Case Study: Radley College
20,000+ meals a week
Radley College catering team manage the production of 20,000+ meals a week covering all aspects from pupil and employee dining to the very finest Private Dining events plus the social hubs of The Coffee Shop a beautiful space for work and relaxation and The Shop supplying takeaway snacks.
Radley College is an exclusive boarding school in Abingdon with a rich heritage stretching back to 1847. Looking after the wellbeing of 760 teenage boys requires a highly professional catering department headed by Pam Dickens - Head of Catering and John Footman - Executive Chef and supported by Andrew Ashton - Radley College Bursar.
Finding the right partners to support this operation was very important, especially during a global pandemic. Fortunately, Simon had supported Radley College for 15 years before setting up Profit Hound and for Radley College it was an easy decision to employ Profit Hound directly.
"Simon has always proved a hugely valuable source of knowledge and support to me in my role, becoming a trusted advisor and friend. Simon’s advice saves me time and money and keeps the catering team focussed on best value procurement and new opportunities to add value." - Pam Dickens - Head of Catering
Key Challenges
The incumbent purchasing organisation had shifted their focus to ever more reliance on self-serving information via an online portal which led to less flexibility and an incomplete service that just wasn’t right for Radley College.
Simon Elliott founded Profit Hound to ensure the customer is at the heart of everything the business does, ensuring a truly bespoke service
So what happened next?
Radley College chose the Full Profit Package which delivered year 1 savings of 11.5% or £110,000+.
The financial benefit was important to Radley College but so where the supplier relationships built over many years and Profit Hound’s flexible purchasing strategy meant that was managed effectively too. So here is a summary of the services delivered and benefit to date.
"It’s a pleasure to work with Simon and Profit Hound. I get great support with order sheets, product, supplier sourcing and much more which saves me lots of time. As an ex-chef Simon understands the pressures of the kitchen and adds real value!” - John Footman - Executive Chef
Financial Benefit
Electronic spend data was secured from the incumbent supplier base and the entire basket was price matched and showed an 11%+ like for like saving.
Supplier Selection
Profit Hound take No Supplier Payments and have No Nominated Suppliers giving Ultimate Flexibility. Suppliers receive excellent communication and support from Profit Hound and
understand they must deliver a competitive price to retain business ongoing!!
Additional Supplier Sourcing
Profit Hound’s knowledge of the UK wholesale market was invaluable when sourcing a new supplier for consumable products and replacing a poor performing supplier to ensure effective continuity of supply.
Monthly Price Report
A representative basket of 250+ products covering all commodities was agreed, price movements are tracked each month along with commentary on market movements.
Monthly Purchasing Report
Electronic spend data and invoices are regularly reviewed for supplier overcharges, adherence to buying lists and new purchasing opportunities meaning maximised benefit.
Order Sheets
User-friendly, fully bespoke priced order guides were developed and are maintained monthly to optimise best price purchasing.
The Results
"Profit Hound give our catering team all the information and support necessary to realise the very best results and value for our boys. Simon’s relationship with Pam, John and myself means we get amazing support and are delighted to have continued our association and the seamless transition to working with Profit Hound.
I would recommend Profit Hound to any education or hospitality business.”
- Andrew Ashton