Catering Services International

We’re pleased to have supported a leading hospitality recruiter in Bath with its transition to an employee ownership model.

Catering Services International is an award-winning hospitality employment agency with over 35 years of experience matching staff with businesses across the UK. With 11 regional offices the company works with a wide range of firms from independent venues to major hospitality groups.

It has now become 100% employee-owned, after establishing a new Employee Ownership Trust that gives its employees a direct stake in the business.

The move to employee ownership marks a significant milestone for the company, ensuring the continued independence of the business while preserving its culture and long-standing commitment to client service and staff development.

Our Corporate Finance team acted as lead advisers to Catering Services International on this deal. We managed the creation of the new trust, supporting on the valuation, structuring and negotiations while also delivering specialist tax advisory and clearance assistance.

Mark Naughton, Partner at FRP Corporate Finance, said: “Employee ownership is becoming an increasingly popular succession route for founders who want to secure the long-term future of their business whilst rewarding the people who have helped to build it.

“Catering Services International has established itself as a trusted partner to the hospitality sector over the past three decades, and this transition will allow the company to preserve the culture of collaboration that has made it successful as it continues to grow.”

Andrew Berman, Managing Director of CSI, added: “Our people have always been at the heart of our success, so it felt natural that they should benefit directly from the value they help create.

“With the help of Mark, Freddie and Matt and the team at FRP Corporate Finance, we’ve been able to put in place a structure that protects our independence, rewards our employees and positions us for the next chapter of growth. The support they provided was second to none, which ensured a smooth transition, cementing the future of the business.”