THE CHALLENGE

Food safety challenges in contract catering

Every contract has its own client, site and rules. As you grow, keeping control gets harder.
Multi-site consistency

Multi-site consistency

Keeping one standard across contracts and teams.

Team support

People & competence

New and changing teams create gaps.

Inconsistent standards

Allergens & supply chain

Varied menus need clear controls.

Changing rules

New contracts

Different client expectations create gaps.

Consistent standards

Data & visibility

Hard to track actions across sites.

Inconsistent standards

Changing rules

 Meeting the law, EHO visits and client standards everywhere.

Incident pressure

Incident pressure

Allergen or food safety incidents need a fast response.

Action and improvement

Action & improvement

Fixes stall without clear owners and follow-up.

HOW WE HELP

Support for the whole contract

From taking on a new contract to day-to-day checks, training and incident support.

Our audit process from assessment to action
OUR APPROACH

A structured and collaborative approach

We work alongside your teams from understanding the contract and client requirements through to ongoing assurance, improvement and technical support.
1
Understand
Understand your operation, client requirements, risks and objectives.
2
Assess
Review standards, controls and performance across the operation.
3
Advise
Prioritise findings and agree clear, practical actions.
4
Support & Improve
Track progress, strengthen controls and support continual improvement.
 Chef completing a kitchen checklist
AUDIT & ASSURANCE

Independent audits across all your sites

Gain an objective view of performance across sites, contracts and programmes. ESB can provide food safety, health & safety, combined, supplier and specialist assurance activity around your standards and operating environment.
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Client and programme-specific audit frameworks
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Food Safety, Health & Safety and combined assurance
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Calibration and quality assurance of outputs
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Verification, revisits and corrective-action follow-up
TRAINING & COMPETENCE

Training where it's needed most

Use audit findings, recurring trends and operational priorities to focus development where teams need it most. Training can be tailored around roles, client requirements and the realities of each catering environment.
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Role-specific and client-specific training
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On-site, remote and blended delivery
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Development informed by audit trends and gaps
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Support for managers and operational teams
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Food factory staff reviewing inspection paperwork
SUPPLIER ASSURANCE

Confidence in your suppliers

Gain clearer oversight of supplier standards, due diligence and emerging risk. ESB can support supplier assessment, traceability, documentation review and ongoing assurance around agreed requirements.
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Supplier audits and due-diligence reviews
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Traceability and documentation checks
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Risk-based supplier monitoring
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Clear findings and improvement actions
DATA, REPORTING & VISIBILITY

Help when something goes wrong

For a multi-site catering operation, the value lies in seeing the wider picture. Bring together audit performance, corrective actions and recurring findings to understand where standards vary, where risk is emerging and where attention is needed.
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Compare performance across contracts and sites
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Track corrective actions and outstanding priorities
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Identify recurring findings and emerging trends
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Demonstrate improvement over time
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INCIDENT & INVESTIGATION SUPPORT

Expert advice beyond the audit

Where additional assurance is required, ESB can provide follow-up reviews, verification activity and site revisits to confirm that corrective actions have been implemented effectively and improvements are being sustained.
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Food safety and allergen incident support
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Investigation and evidence review
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EHO and regulatory intervention support
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Client communications and follow-up assurance
CONSULTANCY & TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Technical expertise beyond the audit

Where issues require more than assurance, ESB can work alongside your technical and operational teams to strengthen systems, controls and documentation around the way your contracts actually operate.
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FSMS and HACCP development
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Policies, procedures and SOPs
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Risk assessments and technical reviews
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Ongoing technical advice and improvement support
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NEW CONTRACTS

Start new contracts on the right foot

Mobilisation is one of the highest-risk stages of a catering contract. ESB can help identify gaps, establish expectations and provide assurance as new teams, systems and standards are introduced.
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Pre-mobilisation gap analysis
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New contract and site readiness reviews
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Policy and system implementation support
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Follow-up assurance after go-live
THE ESB STANDARDS

More than just compliance

Our approach is built around independence, technical expertise and long-term client relationships, helping organisations strengthen standards while keeping solutions relevant to real operating environments.

Independent
Independent

Objective assurance and trusted advice.

Client focused
Client focused

Support built around your operation and requirements.

Team support
Expert

Experienced technical and sector specialists.

Accountable
Accountable

Clear ownership, responsive support & dependable delivery.

MOBILISATION & CHANGE

Why contract caterers choose ESB

We work alongside your internal teams as an independent assurance partner, bringing additional expertise, consistency and visibility across complex catering operations.
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Independent & objective assurance
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Contract catering expertise
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Consistency across multiple sites
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Practical, actionable guidance
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Data and trend visibility
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Ongoing support alongside your team
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Talk to a contract catering specialist

Whether it's consistency across sites, a new contract or a specific problem, we can help.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your questions, answered

Find out how ESB can work with your teams, support international operations and shape assurance around your organisation.

Can you audit against our clients' own standards?

Yes, we audit against the law, your own standards and each client's requirements.

Can you help when we take on a new contract?

Yes, we support new contracts from the start, as well as day-to-day checks, training and incident support.

Do you check allergen controls?

Yes, our audits can cover allergen controls, labelling and staff knowledge.

Can audit programmes be tailored to our own standards?

 We can work with you to develop a programme that reflects your internal standards, operational priorities and applicable requirements. The scope and reporting approach are agreed at the outset so your teams understand what is being assessed.

How quickly can you support us during an incident?

Contact our team to discuss the incident, its location and the support required. We’ll confirm availability and the appropriate response arrangements. Where an incident support agreement is in place, the response will follow its agreed terms.

How do you maintain independence and consistency across an audit programme?

Our assessments are based on evidence and agreed criteria, giving clients an objective view of performance. Consistency comes from a clearly defined scope, assessment approach and reporting requirements across the programme. We can explain the arrangements relevant to your organisation before work begins.