Sales from April to June rose by 8.0% year-on-year, continuing a long run of growth in every quarter since mid-2021, when caterers started to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. After 9.5% growth in the first quarter of the year, it completes a very strong first half of 2025 in which contract caterers have outperformed most other sectors of hospitality.
The latest figure takes groups’ MAT growth—for sales over the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months, including new contracts—to 7.9%.
Businesses also continued their sharp upward movement in outlet numbers over the quarter, the Contract Catering Tracker shows. Units increased by 9.3% and now stand well above pre-COVID levels.
The Contract Catering Tracker from CGA, Bidfood and UKHospitality aggregates sales from leading operators to provide quarterly reports with year-on-year analysis. It offers businesses a valuable benchmarking tool to measure performance across various metrics and market groupings, and participants in the Tracker receive additional analysis in return for their contributions.
Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “Contract catering has staged an outstanding comeback from the widespread closures of COVID, and near-double digit growth in both sales and outlets is testament to its resilience and innovation. It is even more impressive in the context of challenging and high-cost trading conditions that have sapped the confidence of businesses and consumers alike. Inflationary pressures are unlikely to ease soon, but caterers are likely to continue to be among the standout performers of the sector for the rest of 2025 and beyond.”
Debra Morrell, business development controller for B&I at Bidfood, said: “Against a backdrop of economic and market conditions that are not conducive to growth right now, this quarter’s strong results are particularly welcome. Encouragingly, the past couple of months have shown strong signs of recovery, supported by an increase in the number of sites and stronger activity in the private sector. This resilience and adaptability are reassuring. However, with further inflation likely, consumer confidence still fragile, and the Autumn Budget approaching, it will be vital for operators to continue demonstrating that they can offer value compared with the high street.”
Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “Contract caterers continue to perform strongly and this quarter’s excellent growth in both sales and outlet numbers is clear proof of the demand for the high-quality service the sector provides.
“These impressive numbers are important as costs continue to bite, and I know that contract caterers are continuing to feel the impact of increased costs.
“It’s critical we see action from the Government to reduce costs at the Budget this autumn to support contract caterers and stop the sector being taxed out.”
CGA by NIQ’s partners on the Contract Catering Tracker include: ABM Catering, Artizian Catering Services, Bartlett Mitchell, BaxterStorey, Blue Apple, CH&CO, Compass UK, Elior UK, Harrison Catering Services, Olive Catering and Sodexo UK.
Companies participating in the Tracker receive a trading breakdown that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends. To join the cohort, contact Nik Xypolitos at nik.xypolitos@nielseniq.com.
About Bidfood:
As one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, we share our customers’ passion for great food.
But our passion doesn’t stop there. We are also 100% dedicated to delivering service excellence to help our customers succeed and grow.
- Our 13,000 strong product range includes the best of both own brand and leading foodservice brands.
- Our 24 depots operating right across the UK allow us to offer a truly unique local service – and the majority of our depot teams are no more than 80 miles away from their customers.
- We offer a comprehensive range of over 250 carefully selected wines, as well as beers, ciders and spirits.
- We don’t stop at just food and drink. We also provide a range of quality catering equipment, from cutlery to cookware, cleaning and disposables.
For more information, visit Bidfood.co.uk.
