Hampshire County Council Catering Services

Hampshire County Council Catering Services caters for schools, venues, workplaces and attractions.

hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/hc3s

Rating based on 22 employees who took the Breakroom Quiz

About jobs at Hampshire County Council Catering Services

Pay

    Needs improving
  • Most people aren’t paid a living wage

    Do Hampshire County Council Catering Services pay a living wage?

    Most people are not paid a living wage.

    How we know this

    83% of people say they are paid below the Real Living Wage for where they live.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Everyone should be paid enough to live on.

    The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.

    The current rates are ÂŁ13.45 per hour, and ÂŁ14.80 per hour in London.

    Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.

  • Okay
  • Only some people are paid market rates

    Do Hampshire County Council Catering Services pay market rates?

    Only some people are paid above average for their job.

    How we know this

    43% of people are paid below average for the type of work they do.

    Based on data from 7 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.

  • Good
  • Most people get sick pay

    Do Hampshire County Council Catering Services pay sick pay?

    Yes. Most people get proper sick pay.

    How we know this

    86% of people say they would get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.

    Based on data from 7 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.

    At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.

    At a minimum, everyone is entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the government. See Citizens Advice for more details.

  • Needs improving
  • The job often spills into unpaid time

    Do jobs at Hampshire County Council Catering Services spill into time workers aren’t paid for?

    Yes. The job often spills into unpaid time.

    How we know this

    80% of people report that their job takes up time that they don’t get paid for.

    Based on data from 5 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between September 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.

Hours and flexibility

    Needs improving
  • Hard to book holiday

    How easy is it to book a holiday at Hampshire County Council Catering Services?

    Most people find it hard to book holiday.

    How we know this

    80% of people report it’s hard to book holidays.

    Based on data from 5 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between September 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.

  • Needs improving
  • Most people find it hard to take sick leave

    How easy is it to take sick leave at Hampshire County Council Catering Services?

    Most people find it hard to take sick leave.

    How we know this

    71% of people report that it’s hard to take time off if they are sick.

    Based on data from 7 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.

    A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.

  • Good
  • Most parents say it’s good

    Is working at Hampshire County Council Catering Services good if you’re a parent or carer?

    Most parents and carers say this is a good place to work.

    How we know this

    83% of people who care for a child or other relative report this is a good place to work.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between December 2022 and October 2024.

    Why this matters

    Whether it’s looking after children or caring for a relative, a good job should support your responsibilities outside of work.

Workplace

    Okay
  • Only some people feel treated with respect

    Do people at Hampshire County Council Catering Services feel treated with respect by their managers?

    Some people don’t feel treated with respect by their managers.

    How we know this

    60% of people say they’re not treated with respect by their managers.

    Based on data from 5 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between September 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.

  • Okay
  • Some people are stressed

    Is it stressful to work at Hampshire County Council Catering Services?

    Some people feel stressed here.

    How we know this

    50% of people say they often feel stressed at work.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.

    Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.

  • Good
  • Most people enjoy their job

    Do people at Hampshire County Council Catering Services enjoy their jobs?

    Most people enjoy their job.

    How we know this

    86% of people report they enjoy their job.

    Based on data from 7 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

  • Okay
  • Only some people recommend their team

    Do people at Hampshire County Council Catering Services recommend working with their team?

    Only some people recommend working with their team.

    How we know this

    57% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.

    Based on data from 7 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    A good job means enjoying the place where you work.

    The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.

    If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.

  • Okay
  • Only some people get enough training

    Do people get enough training when they start at Hampshire County Council Catering Services?

    Some people didn’t get enough training when they started.

    How we know this

    67% of people report they didn’t get enough training when they started working here.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between September 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.

    This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.

    It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.

  • Okay
  • Only some people get support to progress

    Are people given support to progress at Hampshire County Council Catering Services?

    Only some people are given support to progress here.

    How we know this

    In the last year, 50% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.

    This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.

  • Needs improving
  • Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening

    Do people think Hampshire County Council Catering Services head office understands what's happening where they work?

    Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.

    How we know this

    100% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.

    Based on data from 5 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between May 2024 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.

    To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.

  • Needs improving
  • Most people don’t feel well informed by head office

    Do workers feel well informed about how Hampshire County Council Catering Services is doing?

    Most people don’t feel well informed about how the company is doing.

    How we know this

    83% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.

    Based on data from 6 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.

    Why this matters

    At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.

    You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.

How Hampshire County Council Catering Services ranks

Hampshire County Council Catering Services ranks 74th to work for out of caterers.

  1. 72= Relish Group
    3.9
  2. 74 Hampshire County Council Catering Services
    3.7
  3. 75 Shack Events
    3.4

Rankings are based on Breakroom Ratings for employers with 5 or more Breakroom Quiz responses, accurate as of 17 July 2026.

Hampshire County Council Catering Services job reviews

  • Best thing

    The hours

    Worst thing

    Being pushed to take more responsibility when not wishing to or being paid for

    5.0

    Catering assistant at Hampshire County Council Catering Services, September 2021

    Report this review
  • Best thing

    Working term time and during school hours to be around for my children.

    Worst thing

    Being expected to put in extra hours and not having home life taken into account.

    2.8

    Cook supervisor at Hampshire County Council Catering Services, February 2021

    Report this review

Handy to know

How are people paid?

57%
by the hour
43%
an annual salary

Based on 7 Hampshire County Council Catering Services employees