The big '8' players have increasingly come to dominate the sector over the last decade. The largest UK contractor, Compass, is the second largest foodservice operator in Europe (behind McDonald's) with continent-wide sales of about £5.3 billion, and a further $4.4 billion (£2.8 billion) of foodservice sales in the US.

Sodexho, too, has a global profile. Foodservice sales in Europe are approximately £3.7 billion and, in the US, sterling equivalent sales of £3.4 billion.

The number three UK contract caterer, Aramark, has sales in the US of £3.7 billion like Sodexho, although its European sales are lower at £0.6 billion in sterling terms.

Turnover in Europe and USA of the Top 3 Contract Caterers

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