Compass Group UK & Ireland is celebrating after winning five awards at the prestigious Foodservice Cateys.
Now in its 14th year, The Caterer’s premier foodservice awards recognise the outstanding individuals, teams and businesses shaping the industry. Winning or being shortlisted for a Foodservice Catey is regarded as one of the industry's highest accolades, celebrating organisations and individuals that are setting new standards in areas such as food quality, customer experience, sustainability, people development and operational excellence.
The winners were announced at a black-tie awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London on 9th October, in front of more than 500 industry leaders.
Compass winners were:
Chartwells Universities and University of Sussex - CSER Award
Chartwells Universities took home the CSER Award for its outstanding sustainability work at the University of Sussex. Operating as Sussex Uni Food, the team was acknowledged for increasing plant-based meals, reducing food waste and redistributing surplus food through charities such as Too Good to Go and Olio. Plus, introducing a returnable cup scheme, which has prevented 65,924 disposable cups from being used since September 2024.
Judge, Johnny Whitfield said: “A very impressive entry with strong supporting evidence.”
Mark Lawrence, Chartwells Universities - General Manager of the Year
In his role as contracts director for Sussex Uni Food, Mark Lawrence has overseen an enviably resilient performance across the University of Sussex’s food offering. Under his leadership, the university's flagship restaurant, Eat Central, has seen a 40% rise in sales.
Mark oversaw the launch of the Sussex Saver, a plant-based meal deal, and Bamboo, an Asian street food concept. He also introduced a digital wallet platform allowing parents and guardians to contribute to student meal accounts, and a Student Takeover initiative inviting students to share recipes from home for chefs to recreate on campus. In addition, Eat Central has been awarded a 90% score by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Judge, Julia Edmonds said: "Mark is setting the benchmark in the university sector with innovation around student experience and community delivery. He has driven commercial success despite challenges."
Foodbuy Group - Innovation Award
Leanne Turk is head of culinary development at Foodbuy Group, which sources, manages and supplies food and drink to more than 150 NHS trusts. In her role she has made an outstanding contribution to improving children’s food and dining experiences in hospital. The team worked with Sophie's Legacy, a charity dedicated to improving the experiences of children and families in hospital, to develop a collection of nutritious dishes and snacks designed specifically for young patients.
Following the initiative, hospitals reported increased food uptake, plate waste reductions of up to 50%, and fewer children progressing to tube feeding. Training has been delivered to more than 500 NHS chefs across England through the NHS Chefs Academy, and the project informed the charity's recipe book, More Please, which is now used in more than 150 hospitals across England.
Judge, Chris Stern said: "This entry really stood out as not only exemplifying true innovation, but also for doing real good. Its scope and scalability really impresses and still the movement is growing. An inspirational entry and a worthy winner.”
One Retail - Retail and Leisure Caterer of the Year
Operating across more than 700 sites with 2,500 colleagues in the UK, One Retail took home the Retail and Leisure Caterer Award. The group, which counts M&S, the Co-op and Costa Coffee among its high street partners, was tasked with bolstering the café proposition at supermarket chain Asda.
The team launched more than 209 cafés across Asda's store estate in just five months, as part of 50 projects over the past 18 months, of which 14 have been new business wins including Grind, Taco Bell, Sainsbury's and Costa. A good example of success was its partnership with Sainsbury's, which has driven a 15% uplift in average transaction value and a 10% uplift in customer conversion, while a partnership with Winchester Hospital introduced Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, enabling 24/7 retail capability for the first time within the site.
Bonnie Taylor, Restaurant Associates - Salesperson of the Year
Since joining Restaurant Associates eight years ago, Bonnie has progressed from the sales team at Imperial War Museum Duxford to business development director, securing the company's largest-ever new business win in RHS Garden Wisley in Woking, now the portfolio's largest venue.
Her dedication to understanding the client's operations, visitor experience and strategic ambitions was instrumental in securing the win, and her involvement in the operational strategy team gives her a role in shaping innovation and contributing to the wider direction of the business. She is an advocate for Compass’ NextGen Sales Academy, having graduated from the academy herself in 2023, and is an active member of the Compass Ability Network, which champions disability inclusion and awareness.
Judge, Natalie Mainwaring said: "She shows an extra-mile attitude at every turn. Highly creative and committed. A phenomenal year and a well-deserved winner."
The full list of winners can be found here: Foodservice Cateys 2025 winners revealed - News