ESS Delivers Catering Services for Landmarc Under New Training Estate Support Contract

The Defence, Marine & Aerospace sector of ESS, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has formed part of Landmarc Support Service’s (Landmarc’s) successful bid for the £560m Training Estate Support Contract.

ESS has worked with Landmarc on the training estate for the past 20 years and will continue to deliver catering and retail services to its fluctuating populations, often in remote locations.  

The new seven-year contract has been awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). It will see Landmarc continuing to manage facilities, rural estates and operational services on the 156,000-hectare UK training estate which plays a crucial role in preparing troops for operations across the globe. This is the third time that Landmarc has won the contract.

ESS will deliver catering and retail services at 32 camps across the UK. This involves preparing and serving upwards of four million meals a year, from nutritious in camp catering at breakfast, lunch and dinner to the provision of hot container and packed meals for those out training on the ranges. Menus are designed to meet the needs of service personnel undertaking physically challenging work.

ESS also provides a retail service across 29 sites, giving customers access to high street products while they take a well-deserved break.

In recent months, the sites have supported the UK-based training of thousands of Ukrainian volunteers, as well as service personnel in training for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

Brigadier Jonathan Bartholomew, Head DIO Overseas & Training Region, said:

“We are passionate about the work we do every day to support our Armed Forces by offering a safe place to train.

“This new contract for the training estate will offer safe, secure, and well-maintained training facilities, meals, and beds, for our Service personnel as they prepare for operations worldwide.”

Mark Neill, Managing Director at Landmarc, said:

“We are thrilled to be awarded this new contract and build on 20 years of outstanding service delivery to ensure that the UK Defence Training Estate delivers safe and sustainable locations to train our Armed Forces.   

“Every single one of our 1,300 strong team and critical supply chain partners have a part to play in providing the vital services that enable our Armed Forces to train effectively, deploy on operations and return home safely. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with ESS to transform the lived experience of Armed Forces personnel who use the Defence Training Estate to live, work and train.”

Bob Gray, Managing Director – ESS Defence, Marine & Aerospace, commented:

“We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with Landmarc and our role on the UK Defence Training Estate with the award of this new contract. I’m extremely proud of our teams who operate on these sites across the UK, working in remote locations and dealing with regular high volume feeding requirements. We look forward to continuing to enhance the training experience for troops over the next seven years.”