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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

food service (using or not using a hired company)

English answer:

outsourced or in-house catering service

Added to glossary by B D Finch
Jan 30, 2011 12:31
13 yrs ago
12 viewers *
English term

food service

English Other Food & Drink
Here is my problem. Hospitals, schools, universities, etc. can either (1) hire a company to run their kitchens/cafeterias or (2) do it themselves. Sodexo is a company that provides this type of service and is classified by Wikipedia as a food service. My question is, what should I call (1) and (2)?

Thanks so much for your help.
Responses
4 +4 outsourced or in-house catering service
4 a company providing catering services
Change log

Feb 1, 2011 10:26: B D Finch changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/101546">Luiza Modesto's</a> old entry - "food service"" to ""outsourced or in-house catering service""

Feb 1, 2011 10:27: B D Finch changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/570330">B D Finch's</a> old entry - "food service using or not using a hired company"" to ""outsourced or in-house catering service""

Discussion

Tony M Jan 30, 2011:
Sodex(h)o Oh, I know this company of old, among other things, they provide the (revolting!) catering in the hospital where I've been all too often recently!

'Catering' is certainly the traditional term I'm most familiar with from the UK, however, even as long ago as when I was leaving the UK, 'food service' was certainly creeping into usage, albeit with something of a US twang to it... a bit like F&B [food & beverage], which sounded very odd when we first started hearing it, but has now become commonplace...
Sheila Wilson Jan 30, 2011:
Self-operated vs self-managed "Self-operated" is something that sounds OK to me, though I probably wouldn't use it myself. "Self-managed" though sounds odd and potentially very confusing
B D Finch Jan 30, 2011:
@Tony & Luiza Ahhaa! Tony clearly looked at their website more thoroughly than I did; so it is a question of whether it was Franglais rather than Inglish. I had also been unaware of this particular US vs UK difference of usage.
Tony M Jan 30, 2011:
@ BDF — Sodexo Indian? Since when? According to their corporate website (and as I've always understood it), they are an originally FRENCH company, opened in Marseilles in 1966.

I feel sure they will have a presence in India, naturally.
Luiza Modesto (asker) Jan 30, 2011:
Food service vs catering I think it's a matter of US vs UK English. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodservice
This will not stop me from giving the credits. I was more interested in the adjective, outsourced/in-house than in the noun.
Luiza Modesto (asker) Jan 30, 2011:
http://www.edvocate.org/ We help school districts improve their self-operated or outsourced food service, custodial, maintenance and grounds programs.
B D Finch Jan 30, 2011:
Sodexo Note that Sodexo itself is an Indian company and uses the term "Foodservices" as a single word (that is not likely to be found in any English dictionary) on its website:
http://www.sodexo.com/group_en/search-results.asp?SearchInpu...

So do you follow their slightly bizarre terminology or use a more accepted formulation?
B D Finch Jan 30, 2011:
1 & 2 In that case, if 1 = outsourced staffing and management and 2 = in-house staffing and management, the description of the latter as "self-managed" seems confusing as it ignores the status of the staff being managed.
Luiza Modesto (asker) Jan 30, 2011:
Yes DB, that is exactly it. In (1) the employees work for the outsourced company and in (2) the employees work for the institution (hospital, school, etc.).
B D Finch Jan 30, 2011:
"self-managed food service" I find that both "self-managed" and "food service" sound odd. Catering is the more usual term for the latter. What exactly does "self-managed" mean in this context? Are the staff preparing and serving the food directly employed or not?
Luiza Modesto (asker) Jan 30, 2011:
Reply from my client I asked my client the same question and she suggested "self-managed food service" and "food service contractor." The second one seems valid but not the first one. What do you think?

Responses

+4
4 mins
Selected

outsourced or in-house catering service

I have answered your question rather than translated the term you posted, which doesn't really summarise your question.

"We have an in-house catering facility at Police Headquarters (FHQ) and have ... Architectural services are also outsourced, all other services are in house ...
www.leics.police.uk/.../167_outsourcing_of_functions_collec...

"Service providers: the catering is provided by either ■ an in -house team, outsourced staff and managers, or ■ some hybrid of in-house and outsourced (for ..."
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0102937427...
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Absolutely!
1 hr
Thanks Tony
agree Martin Riordan : That covers it perfectly.
4 hrs
Thanks Martin
agree Phong Le
12 hrs
Thanks Phong Le
agree Tina Vonhof (X)
1 day 7 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you so much for your help! :)"
3 mins

a company providing catering services

Option 1) is what you need. The catering is outsourced to this external food service provider.

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Note added at 4 mins (2011-01-30 12:36:31 GMT)
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http://uk.sodexo.com/uken/solutions/on-site/service-solution...

Sodexo designs, manages and delivers comprehensive On-site Service Solutions (formerly Food and Facilities Management services) for our clients with services that range from foodservices to construction management, reception to the maintenance of scanners and laboratory equipment, management of data centres to leisure cruises and from housekeeping to rehabilitation services at correctional facilities.

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-01-30 12:48:37 GMT)
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Thanks for your comment Luiza. Apologies for misinterpreting your question.

I would refer to 1) as food service contractor
and 2) as internal or in-house catering

Note from asker:
Jeux, tyvm, but I need both terms. Check my comment above. :)
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