based concession with defined service levels and income share. Many run blended estates where high street concessions sit alongside in-house outlets. We help you test the options with honest pros and cons and a financial model that shows total cost and risk over the term. If your conclusion is to insource, we can help design the organisational model, write SOPs, train the team and procure the supply chain for ingredients, disposables and maintenance.
Digital and data
Modern catering relies on good information. We build practical requirements for EPOS, cashless, pre-order, allergen and nutrition display, and management information that is accurate and timely. Reporting is standardised across sites so you can see uptake by day part, cost per cover, labour hours, waste and satisfaction, and then use the insight to make decisions.
Flexible delivery, real results
You may need an end-to-end outsourced procurement, or just a short intervention to design the pricing schedule, moderate evaluations or negotiate the commercial schedule. We fit around your capacity and risk profile. If you want your team to grow with each procurement we provide mentoring and targeted training on specification writing, evaluation and contract management.