Caterers attack consultants who don't stick to the code

Contract caterers have condemned some consultants for failing to operate under a code of practice.

Speaking at an open debate organised by the European Catering Association and the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) at last week's Hotelympia exhibition in London, caterers including Charlton House chief executive Robyn Jones, and Simon Titchener, Aramark's managing director London, criticised those consultants who didn't operate to the FCSI's code of conduct.

Panellist Chris Stern, of Stern Consultancy, defended those consultants who abided by the code, but admitted that there were some "bad guys".

"Some consultants claim to have their own code of conduct, but it's nothing like the FCSI's," Stern said.

The panel also targeted consultants that operated on a "winner pays all" basis, by which the company that wins a contract pays the consultant's fee. They classed this way of administering tenders as unethical and open to abuse, and urged all caterers to refuse to enter into tenders where this happened.

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association and the debate's chairman, said: "We want all three parties [caterer, consultant and client] involved in a tender to work together to create long-term contracts. The constant churning of contracts is not helpful and those that change every three years are very rarely profitable.

"We want improved performance for the consumer - it has always been the client that has been happy, but ultimately it is the paying customer that is more important."

However, Cotton added that "consumer power" was growing and becoming more important in influencing clients' decisions on contracts. He also believed that consultants would become more involved in monitoring the effectiveness of contracts.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 4 - 10 March 2004