Contract catering Round-up

Lynch to head Select Service Partner

Andrew Lynch (above) has been appointed chief executive of Compass's reorganised international travel concessions division, Select Service Partner. The former finance director at the world's largest caterer has taken over the division, which now encompasses all of Compass Group's travel concession business as well as the development of its brand portfolio that includes Ritazza, Upper Crust, Harry Ramsden's and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Replacing Lynch, 47, is Andrew Martin, who joins from holiday group First Choice. Martin, 43, previously worked at Compass for six years in financial management roles and is returning to the caterer after two-and-a-half years with First Choice.

Lazeez catering at Asian wedding show

Café Lazeez, the Indian restaurant group, has been appointed official caterer of the Asian Wedding Exhibition 2004. The two-day event, which is in its 10th year, will be held at two venues, starting at Wembley Exhibition Hall in London on 31 January and then at Birmingham's NEC on 13 March. It is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors.

AWT takes up child obesity campaign

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson is taking part in the Food Standards Agency's campaign on poor diets and childhood obesity. In an article in the Guardian last week, he blamed parents not being bothered to cook as the most likely cause for the unhealthy diets of today's kids. He said a priority for the FSA's campaign should be to remove choice from school menus, ban food advertising directed at children and reintroduce cookery classes.

Let patients eat in peace, says HCA

The Hospital Caterers Association has launched a national campaign to encourage NHS trusts across the UK to participate in a "protected mealtimes" policy, whereby patients can eat meals without interruption. Loyd Grossman, honorary patron of the HCA, will launch the scheme on National Protected Mealtimes Day (4 March) at St Thomas' Hospital in London. A spokeswoman for the HCA said it was important that patients ate their meals in comfort, as interruptions reduced appetites and had a detrimental effect on recovery times.

Hopkinson wins Elizabeth Finn deal

Hopkinson Catering, the Warwickshire-based contract caterer, has won a three-year contract to provide catering and housekeeping services for residential-care home operator the Elizabeth Finn Trust. The contract, worth a total of £6.9m, will operate for 365 days a year on nine sites in the South-east, the Midlands and East Anglia and begins in April. The 160 existing employees will join Hopkinson, boosting its staff numbers to more than 700 and taking its total number of contracts past the 60 mark.