Tags:

Compass Group quits British Hospitality Association

Chris Druce
Friday 05 December 2008 16:11
Bob Cotton: BHA disappointed by Compass decision

Compass Group, the world’s largest caterer, has quit the British Hospitality Association (BHA), Caterersearch can reveal.

The shock decision comes after a year-long review headed by Compass UK & Ireland marketing director John Pain and continuing talks with the BHA.

Compass believes the industry body has become too big and has too many competing interests to effectively represent the contract catering sector anymore.

The caterer, which remains a member of outsourcing trade body the Business Services Association, said it would now manage its relationships with government departments, parliamentarians and the Food Standards Agency directly.

A spokesman for Compass said: “For many years we have been closely involved with the working of the BHA. But following a review of our relationships with numerous trade associations and other external bodies, it is felt that the remit and membership of the BHA has become too diverse and removed from the areas of policy that are important to our individual business sectors.”

He added that the decision was “not taken lightly” and was part of as series of measures to manage the company’s cost base in a declining UK economy.

Last year the BHA held a meeting for budget hotel operators to discuss the issues they faced, after Travelodge had accused it of “failing to note the rise of the budget hotel sector”.

BHA chief executive Bob Cotton described Compass’ decision as disappointing but declined to comment further.


Compass Group partners with Cancer Research >>

Compass catering manager is 2009 Acorn Scholar >>

Compass Group sees full-year profits rise by nearly 30% >>

Interview with Ian El-Mokadem of Compass UK >>

Graham Turner named as new chairman of BHA's National Restaurant Group >>

Cotton named as chairman of National Skills Academy >>

The history of the BHA >>

Budget hotels welcome BHA restructure plans >>


By Chris Druce


E-mail your comments to Chris Druce here.

 

The Caterer Blog
Catch up with more news and gossip on the Caterer Blog here
Newsletters
For the latest hospitality news, sign up for our e-mail newsletters.

Recommended articles

Articles from the web

 
Profiting from 2012: Case Studies

Slash VAT, Boost business - Sign the petition now!

Latest Video

Foraging – why all the attention?

Using foraged ingredients is nothing new but the trend has become more mainstream over the past two years. However, the wider use of foraged food in restaurants also carries a certain amount of danger.

Watch here

Best of chef

Best of Chef – now available online

Best of Chef – now available online
View it now

Videos

Video: Foraging – why all the attention? Video: Bordeaux Revisited with Ronan Sayburn Claire John Campbell
Foraging:
why all the attention?
Watch the video here
Bordeaux Revisited
with Ronan Sayburn
Watch the video here
Claire Clark
masterclass
Watch the video here
Interview with John Campbell
at Coworth Park
Watch the video here