Caterer Talkington Bates gains three major business contracts

The first piece of new business is with Saxon Weald Homes which operates retirement and extra care schemes in Sussex and Hampshire. Talkington Bates Midlands, a division of Talkington Bates Group has been awarded sites which will provide lunch and day-care catering for residents at the sites following the three-year agreement which is worth a total of £3.5 million. The company is now also catering for staff at the Milton Keynes manufacturing site of Lyondell Basell, the world's third largest independent chemical company. The agreement was signed following a tendering process which lasted more than a year and is worth around £165,000 over the next three years. In the third new contract, the contract caterer is providing the menu for staff at Cooper Tire's European headquarters in Melksham, Wiltshire, following a formal tendering process which resulted in a new three-year deal. Paul Bates, Talkington Bates' group managing director, said: "It is fantastic to end the year with such a positive performance and it makes us very confident about our prospects in 2012. These new business gains highlight the quality of our offering, the excellence of our people and our passion for delivering great food across a range of catering sites." Talkington Bates' Midlands managing director Fiona Hopkinson added: "This is an important win for us in the extra care sector – a growing part of our business – which we are developing with innovative ideas, inspiring both the clients and residents. "We will operate 17 extra care sites in our portfolio and certainly recognise the importance of nutrition and the opportunity for the residents to meet together on a daily basis and enjoy a freshly prepared wholesome meal with friends and family."