about us

The University Caterers Organisation Ltd (TUCO Ltd) is a membership company open to organisations which are higher education, 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.

On behalf of its members TUCO is managed by a Board of Directors, who represents eight geographical regions including a chairman:

(a) North east
(b) North west
(c) Wales and west
(d) Scotland
(e) Southern
(f) London
(g) Oxford
(h) Cambridge
(i) Chairman

In addition three other board members are decided by the remainder of the board to have appropriate financial experience, legal experience and procurement experience applicable to the company

The board appoints a managing director from amongst the eight regional representatives.

The company objectives are to:

Advance education and training in relation to catering activities to provide quality standards in catering and to provide access to advice and information in respect thereof
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
Provide a professional membership body and raising standards in catering

How to join – Becoming a member

Any organisation that fulfils the criteria for membership as detailed above can join TUCO Ltd and should complete an application form.

This should then be signed by your regional chair
and if not available please send to the Managing Director at:

Julie Barker
Managing Director
TUCO Ltd
University of Brighton
Exion 27, Crowhurst Road
Hollingbury, Brighton
Sussex
BN1 8AF

Organisational Structure

Key contacts

Articles of Association

To view the TUCO Ltd articles of association, please click here.

TUCO Purchasing Ltd

TUCO Purchasing Ltd (TPL), is a wholly owned subsidiary company of TUCO Ltd. Membership of TUCO Ltd provides full access to all purchasing agreements managed by TPL.

The company objectives are 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;
provide a forum to enable members to learn, inform, communicate and act collectively to the mutual benefit of individual member institutions;
See 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;
Act as purchasing agent in obtaining tenders and/or entering into negotiations an/or contracts for the supply of specific goods and/or services;
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.

Organisation Structure