Three independent caterers have launched the first price comparison site for the catering industry after becoming frustrated in their efforts to compare suppliers’ offerings.

Improvethatprice.com was set up by Yoni Cohen, founder of The Bread Shop, and Faisal Haque and Moin Haque, who own gourmet wrap company Wrap It Up.

“We were always buying equipment but could only compare different suppliers by making notes on each one,” Cohen said. “It was frustrating - there were price comparison sites for everything except business catering.”

The site currently monitors the prices of 6,700 products across nine suppliers, including Makro and 3663. Its owners are looking to expand to new categories, including food, and more suppliers.

Users can browse products by category or type and, after viewing the price offered by each supplier, can click through to the supplier’s own site to order online.

Companies needed to shop around, said Cohen. “In an environment where businesses are being squeezed it is imperative that expensive items, such as kitchen equipment, are competitively priced.”