About Us
Discover the story behind The Litmus Partnership - the UK’s leading food service, purchasing, and soft-FM consultancy. Built on expertise, trust, and innovation, we help clients achieve best value, long-term operational success, and greater control with less pressure - so you and your team can focus on what matters most.
Taking it back to the start
The Litmus Partnership was founded by Tim Cookson in 1999, built on three key ingredients: expertise, trust, and innovation.
Having spent a long and successful career in the contract catering industry, Tim understood the sector inside out — from both the contractor’s and the client’s perspective. This insight revealed a clear opportunity: to help organisations achieve the best possible value from their catering contracts through fair, transparent and data-driven consultancy.
Litmus quickly became recognised as a trusted authority, frequently called upon for industry insights and best practice. At a time when consultancy was often fragmented, Tim and his team brought professionalism, structure and balance — creating a fairer process for both clients and contractors, with fees designed to be affordable for all.
Our approach
From initial consultation, to planning, implementation and beyond, we are with you, every step of the way.
Litmus in Numbers
the last 5 years
per year
adopting Litmus Edge
The evolution of the Litmus Partnership
What began with catering contract consultancy soon evolved into a far broader offering. Today, The Litmus Partnership supports clients across every aspect of operational performance — from strategic reviews, benchmarking and monitoring, to procurement, smart software solutions and insight and data-driven transformation.
At the heart of everything we do
Expertise
We recruit the very best Consultants across every sector we serve. Each member of our team brings decades of hands-on experience — many having walked in our clients’ shoes before becoming consultants. This unique perspective ensures we understand every challenge from the inside, allowing us to deliver practical, actionable solutions that achieve results.
Trust
We believe that trust is earned — not assumed. It’s why we operate with complete transparency, giving clients the confidence that every recommendation is in their best interest. Our advice is evidence-based, our processes auditable, and our communication clear at every stage.
We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards, fostering relationships built on reliability, integrity and mutual respect. For our clients, this means confidence in every decision and assurance that we’ll deliver what we promise — every time.
Our clients see us as a member of their own teams – include video of Joe or Candice here – which one TBC by Rachel. Plus 1 other video that is a general video where Candice talks about the above content – why we started, and how we have evolved.
Innovation
Innovation sits at the heart of Litmus. We continually adapt and respond to our clients’ changing needs through products and systems that simplify complexity and add measurable value. From our Consumer Insight tools and Tender Management System to Monitoring & Analytics and Procurement Solutions, we turn data into clarity and insight into action — keeping our clients ahead of the curve.
The sectors we support
With Tim guiding the business as Chair, Candice Finn as Managing Director and backed by a team of Consultants that hold the most decades of experience across the sectors we operate in, Litmus continues to lead and be trusted by schools, multi-academy trusts, universities, NHS Trusts, and commercial organisations nationwide.
Our fees
We believe expert consultancy should be accessible to every organisation, which is why our fees are designed to be flexible and transparent. From straightforward fixed fees and pay-monthly contract lifetime models to performance-based mutual reward and long-term client agent agreements, we’ll help you find the right funding approach for your needs.
Our goal is simple — to provide clarity, fairness and value at every stage of your project.
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
At Litmus Partnership, our ESG commitment runs through everything we do — reducing environmental impact, giving back through the Litmus Haven Fund, and upholding the highest standards of governance and integrity.
The Litmus Partnership Haven Fund
At Litmus, we believe in using our expertise to make a difference where it matters most. The Litmus Haven Fund was created by our Chair, Tim Cookson, to support organisations that genuinely need our consultancy services but lack the resources to fund them. This includes charities, special needs schools, and other community settings that deliver vital work yet face ongoing financial pressures.
The Fund is sustained through a percentage of our profits, with additional contributions made each time we receive feedback on a new proposal – as well as monthly staff contributions. It’s our way of ensuring that the success we achieve with our clients helps others benefit too — extending the positive impact of what we do far beyond our day-to-day consultancy work.
Through the Haven Fund, we’ve already been able to support inspiring organisations such as Treloar School and College, which provides education, care and independence training to young people with physical disabilities. The Fund allows us to offer our expertise free of charge, helping these organisations strengthen their operations and continue the incredible work they do.
If you know of an organisation that could benefit from the Litmus Haven Fund, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Us
We love to connect with business leaders that want to make a change. Contact our friendly team to request a no obligation chat about your current challenges and goals.