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Food and Beverage

‘Buck stops with the marine

catering company’

D
irector of Marine Debt “Its responsibility is to ensure it
Management, Roger Symes, who collects payments from its customers in

spoke at the Convention panelgood time, so that it can pay you also in
on ‘What are the caterers looking for in good time.”

their ship suppliers?’ said often the ship He said there were advantages
supplier was not aware he was dealing of such companies for ship suppliers,

with a marine catering company.especially knowing who you are dealing
“Marine catering companies are a was not aware he was dealing with a with and the ship supplier should be able

signiicant presence in the market, so we marine catering company.”to rely on the marine catering company

are frequently writing reports on marine He said the most usual arrangement since it is not acting ‘as agents only’ or ‘as
catering companies and we must also was for such companies to be paid by managers only’.

chase marine catering companies for debts the ship owner or manager on a ixed “Unfortunately, it does not always
that they owe to ship suppliers,” he said.daily feeding rate i.e a fee paid per crew work out that way,” said Mr Symes.

“We are talking about third-party member per day.“In the same way there are good
marine catering companies employed by “The catering company purchases and bad ship owners, also good and

the ship owner or manager to take care from ship suppliers for its own account. bad ship suppliers, so too there are
of the supply of provisions to its ships.It does not purchase ‘as agents only or good and not so good marine caterers.

“What is apparent from the many ‘as managers only’ on behalf of the ship The ones that are not well managed
cases that are passed to my company for owner, so the buck stops with the marine cause major problems for ship

collection, is that often the ship suppliercatering company,” said Mr Symes.suppliers.” u