With small, privately owned caterers ten-a-penny these days and the industry frighteningly incestuous, rumours of imminent takeovers reach Kitchen Rat on an almost daily basis.
Ignoring the fact that Charlton House, according to industry gossips has been up for sale seemingly since Robyn Jones founded it, one slightly more credible whisper doing the rounds recently was that City caterer In House was being offered for sale.
The rumour seems to have grown out of the fact that joint managing director Andrew Merret has this month left to pursue other interests.
However, a bit of digging and a chat with a source close to the company reveals Merret wasn’t a shareholder and the story with In House is something different.
With a healthy conference and event business combined with executive dining services the company, which was launched in 1995 and has around 100 staff and 22 contracts turning over around £7m, is doing nicely enough for its three major investors.
So much so that chairman Gary Hall is apparently considering a move into the concessions market. It appears he is pursuing the recruitment of a bright young thing or things to have a shot at running it almost as their own business under the In House umbrella, keeping things very much in house.
Contract catering news round up>>
Contract catering's big five in push for healthier school meals>>