Palmer & Howells

What Palmer & Howells does

Palmer & Howells Ltd is a UK-based contract caterer founded in 1998 and headquartered in Worcester, with a second office in Knaresborough. The company's primary business is the provision of fully managed catering services to approximately 20 independent day and boarding schools across the United Kingdom, serving over 9,000 meals per day across school sizes ranging from 80 to 1,200 pupils. Its service offering spans menu design, food procurement, allergen and nutritional analysis, compliance auditing, hospitality for events, and recruitment support, with bespoke per-contract solutions rather than standardised offerings. The company also operates a Workplace by P&H sub-brand for corporate catering, including its Refuel Kitchen dining concept, following a 2024 expansion into the Business & Industry sector that secured a contract serving a global technology company's European headquarters.

The company's product surface has expanded beyond core catering services. In January 2024 it launched Fuelling Potential, an educational platform providing personalised seminars, workshops and bespoke recipe development in sports nutrition, performance and female health. In September 2024, alongside the B&I expansion, it introduced the Refuel Kitchen workplace dining concept, an all-in-one digital catering operations platform, and a digital loyalty app featuring click & collect, online ordering and loyalty points. The technology stack also includes an AI-powered food waste measuring system and a climate impact calculation system designed to support sustainability reporting. Palmer & Howells maintains partnerships with NSF International (food safety auditing), the Marine Conservation Society (sustainable seafood sourcing), WRAP (plastic reduction), Olleco (used cooking oil recycling) and ZeroSmart (reforestation).

Palmer & Howells generates revenue primarily through managed catering service contracts. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, with contract values typically in excess of £1 million per site (e.g., The Oratory Prep School). Distribution is via direct sales teams engaging school administrators, bursars and governors for the education segment, and HR, facilities and executive leadership for corporate clients. The company is privately owned, has not raised external funding, and operates two physical offices (Midlands and North) to service its UK customer base, with one corporate contract extending service to a European headquarters.

Name

Palmer & Howells

Legal name

Palmer & Howells Ltd

Website

https://palmerhowells.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Palmer & Howells is a UK-based independent contract caterer founded in 1998, providing bespoke managed catering services to around 20 independent schools (9,000+ meals daily) and, since 2024, corporate clients through its Workplace by P&H brand and Refuel Kitchen concept.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Catering Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231), Food Service Contractors (722310), Caterers (72232)

akta.pro primary industry

Contract Foodservice Management (Outsourced Catering) (THAFAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Office Catering (THAFAIAA), Corporate Catering & Office Food Programs (HSACAGAC), Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)

Keywords

• Contract catering services
• Independent school catering
• Workplace dining services
• Nutritional food programs
• Hospitality catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Contract Catering Services: Palmer & Howells generates revenue through managed catering service contracts with independent schools, boarding schools, universities, and corporate clients. The company provides fully managed catering services including menu design, food preparation, hospitality services, and nutritional programs. Revenue is generated through contract fees based on the scale of services provided and number of meals served.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Palmer & Howells is a specialist contract caterer that provides fully managed catering services—including menu design, food preparation, hospitality, and nutritional programs—to independent day and boarding schools, universities, and corporate workplace clients across the UK.

Product overview

Palmer & Howells operates primarily as an independent school caterer founded in 1998, providing bespoke catering services for approximately 20 independent day and boarding schools across the UK. The company has recently expanded into the Business & Industry (B&I) sector under the Workplace by P&H brand, featuring the Refuel Kitchen dining concept. Its product portfolio includes the Fuelling Potential educational platform for nutrition and wellbeing, an all-in-one digital operations platform, and a digital loyalty app with click & collect and online ordering capabilities. Supporting services include food procurement, menu design, compliance auditing, and recruitment support through their In House Services offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Workplace by P&H: The company's workplace catering division serving staff restaurants, cafes and hospitality for business and industry clients, featuring the Refuel Kitchen concept.

Products and services

• Refuel Kitchen A workplace dining concept that transforms workplace catering into an experience providing balanced, innovative and sustainable meals designed to enhance employee wellbeing and productivity for business and industry clients.
• Fuelling Potential A nutrition and wellbeing education platform providing personalised seminars, workshops and bespoke recipe development covering sports nutrition, performance and female health to help children and adults reach their full potential mentally and physically.
• In House Services Comprehensive catering support services including food procurement, menu design with allergen and nutritional analysis, compliance auditing, and recruitment support for independent schools that manage catering in house.
• Workplace by P&H A workplace catering brand offering hospitality services for businesses, featuring cafe concepts, grazing menus, and quality coffee for corporate environments including staff restaurants and cafes.
• Digital Loyalty App A mobile app offering click & collect, online ordering, and loyalty point collection for workplace dining customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 9000+ meals per day
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ZeroSmartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024ZeroSmart is a social enterprise dedicated to reducing carbon footprints through native tree planting and climate solutions. Palmer & Howells partnered with ZeroSmart to purchase and plant 107 trees, offsetting 33 tonnes of CO2E. Trees are planted using sustainable practices and monitored by locals receiving fair wages.
• NSF InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationNSF International is a global independent organisation providing certification, auditing and risk management services to the food supply network. They independently audit Palmer & Howells' procurement activities and suppliers, examining cultivation, processing, storage, and delivery to ensure food safety and environmental protection.
• Marine Conservation SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalmer & Howells works closely with the Marine Conservation Society and has removed all seafood products rated as 5 by their rating mechanism. They are working towards removing all rated 4 species, actively seeking more sustainable sources for all seafood.
• OllecominorOthersOlleco collects Used Cooking Oil (UCO) from Palmer & Howells' kitchens across the UK and recycles it to produce biodiesel.
• Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalmer & Howells is working in partnership with WRAP as part of their plan to reduce plastic use across the business by 20%.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aramark UK: Global contract catering incumbent operating in UK education and workplace foodservice; Palmer & Howells' operations director previously worked here.
• Sodexo: Global foodservice and facilities management giant competing in UK education and B&I catering, though far larger and more diversified than Palmer & Howells.
• Elior UK: Major UK contract caterer across education and B&I sectors, competing for the same institutional catering contracts as Palmer & Howells.
• Chartwells (Compass Group): Compass Group's education catering brand and one of the largest school caterers in the UK, an incumbent competitor in Palmer & Howells' core market.
• BaxterStorey: Large independent UK workplace/B&I caterer that Palmer & Howells will directly compete against as it expands into corporate catering.

Direct peers

• Vacherin: London-based independent workplace/B&I contract caterer emphasizing quality food and wellbeing, comparable to Palmer & Howells' Workplace by P&H offering.
• CH&CO: UK contract catering group with a strong independent schools and B&I business; Palmer & Howells' National Director of Operations previously worked here, and it competes for the same contracts.
• Pabulum Catering: UK contract caterer focused on schools and nurseries with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal food, closely matching Palmer & Howells' education focus.
• Holroyd Howe: Independent contract caterer specializing in independent schools and colleges across the UK, directly overlapping with Palmer & Howells' core education catering niche.
• Thomas Franks: UK independent contract caterer serving schools and B&I clients with a fresh-food, bespoke positioning very similar to Palmer & Howells.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palmer-howells/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/palmer.howells
• Xx.com/HowellsPalmer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Palmer & Howells