Workplace Catering Change: Managing Risk and Employee Impact | CCSL

Why organisations delay it, and what it actually costs them

Most organisations know when something is no longer working as well as it should.

The catering service feels flat. Costs are harder to justify. Complaints are not loud, but they are consistent. Expectations around food quality, wellbeing, and sustainability have moved on, but the service has not kept pace.

Workplace catering change is rarely delayed because the commercial case is weak. It is delayed because the perceived operational and employee risk feels higher than it actually is.

Yet despite all of this, change rarely happens quickly.

In workplace catering, the issue is not a lack of awareness. It is hesitation.

Why workplace catering change feels so uncomfortable

Changing a catering provider feels riskier than most supplier decisions, even when the commercial case is clear.

Facilities teams worry about service disruption and mobilisation risk. Procurement is conscious of governance, timelines, and scrutiny. HR thinks about employee reaction and engagement. Finance wants certainty that costs will not drift once the contract is signed.

These concerns are not resistance for the sake of it. They are rational responses to a service that touches employees every single day.

Food is not a background service. It is visible, emotional, and personal. When it works well, it goes unnoticed. When it does not, it quickly becomes a talking point.

The mistake organisations make during workplace catering change

Too often, catering change is treated as a technical exercise.

Specifications are refreshed. Contracts are reviewed. A mobilisation plan is agreed.

There is an assumption that once the paperwork is done, the service will simply switch over and settle.

That assumption is usually wrong.

In practice, successful transitions depend far less on documentation and far more on how well the change is led, communicated, and experienced by the people using the service. When that human side is underestimated, even technically sound transitions struggle.

The cost of doing nothing is rarely neutral

What rarely gets discussed is the cost of standing still.

Catering services that are “good enough” tend to quietly drift. Menus stagnate. Value perception weakens. Sustainability commitments become harder to evidence. Labour and food costs rise, but the experience does not improve alongside them.

Over time, this erodes employee satisfaction and undermines the return on what is often a significant operational spend. What felt acceptable a few years ago can start to work against employer brand, wellbeing objectives, and cost control.

Ironically, many organisations stay with an underperforming service to avoid risk, while absorbing a different set of risks every day.

What well-managed workplace catering change actually delivers

When catering change is handled properly, the benefits are tangible.

Food quality and consistency improve because standards are reset and expectations are clear. Innovation moves faster when technology, data, and feedback are used properly. Sustainability performance strengthens through smarter sourcing, waste reduction, and more transparent reporting.

Commercially, better labour models and procurement discipline bring cost control back into focus. For employees, the difference is felt daily when food becomes something they look forward to, not something they tolerate.

These outcomes are not the result of novelty. They come from structure, experience, and disciplined delivery.

What separates smooth transitions from painful ones

Organisations that manage catering change well are clear on a few fundamentals:

• why the change is happening

• what success looks like beyond day one

• how risk will be actively managed

• who is accountable throughout mobilisation and beyond

They engage stakeholders early, communicate consistently, and focus on visible improvements that build confidence quickly. Trust grows when a catering partner demonstrates competence, transparency, and an understanding of both operational realities and workplace culture.

In our experience, catering change succeeds when it is treated as a managed transition, not a supplier swap.

A more honest way to think about change

Changing a catering provider is not about abandoning what works. It is about being honest about what no longer does.

For organisations considering a review, the real question is rarely whether change will feel uncomfortable. It is whether staying the same is quietly limiting performance, value, and employee experience.

With over 35 years’ experience operating catering services in complex workplace environments, CCSL supports organisations through change with clarity and confidence. The focus is not simply on changing supplier, but on delivering a catering service that performs better for the people who rely on it every day and for the organisations that invest in it.