Missing Ingredients sales rise by 650% in one year
Missing Ingredients, the Crown Group's business and industry caterer, has reported a sixfold increase in sales and a big jump in contracts since April 2003, when managing director Sean Valentine took the reins.
The company now has a total of 10 contracts, compared with two in April last year. Its new contracts have boosted annual sales from £200,000 to £1.5m. The new business includes a staff feeding contract for 1,200 at London department store Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, previously held by Sodexho, and a hospitality deal for 200 employees at the store's head office on the Brompton Road.
Missing Ingredients also has a group deal with the serviced office company, Regus, to provide staff feeding at four sites in the Home Counties and corporate hospitality at 20 sites in London. Eurest previously held the contract.
Valentine bought a stake in the company in April last year after resigning from Sodexho Prestige. "I wanted to run a company but didn't want all the risk involved of setting up alone and getting investment from banks or venture capitalists," he said. "The Crown model was the best fit for me, because I'm able to draw on the expertise and resources of a plethora of different organisations."
Crown Group is made up of 10 companies, including Crown Venue Catering and Midsummer House, its one-Michelin-starred Cambridge restaurant.