A round-up of the latest news from the contract catering sector...
Autograph secures two police deals
Autograph Foodservice, the business and industry arm of Initial Catering Services, has won two new police authority contracts, taking its total in the sector to six. It has secured a four-year contract with the Suffolk Constabulary, starting in October, whereby Autograph will run staff restaurants, hospitality and vending services, as well as catering at emergencies and special operations. The contract will turn over about £450,000 a year. Autograph has also been awarded a three-year stretch with Tayside Police, where it will run a restaurant for 600 staff as well as on-site vending. The contractor will also supply catering services to prisoners and Tayside magistrates court. The whole deal will have an annual turnover of some £165,000 a year.
Restaurant Associates in Baltic exchange
Restaurant Associates, the fine-dining division of Compass Group, has won a six-year contract to run the café-bar and riverside restaurant at Baltic, the contemporary arts centre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The contract is expected to turn over £9m over its six-year duration and will start in late September. Local company McCoy's, which still manages the Baltic's top-floor restaurant, previously ran the whole catering operation.
SSP battles on through power cuts
Select Service Partner (SSP), the travel catering arm of Compass, says it broke several sales records during the recent power cuts in North America. At Lester B Pearson airport in Toronto, Canada, SSP beat its previous daily sales record by 65%. And at New York's Newark International airport sales records were also smashed at its Caffe Ritazza outlet, where all the food and drink ran out.