Catering Services International

What Catering Services International does

Catering Services International (CSI) is a UK-based hospitality and catering recruitment agency operating as a division of Grafters Group Ltd, headquartered in Bath. Founded circa 1989/1992, the company has run for over 30 years as an entirely self-funded specialist with an Employee Owned Trust structure, employing ex-industry consultants across 10 branch offices (Bath, Swindon, Southampton, Reading, Oxford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Coventry), a National Division covering under-served UK cities, and an International Division placing candidates into Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean. Service revenue is generated through four streams: permanent placement fees under a 'no placement, no fee' policy with a 2-week full refund and 10-week scaled rebate; Flexi-Worker temporary staffing with margin on hourly bill rates; temp-to-perm conversion options including a discounted fee and a 14-week payroll-hold path; and the SuperChef programme, under which CSI directly employs permanent relief chefs on guaranteed salaries deployed across client venues.

The firm's technology footprint is intentionally low — a website-based job board listing thousands of live vacancies and a candidate database — with no proprietary AI, APIs or platform integrations disclosed. Distribution is hybrid: 10 physical branches plus the National and International divisions handle enterprise and mid-market employers, while the job board and Jobmail newsletter drive SMB and candidate acquisition. Customer segments span hotels, restaurants, gastro pubs, contract caterers, care homes, hospitals, schools, sports venues, events and travel/leisure operators, with 5,000+ establishments reportedly relying on CSI. Sub-brands (CSI Vantage for budget recruitment, SuperChef for managed relief, Travel & Seasonal for ski/cruise/yachts) extend the offering. Competitive differentiators emphasised in company materials are specialist focus, salaried consultants, the SuperChef supply pool, refund/retention guarantees and a mystery-dining candidate screening service.

Name

Catering Services International

Legal name

Grafters Group Limited

Website

https://cateringinternational.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catering Services International is a UK-based hospitality recruitment specialist (founded 1989/1992) operating 10 branch offices plus National and International divisions, supplying temporary, permanent and managed-relief chefs and hospitality staff to 5,000+ establishments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Fees: Fees charged to clients upon successful permanent placement of candidates. The company operates a 'No placement - no fee' policy with a scaled refund policy offering 100% refund during a 2-week trial period and percentage rebates over a 10-week period.
2. Temporary Staffing Margins: Margin earned on hourly rates charged to clients for temporary hospitality staff supplied through the Flexi-Worker program. Flexi-workers are paid weekly with holiday pay accrual and pension contributions managed by CSI.
3. Temp to Perm Transfer Fees: Three options for converting temporary workers to permanent employees: standard placement with trial period, 20% discounted fee with no refunds, or 14-week payroll holding option before client takes over payroll.
4. SuperChef Program: Permanent employed chefs on guaranteed salaries working across multiple venues, providing consistent supply of relief chefs to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Catering Services International is a specialist hospitality and catering recruitment agency supplying experienced chefs, waiting staff, housekeepers, managers, and other hospitality professionals to employers across the UK and internationally. The agency offers temporary (Flexi-Worker), permanent, contract, and seasonal placements, supported by a SuperChef relief team and an international head-hunting division.

Product overview

Catering Services International is a hospitality recruitment specialist operating as a division of Grafters Group Ltd, with over 30 years of experience supplying experienced chefs and hospitality staff across the UK through 10 branch offices. The company's portfolio centers on its core recruitment services for temporary, permanent, and contract placements, supported by specialized divisions including the Superchef team (permanent relief chefs with guaranteed salary and signing bonuses), CSI Vantage (budget-friendly recruitment), International Recruitment (global head-hunting), and Travel/Seasonal Recruitment (ski resorts, cruise ships, yachts). Key service differentiators include the Scaled Refund Policy (100% refund within trial period), Retention Guarantee, and unique Dine Out on Us mystery dining screening service. The company also offers temp-to-perm transfer options and DBS check assistance for sectors requiring vulnerable people checks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Superchef: An elite team of professional chefs employed on a permanent basis providing consistent staffing supply to clients.
• CSI Vantage

Products and services

• Core Hospitality Recruitment Services Specialist recruitment agency providing temporary, permanent, and contract staffing solutions for chefs and hospitality professionals across the UK and internationally.
• SuperChef Relief Team A team of permanent, full-time relief chefs on guaranteed salaries providing consistent supply of qualified chefs to hotels, restaurants, pubs, event catering, contract catering, care homes and education sectors. Includes £1000 signing bonus and overtime pay.
• CSI Vantage Budget-friendly recruitment division offering simplified and cost-effective staffing solutions for hospitality clients operating with tighter recruitment budgets.
• International Recruitment Division Global executive recruitment service with head-hunting capabilities, placing hospitality professionals in countries including France, Switzerland, Austria, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, China, Russia, and the Caribbean.
• Travel and Seasonal Recruitment Specialist recruitment for ski companies, holiday resorts, attractions, theme parks, cruise ships, sailing clubs, and private yachts requiring seasonal and temporary hospitality staffing.
• Flexi-Worker Temporary Staffing Flexible temporary work platform allowing candidates to choose when they work, with weekly pay, holiday accrual, and pension scheme. CSI supplies these flexi-workers to clients at hourly margins.
• Temp to Perm Transfer Service Service offering three options for converting temporary workers to permanent employees: standard placement with trial period, 20% discounted fee with no refunds, or 14-week payroll holding option before client takes over payroll.
• International Catering Executive Recruitment Fast-track worldwide executive post placement with head-hunting facilities, utilizing industry periodicals, internet, and branch network for confidential advertising and candidate sourcing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5000+ establishments rely on CSI for their chef recruitment requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grafters Group LtdcoreOthersCatering Services International is a division of Grafters Group Ltd. The parent company is the registered Data Controller for personal data under GDPR. Registered address is Kingston House, Pierrepont Street, Bath, BA1 1LA. Company Reg number 3180316.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Michael Page Hospitality: Global professional recruiter with UK hospitality division placing chefs, hotel managers, and F&B professionals. Comparable target roles and employer base, but operates as a generalist across multiple professional sectors.
• Hays: Global recruitment firm with dedicated hospitality and catering practice. Significant scale advantage and broader sector coverage, but CSI's exclusive focus on hospitality enables deeper candidate/employer specialization.
• Reed: Major UK recruiter with hospitality and catering desks, plus a large job board platform. Overlaps with CSI on candidate sourcing and employer placement across the same hospitality verticals.
• Blue Arrow: Large UK generalist staffing agency with hospitality, catering, and chef desks. Competes with CSI on temp staffing but operates across multiple sectors beyond hospitality.

Direct peers

• New Chapter Consulting: Hospitality executive search and recruitment firm covering hotels, restaurants, and catering. Comparable on industry specialism and senior-level placement focus, with overlapping client base.
• Caterer.com: Hospitality-specific job board owned by StepStone. While a job board rather than a consultative recruiter, it competes directly for both candidate attention and employer job postings in the same UK hospitality vertical.
• COREcruitment: Hospitality, leisure, and retail recruitment specialist with permanent and temporary placements across the UK and Europe. Directly comparable on industry vertical specialism and candidate/employer matchmaking model.
• The Change Group: Hospitality and executive chef recruitment agency operating in the UK market. Comparable vertical focus and chef placement specialism, with overlap on senior placement and temp-to-perm offerings.
• Berkeley Scott: UK hospitality recruitment specialist placing chefs, hotel staff, and catering professionals on permanent and temporary bases. Closest direct comparable to CSI given similar specialism, UK geographic focus, and multi-branch operating model.

Others

• Indeed UK: Leading UK job search platform hosting catering and hospitality vacancies. Does not provide recruiter services but competes for candidate application flow and direct employer hiring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CatServInt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLzUGwC509H2iyV2fnuDao9vS_ZkMNW5t5
• Facebookfacebook.com/CateringServicesInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catering-services-international/?originalSubdomain=uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/catservint

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Catering Services International