Sales from April to June rose by 8% 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.
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.”
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.
Debra Morrell, business development controller for B&I at Bidfood, added: “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.”