Ex-Granada boss to seek new contracts

The former boss of Granada Food Services (GFS) plans to build up his new contract catering firm by winning business from scratch, but has not ruled out the possibility of buying another operator.

Alastair Storey quit his role as managing director of GFS in February (Caterer, 3 February, page 4) and has teamed up with Keith Wilson, former finance director at GFS, to create Wilson Storey. The new firm is based in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Also on board are Tjalka Boersma, previously a regional managing director at GFS, where he was in charge of contracts in areas such as airports and ferry terminals. He becomes operations director. Sarah Mellor, ex-sales manager at Baxter & Platts, becomes business development manager.

The company aims to focus on the business and industry sector and on the "semi-captive retail market" in locations such as airports and museums.

Storey said acquisitions were not part of his plan, but added: "If there was an organisation that presented itself that fitted our vision then we would look at it."

There was "no truth whatsoever" in rumours that he had been eyeing Berkshire-based contractor Charlton House as a takeover target.

But Robyn Jones, managing director of Charlton House, claimed: "I did have an approach but I told him to get lost."

Storey responded: "I had about a two-minute conversation with her. In no way, shape or form could it be construed as an approach to buy the business."

Rather than selling her business, Jones said she was looking to buy another firm herself. She is in the early stages of talks with one other contract caterer and a high-street operator.

Charlton House has about 20 contracts, mainly in the South-east of England.

by David Shrimpton