NOURISH | UNITED KINGDOM
Nourish Contract Catering had outgrown their legacy finance system, Sage 50, which couldn't keep pace with their growing network of over 200 sites or the reporting demands of a modern, fast-moving catering business. Getting meaningful insights meant waiting on manually prepared reports, leaving teams without the real-time data they needed to make timely decisions. So they needed a modern, scalable platform to streamline finance, improve reporting, and give them full control over their data. To meet these needs, they moved to Sage Intacct.
Who is Nourish Contract Catering?
Nourish Contract Catering is a family-run business specialising in school catering, with over 200 sites, primarily in primary education, and a 20-year history of establishing a reputation for excellence. Led by owner Ryan Murphy and Managing Director Mark Hammond, Nourish is focused on delivering outstanding catering services while maintaining strong financial health and operational efficiency.
Prior to transitioning to Sage Intacct, the business relied on Sage 50, a server-based system that struggled to keep pace with its growth, resulting in slow, manual processes, delayed reporting, and frequent errors that made scaling increasingly difficult.
"The speed of the system, the time saved, and the accuracy of information are game-changers. It’s intuitive and gives us what we need instantly."
"Sage Intacct has enabled us to bring our financial performance reviews forward by a week, giving us more time to act on insights."
LINDSAY WILSON JONES, COMMERCIAL FINANCE MANAGER, NOURISH CONTRACT CATERING
The Challenges Faced by Nourish
As Nourish grew to over 200 sites, their finance function faced mounting pressure from an ageing system, manual processes, and a lack of
real-time visibility to manage it all.
Sage 50's manual processes and slow performance made reporting time-consuming and impractical.
The system struggled to accommodate Nourish's growth, becoming increasingly clunky and outdated.
The lack of real-time data meant teams had to wait for manually prepared reports, delaying decision-making.
Outdated technology and limited automation led to frequent errors and inefficiencies in financial operations.
After an initial implementation partner fell short, Nourish Contract Catering turned to itas Solutions for support and immediately saw the difference. The team quickly grasped the business's goals, particularly around reporting speed and real-time visibility, and provided clear, practical guidance on how to achieve them, including daily check-ins throughout the process.
From the outset, itas took the time to understand not just the system requirements, but the wider business operations. This hands-on approach, backed by tailored training and responsive Customer Success Managers, ensured the solution was aligned with how Nourish actually worked day to day.
"One of the real key benefits of itas being our partner is that they're UK-based - we're working in the same time zone and using the same terminology, and that was a big thing for us."
LINDSAY WILSON JONES, COMMERCIAL FINANCE MANAGER,, NOURISH CONTRACT CATERING
Since going live, Nourish has seen immediate, measurable results:
Instant Reporting
Reporting, which had previously been a manual and laborious task, became instantaneous, saving valuable time and resources for the team. Tasks that once took days to complete are now accomplished with just a click, freeing up time for strategic work.
Real-Time Insights
With the introduction of real-time dashboards, site managers gained instant access to key performance metrics. This empowered them to make more proactive and informed decisions, driving operational improvements across the board.
Streamlined Month-End Processes
Month-end processes were significantly streamlined, reducing the time and effort required to close the books. Features such as bank feeds and recurring transactions have enabled Nourish to bring financial performance reviews forward by a week.
Improved Accuracy and Efficiency
Automation and intuitive input processes have minimised errors and enhanced operational efficiency. By streamlining workflows and reducing manual tasks, the team can rely on accurate data while increasing overall productivity.
