What Edwards & Blake does

Edwards & Blake is a UK-based contract catering company founded in 1998 by Shirley Edwards and Caroline Blake, operating as a subsidiary of Elior Group since 2017. The business delivers fully managed, on-site catering services across three verticals: education (primary, secondary, and independent schools), business/corporate (offices and technology firms), and industry/manufacturing (including large multi-site food production facilities with shift and 24-hour operations). Its operational model centres on preparing meals fresh daily in client kitchens using seasonal ingredients sourced within a roughly 50-mile radius, differentiating the company from commissary-based caterers that pre-prepare and transport food.

The company's service surface spans traditional hot meals, street-food concepts, grab-and-go formats, and hospitality/function catering, tailored to each client's demographics, dietary requirements, and dining-room design. Pricing is negotiated contract-by-contract on a multi-year basis through competitive tender processes targeting procurement departments and facility managers, with revenue derived from long-tenor managed services agreements rather than transactional sales.

Edwards & Blake is concentrated geographically in the East of England (Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire), although it is open to opportunities outside these counties. Its growth and retention profile is anchored on multi-year renewals (e.g., a six-year renewal at an independent boarding school), bespoke kitchen and dining facility builds for industrial clients, and ESG-aligned service differentiators such as plastic-bottle elimination programs. The company is privately held under Elior Group and operates with a small leadership team overseen by Chairman Vince Pearson and founder/director Caroline Blake.

Name

Edwards & Blake

Legal name

Edwards & Blake Limited

Website

https://edwardsandblake.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Edwards & Blake is a UK contract catering company, founded in 1998 and now an Elior Group subsidiary, providing fresh on-site catering for schools, businesses, and industrial sites primarily across the East of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Swaffham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract Catering Services: Edwards & Blake generates revenue through B2B contract catering agreements with educational institutions, corporate/business clients, and industrial/manufacturing sites. The company provides fully managed catering services including menu design, food preparation, staffing, and dining room operations. Revenue is derived from multi-year contractual relationships with clients, typically procured through competitive tender processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Edwards & Blake provides fully managed B2B contract catering services across three main sectors — Education, Business, and Industry. The company prepares meals fresh daily on-site in client kitchens using quality, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, delivering breakfast, lunch, grab-and-go, and hospitality catering tailored to each client's workforce or student population.

Product overview

Edwards & Blake operates as a contract catering company offering integrated food service solutions across three core sectors: Education, Business, and Industry. The company provides freshly prepared meals daily through on-site kitchen operations, with menu offerings spanning traditional hot meals, international street food, and grab-and-go options. Their services include breakfast, lunch, and hospitality catering, with menus tailored to client requirements and dietary needs. Founded in 1998 and now part of the Elior Group, the company serves clients primarily across Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Catering Services
• Business Catering Services
• Industry Catering Services
• Hospitality Catering

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded 40 new contracts across 60+ sites in first half of 2017 alone, demonstrating strong market demand and competitive positioning.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Elior Group: Edwards & Blake's parent company and one of the world's largest contract catering and foodservice groups. Directly comparable as a global incumbent operating contract catering across education, business, and industry segments, with E&B serving as its UK regional platform.
• Sodexo: Global contract foodservice and facilities management major with a substantial UK education, business, and industry catering presence. Comparable as a large-scale B2B contract caterer competing in the same tender markets as E&B.
• Compass Group: The world's largest contract foodservice company, with significant UK operations spanning education, business, and industry. Comparable as a diversified incumbent competing for the same multi-site institutional catering contracts.

Direct peers

• CH&CO: UK-based independent contract caterer serving workplace, education, and venue clients with a focus on fresh, quality-led food. Closely comparable to E&B in operating model, sector mix, and emphasis on fresh on-site preparation.
• Baxter Storey: Premium UK contract caterer focused on workplace, education, and hospitality catering with an artisan, chef-led approach. Directly comparable to E&B in B2B contract model, fresh-food positioning, and sector coverage.
• Wilson Vale: Independent UK contract caterer serving corporate, education, and conference clients with a regional multi-site model. Closely comparable to E&B in size, sector mix, and emphasis on local sourcing and fresh preparation.
• Lexington Catering: London-based independent contract caterer focused on workplace, media, and corporate dining with a quality-led, chef-driven approach. Comparable to E&B as a similarly sized independent B2B contract catering competitor.
• Caterlink: UK education-focused contract caterer serving primary and secondary schools with a regional multi-site operating model. Closely comparable to E&B's education vertical in target market, scale, and tender-based contract model.
• Sodexo Education (UK): The UK education catering arm of Sodexo, providing school meals across primary, secondary, and higher education. Directly comparable to E&B's core education vertical in customer base, service offering, and competitive bidding.

Emerging players

• Genuine Dining: Independent UK workplace and education contract caterer with a fresh, locally sourced model. Comparable to E&B as a similarly positioned smaller independent with overlapping sector focus and fresh-food philosophy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edwards-and-blake-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Edwards & Blake