School dinners firm serves up growth with new acquisition
A West Midlands food company has expanded its UK operations with a new acquisition.
School meals specialist Alliance in Partnership (AiP) has acquired The Contract Dining Company in a deal which will help the business expand its reach in the South East.
Based in Headcorn, near Maidstone, The Contract Dining Company was established in 2004 and provides catering services to 53 schools in Kent, delivering more than 8,000 meals a day. With a 231-strong team, the business has a turnover of £4m.
The acquisition, the terms of which have not been disclosed, will see The Contract Dining Company’s management team, including founder Anne Winn, remain with the company.
The company’s acquisition by AiP sees it join one of the largest education catering specialists in the UK. Over the last 19 years, AiP has expanded from its base at Trigate, Hagley Road West in Warley to provide more than 75,000 meals a day in primary and secondary schools and colleges nationwide.
Paul Rogers, managing director of AiP, said: “The addition of The Contract Dining Company to the AiP family will enable us to further strengthen our presence in the South East, giving us a strong foothold in Kent following our recent contract wins in London. There’s also a close cultural fit between the two businesses as we both share a focus on providing fresh, healthy and nutritious meals for schools.
“The combined group will now serve over 400 schools and colleges throughout the UK and will have combined sales of £33m, making us a major player in the education catering sector.”
The acquisition follows a multi-million pound investment into AiP by Leeds and London-based private equity house Key Capital Partners (KCP) in 2014. The investment also saw KCP partner Owen Trotter join the AiP board, in a move designed to support the company’s growth.
Mr Trotter said: “This latest development marks another key milestone in AiP’s continued expansion. The business has already seen revenue grow by 120% since 2014 as its commitment to the provision of quality, freshly-cooked and nutritious meals for the education sector has chimed with public concerns. As a firmly established leader in the field, the company is well-positioned to extend its offering across the UK.”
KCP specialises in the smaller buy-out market with investments of between £3m to £15m in profitable growing companies. It currently has £140m of funds under management.
Pictured are AiP directors Sally Tyson and Angela Austin, with managing director Paul Rogers.
