Recipe for success: How an independent workplace catering businesses achieved transformational growth

Times have changed in the world of workplace catering and cleaning and, when I joined Midshire Signature Services as managing director in 2016, it was under the previous owners who brought me in to manage the sale of the business.

Instead, my husband and I decided to buy it. Over the last decade we have transformed and modernised the business but stayed true to our core values.

Being independent and family-owned has been the foundation of our success which has seen our turnover double to £12.5m, and our workforce grow by 60%. We now employ 350 people across 65 sites, including workplaces – manufacturing, logistics, utilities, pharmaceuticals, and corporate head offices – as well as schools, colleges, and extra care housing.

In practice, being an independent and family-owned business means we have the ability to adapt quickly. Every catering solution we offer is bespoke and site-specific, whether a business needs full-service catering or a hybrid setup, we build it around what actually works for them.

Fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced food made on site by our own skilled chefs remains our priority, with innovation and sustainability baked into how we operate. Our whole ethos is based on being small enough to care, but big enough to feed thousands of people every day, and our team remains dedicated to these values too. They are passionate about food and good service, and they really believe in what we do.

Modernisation

Technology investment has been central to our growth strategy and we have modernised our procurement systems, which now deliver complete traceability from farm to fork, along with full allergen information for every dish. We have also introduced pre-ordering apps, unmanned food service areas, and temperature-controlled lockers in workplace settings where this technology suits its workforce.

Sustainability is also a huge focus for us, and we now have systems in place which display the carbon and CO₂ content of individual dishes, helping our clients and their employees to make sustainable food choices. In additions, the data we gather across our 65 sites on hybrid working patterns has enabled us to plan our offer more intelligently and run more efficient workplace catering operations. This is the kind of insight-driven, site-specific service a large, standardised operator cannot offer.

Challenges

Our journey hasn’t been without its challenges. The pandemic resulted in a £3m drop in turnover and the loss of eight workplace sites. We have also had to face regulatory changes, such as Natasha’s Law on allergen labelling, as well as rising food inflation, and school funding pressures for the schools we work with. By adopting new technology and using this insight to understand the changing nature of our industry and drive our growth, we have been able to overcome these challenges.

Our vision

Success for us has been understanding risk versus opportunity and innovation versus commerciality. We do the basics brilliantly and build services and relationships that last. I genuinely believe that by being a truly independent business with a family-led ethos, and having a flat organisational structure with hands-on leadership, it gives us the ability to deliver a high-quality, bespoke service and develop tailor-made solutions for each of our clients.

How we can help

Midshire Signature Services specialises in workplace catering and cleaning for Business & Industry sectors, education, and extra care housing across the North West, Wales, and Yorkshire. If you’d like to find out more about working with Midshire Signature Services, get in touch with us today, follow us on LinkedIn, or call 0151 319 4606.