Bennett Hay wins Business and Industry Caterer of the Year after a 63% profit rise and a 15% profit share

Bennett Hay, which runs staff restaurants and hospitality for professional services, financial, legal and creative firms in London, has been named Business and Industry Caterer of the Year at the 2026 Foodservice Cateys, The Caterer reports.

The year in numbers - Turnover up 27% and profit up 63%, its strongest performance in 15 years of trading - 316 employees serving 33 clients at 46 locations, more than 3,000 covers a day - Every client retained, nine new contracts won and 10 extended - 15% of profits shared with staff as bonuses

How it got there - Leadership model: founders Anthony Bennett and Robin Hay still own the company but hand the day-to-day to the leadership team under managing director Zoë Watts - Chef-led procurement: chefs and managers deal with suppliers directly, and more than 40% of food and drink spend goes to small and artisan producers - Waste data: an in-house tool tracks waste as a share of purchases against sales and occupancy, cutting food waste by 20% in hybrid-working offices where demand swings - B Corp certification, gained in March 2026 after two years of work

What it means for operators: profit share, devolved leadership and site-level buying are often treated as a drag on margin. Here they sat alongside a 63% profit rise and full client retention, a useful reference for groups reviewing incentive schemes or central purchasing.