E-mails are just sooo expensive

There may be trouble ahead (for the economy), but skipping the music and dance bit, being thrifty is always nifty if you’re a caterer.

Yes operating on wafer thin margins is tricky at the best of times and with rampant food inflation at the moment the business of feeding people isn’t getting any easier (or cheaper).

Still, a recently uncovered initiative by a multi-million pound contract caterer straight from the school of every-little-helps managed to raise an eye brow or two on Kitchen Rat.

A request for a mug shot to illustrate an appointment story – the not unusual news of a chef moving from one caterer to another – was declined. In itself this is not unusual, the Caterer journalist in question simply thinking it was to do with sensitivity or politics around the move. Not so.

“It’s a large file and they only send those out after seven pm as it’s cheaper,” an incredulous sounding contact at the smaller caterer reported back to the journalist.

Presumably for hard copies you now have to send in a self addressed envelope and it’s a case of bring your own ketchup in the staff canteen and share tea bags.

How much sugar's in your tea?