Louise Owens, managing director of Just Perfect Catering said: “We were set up in the depths of the recession and have committed to using locally-sourced produce. This has helped us firmly establish ourselves as Wales’s biggest contract catering firm after winning this and a series of other major contracts.”
The firm now employs more than 100 people at locations across South Wales and last year it saw turnover go past £2m, an increase of more than a third (37%) on the previous year.
The Admiral contract comes hot on the heels of two other new contracts wins, both with the BBC, which have helped to create 20 new catering jobs. One contract involves supplying specialist location catering for TV productions and the other includes running the restaurant, coffee shop and hospitality catering at the new Roath Lock studios in Cardiff Bay.
At Roath Lock the catering team feeds hundreds of staff, crew and actors working on major BBC productions such as Doctor Who, Casualty, Welsh language soap-opera Pobol y Cwm and a number of other dramas.
Just Perfect Catering was founded in 2009 by Louise and husband David, who wanted to create a quality catering company using the very best of Welsh produce.
Adds Louise: “From the start we had a clear idea of what we wanted to offer and how. We’ve always felt a Welsh business could compete with big established players in the catering and hospitality market.
“Our approach is to be open and honest with no hidden costs. We pride ourselves on always buying local, creating employment for young people and giving back to our communities.
“It has taken time, but increasingly major clients are beginning to see the value of ensuring all of their supply lines create community benefits which is exactly what we’re about as a business.”
Just Perfect Catering works in partnership with Wales’s leading independent food wholesaler Castell Howell, to ensure that the vast majority (up to 95%) of ingredients they use are sourced from Welsh suppliers.
Brian Jones, director of Castell Howell Foods said: “As its main food supplier, we're looking forward to supporting Just Perfect Catering in further growing its business and in the process firmly establishing itself as a significant player in the catering and hospitality sector within Wales.
“We’re particular pleased to see their commitment to using Welsh sourced products whenever possible something we’d like to see happening across the Welsh sector.”