The University Caterers Ltd (TUCO Ltd) is a private company limited by guarantee and is a membership organisation representing all in-house caterers operating within the Higher and Further Education sectors. TUCO Ltd.’s key objectives are:

• To advance education and training in relation to catering and hospitality activities; to provide quality standards in catering and to provide access to advice and information.
• To provide funding, training and opportunity to advance education of employees of member organisations in relation to catering and supporting the progression of employees of member organisations through to the attainment of catering qualifications.
• Through providing a professional membership body, promotion and raising of standards in catering.
• To promote and support standards and codes of professional practice for those engaged in purchasing catering commodities and associated services within institutions of higher and further education and other public sector bodies or, at the sole discretion of the board of directors, charitable institutions.
• To provide a forum to enable members to learn, inform, communicate and act collectively to the mutual benefit of individual member institutions;
• To seek opportunities to exploit economies of scale available by co-ordinating the demand of individual universities, colleges and other institutions of higher and further education and other public sector bodies for goods and/or services and utilising the collective purchasing opportunities of universities, colleges and other institutions of higher and further education and other public sector bodies in achieving value for money within their purchasing activities, which may be on a national, inter-regional or regional basis.
• To act as purchasing agent in obtaining tenders and/or entering into negotiations and/or contracts for the supply of specific goods and/or services.
• To confer, consult and maintain contact and co-operate with any authorities, association, societies, institutions and relevant bodies whose work is appropriate to the work of the Company.

Membership

Membership is open to organisations which:

• are higher education institutions, by virtue of their full time equivalent student enrolment number for courses of higher education exceeding 55% of their total full-time equivalent enrolment number, or further education establishments and which, in each case, have an in-house catering service
• apply to the Company in the form required by the directors; and
• are approved by the directors.

Membership Regions

Based on location the membership institution will be part of a regional group headed by a regional chair. The region will meet regularly throughout the year and through attendance at these meetings members will be able to fully participate in the company and fully derive all benefits as well as keeping fully informed of new developments in the company’s activities.

A list of all current regional chairs is below:

 


Board of Directors

TUCO Ltd is managed by a Board of Directors drawn from the members of the Company who offer a range of skills as listed in a generic director role profile and which complement the board’s skill requirements. A list of all current directors is below:




The TUCO Magazine is the official and national publication of TUCO Organisation Ltd to ensure all suppliers can reach key decision makers and ensure that all members of TUCO have the information and resources to adjust and respond over the coming years to a significantly changing education market.