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                                                                      EXHIBIT 12



                     MORRISON MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS, INC.

                                                               FEBRUARY 16, 2001

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS:

     I am pleased to inform you that Morrison Management Specialists, Inc., a
Georgia corporation ("Morrison"), has entered into a merger agreement with
Compass Group PLC, a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales
("Compass"), pursuant to which Compass has agreed to acquire Morrison. Under the
terms of the merger agreement, Yorkmont One, Inc., a Georgia corporation and a
wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Compass ("Yorkmont"), has today commenced a
tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock of Morrison
at $40.00 per share, net to the seller in cash. The shares of Common Stock of
Morrison not acquired in the tender offer will be converted into the right to
receive $40.00 per share in cash pursuant to a merger of the subsidiary of
Compass and Morrison (subject to dissenters' rights).

     Your Board of Directors has unanimously approved the tender offer, the
merger agreement, and the merger and determined that the tender offer and the
merger, considered as a whole, are fair to and in the best interests of the
shareholders of Morrison. Accordingly, your Board of Directors recommends that
all of the shareholders of Morrison accept the tender offer and tender all of
their shares and approve the merger agreement and the merger.

     In arriving at its decision, the Board of Directors considered a number of
factors, including the opinion of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. ("Bear Stearns"),
Morrison's financial advisor, that the consideration to be received by the
shareholders in the tender offer and the merger is fair from a financial point
of view.

     Accompanying this letter is a copy of Morrison's
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9, which contains
information regarding the factors considered by the Board of Directors in its
deliberations, a copy of the opinion of Bear Stearns and certain other
information regarding the tender offer and the merger, and a copy of an
Information Statement pursuant to Rule 14f-1 under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended. In addition, enclosed is the Offer to Purchase dated
February 16, 2001 of the subsidiary of Compass together with related materials,
including a Letter of Transmittal to be used for tendering your shares. I urge
you to read the enclosed materials carefully before making a decision with
respect to tendering your shares in the tender offer.

     I personally, along with the Board of Directors, management and employees
of Morrison, wish to thank you for your support.

                                        Sincerely,

                                        /s/ Glenn A. Davenport

                                        Glenn A. Davenport
                                        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer