CaterPlus

What CaterPlus does

Caterplus is a UK-based contract catering provider specialising in the care and retirement living sector. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elior Group, the global contract catering and support services company that employs more than 133,000 people across 11 countries and serves 3.2 million customers daily at 20,000 sites. Caterplus delivers on-site food services to residential care homes, assisted living and extra care communities, independent living developments for the over-55s, kosher-compliant residential settings serving Jewish communities, and charitable communities supporting vulnerable people. Its service offering is structured around dedicated vertical service lines rather than a single uniform product, with each line tailored to the operational, nutritional, and regulatory requirements of its setting.

The company's underlying capability stack combines specialist dietetics with proprietary operational technology. Caterplus employs in-house HCPC-registered dietitians who are members of the British Dietetic Association and designs menus around nutritional and allergen requirements. It has deployed Star Chef, a proprietary software platform that analyses and monitors recipes for nutritional value and allergens, and has introduced HoloLens 2 mixed reality training for texture-modified food preparation — a UK first among contract caterers. The Elior Academy provides over 40 training programmes, including the award-winning eXperience learning programme that simulates the physical and mental challenges of ageing, and staff are accredited as Dementia Friends by the Alzheimer's Society.

Caterplus makes money through long-term managed-service catering contracts negotiated directly with care home operators, housing associations, and retirement living providers. It operates a multi-entity UK structure (including CaterPlus Limited, Caterplus Holdings Limited, Caterplus Plc, Caterplus Services Limited, and subsidiaries such as Waterfall Caterplus, Taylor Shaw, Lexington Catering, and Edwards and Blake), all registered in England and Wales, with a head office in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by content marketing, the 'Eatuitive' newsletter, industry awards, and named partnership programmes with operators including Anchor Extra Care and McCarthy Stone. No public pricing exists; contract terms are negotiated bilaterally.

Name

CaterPlus

Legal name

CaterPlus Limited

Website

https://caterplus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Caterplus is a UK contract catering provider, wholly owned by Elior Group, delivering on-site food services to residential care homes, extra care, independent living, kosher, and charitable communities through long-term managed-service contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Catering Services for Care Sector

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Contract Foodservice Management (Outsourced Catering) (THAFAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK), Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)

Keywords

• Care home catering
• Retirement living food services
• Contract catering services
• Nutrition dietetic support
• Kosher compliant catering

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Catering Services: Full-service catering contracts with care homes, retirement living communities, and housing associations. Services include flexible meal planning, seamless delivery, and ongoing menu consultations. Revenue generated through long-term contractual relationships with care sector operators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CaterPlus provides managed contract catering services to UK care homes, retirement living operators, housing associations, and charitable communities. It prepares and serves meals on-site, supported by an in-house team of HCPC-registered dietitians, with menu design, texture-modified foods, hydration programmes, and dementia-friendly dining as core service components. Offerings are organised into five verticals: Assisted Living & Extra Care, Residential Care Homes, Independent Living, Specialist Catering for Religious (Jewish) Communities, and Charitable Communities.

Product overview

CaterPlus is a UK-based catering provider offering comprehensive food services within the care and retirement living sector. The company operates as a single unified offering with specialized service lines covering Assisted Living & Extra Care, Residential Care Homes, Independent Living, Specialist Catering for Religious Communities (Jewish kosher), and Charitable Communities. These services are unified by shared capabilities in nutrition (in-house dietitians), training (Elior Academy), and operational management. The company also provides specialized dementia care dining, texture-modified foods, and hydration care as integrated service components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assisted Living and Extra Care Catering Contract catering for extra care and assisted living housing schemes, providing nutritionally planned meals and a communal dining experience tailored to residents who need varying levels of support while maintaining independence.
• Residential Care Home Catering Outsourced on-site meal preparation and food service for residents of residential care homes, supported by CaterPlus's in-house dietitians and the Star Chef nutritional analysis software, helping operators meet CQC nutritional requirements.
• Independent Living Catering Catering for retirement developments for active older adults, including high-street inspired restaurants, bistros, bars, and coffee shops, with individually designed menus and nutritional services for residents with specific dietary needs.
• Specialist Catering for Jewish Communities Fully kosher-compliant catering for Jewish residential care homes, with team training in kosher standards and menu development to the highest kashrut standards.
• Charitable Communities Catering Catering for charitable organisations running accommodation and support services for vulnerable people, including the 'Can't Cook, Will Cook' scheme providing cooking skills training for employment.
• Nutrition Services (in-house dietitian support) Dedicated in-house dietitian-led nutrition service covering menu design, hydration programmes, and support for residents facing malnutrition challenges, available as part of CaterPlus catering contracts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Staff trained as Dementia Friends accredited by the Alzheimer's Society

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Elior GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElior Group is the parent company of Caterplus. As a global leader in contract catering and support services operating in 11 countries with 133,000+ employees, Elior provides world-class resources, best practices, and financial stability. This affiliation gives Caterplus access to international expertise, training programmes (Elior Academy), and innovation capabilities including mixed reality training technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CH&CO: Independent UK contract caterer with a presence in workplace, education, healthcare and senior living. Directly comparable contract catering service lines and UK enterprise customer base.
• apetito: UK-focused food producer and care home meal provider (including Wiltshire Farm Foods retail brand). Competes with Caterplus for meal provision contracts in UK care homes and retirement communities.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract catering and support services group. Its UK Healthcare & Senior Living division competes head-to-head with Caterplus for care home and retirement living catering contracts across the UK.
• Wilson Vale: UK independent contract caterer with a dedicated care and senior living division. Direct competitor for nursing, residential, and extra-care catering contracts.
• Sodexo: Global contract services group with a UK Healthcare & Seniors business that competes with Caterplus for care and retirement living catering contracts, offering a comparable managed-services revenue model.
• Baxter Storey: UK-focused premium contract caterer serving workplace, independent school, and senior living clients. Comparable B2B managed catering model targeting UK care and retirement operators.

Broad incumbents

• OCS Group: International facilities services group providing catering alongside cleaning, security and support services in UK healthcare and senior living. Overlaps with Caterplus as part of broader facility management offerings.
• Elior UK: UK arm of Caterplus's parent Elior Group, operating adjacent contract catering brands and services. Sister entity within the same group with overlapping UK contract catering capability and shared back-office infrastructure.
• Atalian Servest: UK facilities management and contract services provider delivering catering within wider bundled service contracts for public-sector and healthcare clients. Comparable contract catering capability though not sector-specialist.
• ISS A/S: Global facility services group with UK catering operations in healthcare and workplace. Broad incumbent providing food services within integrated facilities management contracts alongside Caterplus's specialist care offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caterplusuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 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 CaterPlus