11 JANUARY 2010
Host announces £50m supply deal with Brakes
in the first of its New Year Starter for '10! initiatives
Host, the national contract catering group run by foodservice entrepreneur Jerry Brand, has kicked off 2010 by signing a £50m three-year deal with supplier Brakes for its dry, chilled and frozen foods.
Brakes will supply Host’s 75 contracted units in business & industry, healthcare and education from the end of January, as well as its in-house contract business in healthcare (a further 53 contracts) and the new 16-site, £3m turnover PGL holiday/adventure camps contract that started in November 2009.
Host has also negotiated a further deal nominating Brakes for fresh butchery, fish, greengrocery, bakery and dairy, but has introduced another supplier for fresh food giving unit managers the option to source locally based produce from supply group e-foods.
“Giving our unit managers the option of using fresh supplies from e-foods offers them an automatic cost comparison with Brakes,” commented Host managing director Jerry Brand. “It’s an unusual deal as most contractors will use several suppliers, whereas we’ve opted for just two. This means that while we’ve negotiated a favourable deal with Brakes, we have also introduced an element of competition between Brakes and e-foods on fresh produce, so our managers have the choice of buying locally or nationally and with whoever offers the best quality at the best price.
“Our counter customers are the main beneficiaries of this new purchasing policy as it means they will always get the best value and freshest local produce and regional foods on their menus. It also reduces the number of deliveries the units are receiving, so lowering our carbon footprint and food miles,” added Brand.
This is the first of several new initiatives Host will introduce in 2010, as part of its ‘Starter for ‘10’ campaign. Others will include further developments on its e-procurement system ‘g-shop’ which connects producers and growers with local operators, as well as the completion of its Caternet Club concept which offers unit managers a fully integrated internet-based catering management system for budgeting, menu management, nutritional analysis, e-procurement and subsequent reporting via a single website.
Host was established in 2004 by former Russell & Brand chief executive Jerry Brand. The company is focused on delivering a high quality of food and service with menus tailored to each site, while also developing modern methods of providing the traditional contract catering service in the current financial environment where clients need to reduce the cost of catering for their employees, pupils or students and residents in care homes.
For further information, interviews or comment please contact Linda Pettit at
Tilburstow Media Partners on 01737 823721/07973 789853 or email
linda@tilburstowmedia.co.uk.
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28 JANUARY 2010
Host adds three new contracts to its growing portfolio
Host, the independent national contract catering group run by foodservice entrepreneur Jerry Brand, has been awarded three new catering contracts, two in education and a third in business & industry.
Host has expanded its portfolio of independent school contracts with the addition of Box Hill School in Dorking, Surrey, which has 450 pupils and staff. The £450,000 contract was won from Holroyd Howe.
A second schools win sees Host take on the catering at independent Redhouse School in Stockton-on-Tees, Teeside, which has 420 pupils. As a sports-orientated school, part of Host’s remit is to improve the quality of packed lunches offered to pupils playing away matches. The £180,000 contract was taken over from Compass.
Host has also been awarded the contract to feed 400 staff at the Coventry head offices of building supply company Jewson. The contract was won from Graysons Hospitality Associates and is worth £200,000.
“We are delighted to start 2010 by gaining these three contracts. This is the beginning of an exciting year of growth for Host. We have come through the worst of the recession, strengthening the business as a result and now it’s time to move forward and expand into new regions and new areas of business,” commented managing director Jerry Brand.
Host, established in 2004, is strongly focused on environmental sustainability and delivering a high quality of food and service with menus tailored to each site. The company operates an open system of accounting giving clients access to all food spend data and an innovative procurement and management system in its web-based Caternet club, which is integrated between the supplier, client and Host. The company currently operates 75 contracts.
For further information, interviews or comment please contact Linda Pettit at
Tilburstow Media Partners on 01737 823721/07973 789853 or email
linda@tilburstowmedia.co.uk.
View, print or download a PDF of this Press Release >>
