UK Food & Drink Sector Trails National Average on Payment Performance

The Numbers

• Average PaymentCheck Score (Food & Drink): 46.7/100
• UK Average PaymentCheck Score: 50.0/100
• Number of Food & Drink Companies Analysed: 130
• Difference between Food & Drink and UK Average: -3.3 points
• Top Payer: CORNEY AND BARROW LIMITED (89.4/100)
• Worst Payer: CATERMASTERS CONTRACT CATERING LIMITED (1.7/100)

What Stands Out

The UK Food & Drink sector's average payment performance in 2020 is slightly underwhelming, sitting 3.3 points below the national average, based on a PaymentCheck score analysis of 130 companies. The gulf between the best and worst payers is staggering – CORNEY AND BARROW's score is over 50 times higher than CATERMASTERS CONTRACT CATERING LIMITED, demonstrating a vast disparity in payment practices.

Best Payers

1. CORNEY AND BARROW LIMITED - 89.4/100
2. MEADOW FOODS LIMITED - 87.6/100
3. EAST AFRICA COFFEE CO. LLP - 87/100
4. ELLA'S KITCHEN (BRANDS) LIMITED - 85.3/100
5. JUSTERINI & BROOKS,LIMITED - 84/100

Worst Payers

1. CATERMASTERS CONTRACT CATERING LIMITED - 1.7/100
2. HOST MANAGEMENT LTD - 2.4/100
3. PRINCIPAL CATERING CONSULTANTS LIMITED - 2.7/100
4. ABSOLUTELY CATERING LIMITED - 3.1/100
5. LEXINGTON CATERING LIMITED - 3.2/100

Regional Patterns

Payment performance varies considerably across the UK regions. London-based companies achieve an average of 55.4, significantly outperforming the East Midlands at 45.5 and Wales at 46.5, suggesting regional differences in business practices or financial pressures. Although a limited sample size, the "Unknown" region tops all others at 67.6 – it's possible these companies' anonymity correlates to positive payment behavior.

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While there is regional variation, the Food and Drink sector’s overall PaymentCheck score of 46.7 demonstrates an area of concern when compared to the UK average of 50.0.