Up for the cup: Compass Group chief executive Francis Mackay, left, and managing director Roger Matthews celebrated a fine first half performance yesterday as the company won a contact to provide catering at this year's World Cup in France. First half results to March 29 showed pre-tax profits up 20.2% at #67.8m and 28% growth in earnings per share to 14.6p, excluding currency effects. The interim dividend is lifted from 3.1p to 3.5p. The caterer, which entered the FTSE-100 in March, is tapping a global market for outsourced food catering worth more than #100bn a year - a market which is still more than 80% self-operated. The City was impressed and marked the shares up 25p at 1140p - almost double their value some six months ago.