Abstract
Industrial and welfare catering services in Britain are a major employer of labour, as well as being a large market for food, and include within their scope significant social institutions. This is the subject matter of Chapter 2, which follows the introductory chapter on the methodology adopted in the study, and a critique of the major sources used. A sectoral approach in establishing the structure and in forecasting the growth of the Industry to 1980 forms the main body of the study. Chapters 3 to 6 are concerned with employee catering; a historical resume of its development and of employers' motives in providing catering facilities; the structure and organisation of the sector; costs of employee catering; an investigation of the determinants of demand, leading to the forecast of turnover and costs. Chapter 1 is devoted to catering contractors and includes a detailed analysis of the major firms. Catering in state and private schools is covered in Chapter 8, while Chapter 9 examines catering in Further and Higher Education. Hospital catering is investigated in Chapter 10 while the scope of Chapter 11 is catering in homes for children, the elderly and disabled and meal services for old people. The sectoral treatment of the industry is completed in Chapter 12 on catering in the Armed Forces and in penal institutions. Chapters 13 to 15 deal with aspects of the industry which call for an intersectoral approach. Chapter 13 examines food purchasing arrangements in the industry, including trends in this field. Convenience catering, i.e. convenience foods and automatic vending, is the subject matter of Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 views the industry as an employer. The study is completed in Chapter 16 with a broad survey of some of the conclusions and implications of the findings.