In a perfect world, your catering operation would deliver superb standards of culinary excellence consistent with your requirements and be managed efficiently and effectively; you would also see your area manager at least twice a week.
All staff would be motivated, trained, courteous and helpful, providing “service with a smile". You would be kept up to date with all the latest trends in the catering arena and innovation would be the order of the day. Your time spent on catering matters would be minimal. The monthly invoice would be totally transparent with no surprise costs or any calculation errors, easily understood with a full explanation as to what all the terms used mean such as, input and output, free issues, stock movement, credit balance, etc. All purchasing would be undertaken at true net prices with all discounts being passed back to you.
Unfortunately the reality can be somewhat different!
It is well known that the majority of new catering operations start well but over a period of time, the initial standards tend to drop and costs tend to rise, with no visible signs of improvement.
Caterers can earn their income from a variety of sources that may include discounts, payroll charges, administration charges, computer costs, cash collection, training, etc. It can also be the case that when you ask your caterer to purchase equipment, a “mark up” may also be applied.
Catering Consultancy Bureau has established a number of options designed to give clients a “helping hand” when working with a catering organisation. Our track record demonstrates that when we have become involved with a catering operation, costs, standards and quality aspects all improve.
A full catering audit and appraisal is not always appropriate for all clients and this is why we have structured a number of options from which a client can choose. These can be “mixed and matched” to establish the most suitable option and priced accordingly.
We have seen significant improvements in the quality of the catering service".