A round-up of the latest news from the contract catering sector...
Ladbrokes bets on Yes Dining
Yes Dining has won two new contracts. At Ladbrokes in west London, it will manage a seven-day operation for the 400 employees on site. The three-year contract, which will turn over £250,000 a year, was previously run by Sodexho. In Watford, Hertfordshire, the contractor is catering for 150 employees at telecommunications firm Gridcom, with an annual turnover of about £150,000. That contract is also for three years.
Local food for local people
Eurest Business caterer Eurest, part of the Compass Group, is introducing a series of Welsh-themed menus at the National Assembly for Wales building in Cardiff. The recently won contract is likely to turn over £3.5m over five years. Eurest worked with TV chef Dudley Newbery to develop the menus.
O'Briens expansion continues
Compass subsidiary Select Service Partner (SSP) has opened its latest O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bar, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 Departures. The launch is part of a five-year strategy to open 50 outlets in transport hubs throughout the UK and Ireland. The Heathrow bar brings the number of O'Briens outlets across the UK and Ireland to 120. Worldwide, there are more than 230 stores.
Fairtrade status for Oxford Brookes
Compass Group's education division, Scolarest, has helped Oxford Brookes University, where it provides catering and hospitality services, to become the world's first university to achieve Fairtrade status. The award from the Fairtrade Foundation recognises the university's efforts to raise awareness of Fairtrade, which aims to get a good deal for third-world producers. Scolarest sells Fairtrade products, including chocolate bars and hot drinks, in all of its food and drink outlets across the three campuses at Oxford Brookes.