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School catering: Cygnet Foods purchased by Compass Group
6 Sep 2011

School catering giant Compass Group has announced the acquisition of Warrington-based Cygnet Food Holdings for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition is expected to bolster Compass' reach in the UK education sector, with Cygnet generating revenues of £9.3 million over the course of 2010.

Up until this point, Cygnet has been operated by James and Ian Cartwright and offers hot and ready-to-heat meals to schools without the necessary onsite catering facilities, with food prepared in line with health and wellbeing guidance.

Ian Sarson, Managing Director of Compass Group UK & Ireland, said the takeover is particularly key at a time when public sector bodies are having to cope with budgetary pressures.

"It will enable us to offer more local authorities a proven cost-saving solution at the same time as delivering nutritionally balanced and healthy meals," he explained.

Last week, authorities in Bolton defended plans to increase the cost of school dinners in the area, with a council spokesman telling This is Lancashire that they will still offer the cheapest meals in the country.