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Britain’s leading contract caterers show year-on-year increase of 9.5 per cent sales in the first three months of 2025, according to the new Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality.
This means that caterers’ sales have now risen in every quarter since mid-2021, when venues were reopening after COVID-19 restrictions. It builds on growth of between 7 per cent and 12 per cent in each of the four quarters of 2024.
The latest figure takes groups’ MAT growth—for sales over the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months, including new contracts—to 7.7 per cent, well above the UK’s level of inflation in that period.
The first quarter of 2025 also extended a steady increase in the number of venues managed by contract caterers, which rose by 2.8 per cent in the year to end-March.
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 been a standout performer in the out-of-home food and drink sector ever since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their momentum has continued into 2025. Above-inflation growth and an upward trajectory in the client base are particularly impressive given a tough economic environment in which business and consumer confidence are fragile. While cost pressures remain high, we can be confident about further real-terms growth over the rest of the year.”
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Contract caterers are once again delivering strong growth, both in terms of their sales and the number of venues they manage.
“This is very positive news for the sector and shows the strong demand for the high-quality food and service that our caterers deliver.
“Of course, these figures are before the significant cost increases that hit the sector in April. I hope the resilience the sector has shown over the past four years persists, in face of these challenging circumstances.”
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