The Metropolitan Police (Met) has recruited the former head of global contracts at Compass Group to head up its catering operation following the retirement of Peter Pierce after 30 years of service, Caterersearch has learnt.
Caroline Mortimer, who has also previously worked as head of catering for department store group John Lewis, takes charge of an organisation that feeds 56,000 police and other Met staff daily.
The Met’s catering operation looks after 93 local borough sites (three more are currently contracted out), as well as a social club and Hendon police college in North-west London.
The Met catering organisation is also the biggest supplier of security cleared catering staff in London.
One industry source familiar with the set-up suggested Mortimer’s appointment could well be with an eye to exploiting the commercial opportunities presented by the 2012 London Olympics.
The Olympics will require both a massive feeding operation for the extra police and security services drafted in during the event and will see a demand for security cleared staff and training, which the Met catering team could be ideally placed to provide or advise on.
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By Chris Druce
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