Compass Group has reported another year of profit growth, driven in part by its acquisitions of smaller European competitors.
The world’s largest contract caterer said operating profit climbed nearly 12% in 2025, reaching $3.3 billion (£2.5 billion), while revenue increased 9.7% to $46.1 billion (£35 billion).
Compass Group’s net new business growth reached 4.5%, powered by a particularly strong performance in North America.
The company expects operating profits to climb a further 10% in 2026, driven by increased sales from its recent acquisitions.
The caterer employs 580,000 people across approximately 30 countries. While it maintains a strong presence in North America, Compass has expanded its European footprint in recent years through a series of acquisitions.
These include the purchase of German caterer Hofmann-Menü Holdings for an estimated £237 million in 2023, the takeover of UK hospital coffee provider Peabodys Coffee in 2024, and the landmark £475 million acquisition of UK and Ireland rival CH&Co later that same year.
In July, Compass agreed to acquire Dutch foodservice company Vermaat Groep, a premium business and industry caterer, for €1.5 billion (£1.3 billion).
Dominic Blakemore, group chief executive at Compass, said the group was “very positive about the significant runway for long-term growth”.
He added: “We are continuing to strengthen our business model, which leverages the flexibility of our bespoke sector portfolio with significant global scale, by investing in high-quality platform acquisitions in Europe. This provides us with further long-term value creation opportunities and follows our established and proven track record of successful M&A in North America, which has unlocked decades of high growth and strong returns.”
Compass’ UK portfolio includes brands such as Chartwells, Eurest, Levy, and ESS.
