Compass profits rise to put growth on the menu

Catering giant Compass Group today said high-profile contracts to feed visitors to Chelsea Football Club and the US Open Golf Championship helped it post a 14% rise in first-half, pre-tax profit to £462 million.

Compass, the world's biggest catering firm which feeds most of the City's banks, as well as workers at the Bank of England and spectators at the Wimbledon tennis championships, saw revenue rise 2.6% to £7.1 billion over the six months March 31.

Chief executive Richard Cousins said: "Compass has delivered another strong performance in a challenging environment.

"We will maintain our relentless focus on efficiency, but at the same time we are laying strong foundations for future growth."