The World's Largest Caterer

As the world’s largest contract caterer, Compass Group has more than 500,000 employees who serve five billion meals a year, in around 50,000 locations, across 50 countries! Based at Compass House in Chertsey, Surrey, the global organisation is a market-leader in contract catering, cleaning and property management.

It serves meals in locations such as offices, factories, hospitals, schools, universities, sporting venues, mining camps, cultural venues, offshore oil platforms and correctional facilities.

The company was originally founded in 1941 by Jack Bateman - it was then called Factory Canteens Limited. Later, it became known as Bateman Catering. The company was acquired by Grand Metropolitan in 1967, along with Midland Catering in 1968. In 1987, a management buy-out from Grand Metropolitan led to the Compass Group being formed.

In 2000, Compass Group's subsidiary, ESS, became the UN-registered food vendor, with contracts to supply UN peace-keepers in Liberia, Sudan, Eritrea, East Timor, Burundi, Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria. Initially, Compass Group also owned roadside and travel catering businesses, but these were sold for £1.82 billion in April 2006 - including the sale of 43 Moto motorway service stations to Macquarie Bank for £600 million.

Compass Group is an ethical and environmentally-aware company. It prides itself on providing goods in a cost-effective and timely manner, while avoiding any unscrupulous practices that may have a negative impact on people working in the supply chain, the environment, or farm animals.

The company's aim is to use its buying power as a force for good in the world and it takes great care to ensure its suppliers have the same ethical approach, acting responsibly and humanely towards everyone involved in the supply chain, the local community and livestock.

Compass Group works in partnership with its suppliers to make sure only the best ingredients are used in its meals. It gives the workforce the appropriate tools to carry out their duties, with high quality meals and service excellence being paramount.

The company practices sustainable sourcing in categories such as beef, milk, fish, sugar, palm oil and coffee and also for non-food items, including uniforms and paper. It aims to use cage-free hens to supply 100% of its eggs by 2025 and 100% ethically-sourced coffee, tea and hot chocolate by 2020.

Earlier this year, Compass Group published a human rights action plan, aimed at addressing the risks of what it described as "modern slavery" in its supply chain. An ongoing audit of all of its sites described as "high risk" is on track to be completed by the end of next year.

It is also monitoring and mapping its soy supply chain by collaborating with the industry and non-government organisations, while using only source-certified, sustainable palm oil. The bananas it buys are 100% ethically sourced and the sugar is 100% British or Fairtrade.

In the supply of livestock, Compass Group partners with experts to continually refresh its sourcing standards for poultry and pork. It buys British milk from Red Tractor-assured farms and supports British and Irish dairy farmers. It avoids endangered species of fish, buys an increasing amount of certified fish and uses only pole and line-caught tuna for its packaged sandwiches - a method that supports small communities and means less other species are caught by accident.

In terms of non-food products, it makes sure all paper used in its offices is certified sustainable and uses the not-for-profit organisation Sedex to ensure its uniform suppliers have ethical and responsible labour practices.

The company says that by providing delicious and nutritious meals, it aims to offer people moments of pleasure and energy to enjoy their day. It also provides services to keep workplaces clean, safe and well-run.

Where quality products and unprecedented customer service come as standard, Solent Plastics provides a large range of premium food grade storage products that are ideal for use in the catering industry. Please don't hesitate to contact us for further details.