Food Service Caterer of the Year
"THERE'S an awful lot of hot air in the industry, and many people talk a good job rather than do a good job." So said Charles Boyd, managing director of caterer Chester Boyd in an interview last year. Fortunately for him, the independent judging panel for this year's Food Service Caterer of the Year award decided he was one of the latter rather than the former.
Boyd set up the company in 1983, in a joint venture with London livery company the Worshipful Company of Butchers. From that one-contract operation, he has steered the business through nearly 18 years of growth to build a company with sales of some £10m a year and more than 300 employees.
Chester Boyd has carved a permanent niche in the difficult and often overlooked City of London events market and established itself at a series of prestigious venues, including the Butchers' Hall, Founders' Hall and Honourable Artillery Company.
Dynamism and innovation
The company now caters at more than 100 events in an average week, and has won an excellent name throughout the City, based on a reputation for dynamism and innovation.
Perhaps the most decisive factor contributing to Boyd being awarded the Food Service Catey this year was the fact that he has always been willing to take risks. In the early days he sold his car and borrowed £10,000 to get the company off the ground. And last year he took on the massive task of catering for 1,200 guests at the Millennium Catey awards, braving the razor-sharp scrutiny of his peers in the industry.
"He took a risk in forming Chester Boyd and that's a very difficult thing to do," said judge William Baxter. "It's his livelihood. Every time he puts a meal out, he could fail," added fellow judge Jane Sunley.
A further key factor was his staying power and commitment to the industry, with his company putting in solid financial performances year after year, despite working in an often volatile market. Said Baxter: "He's been in the industry for 18 years and has been a consistent performer. He's not a flash in the pan. He's put a lot of personal effort into the industry."
Boyd was also commended for his energy and enthusiasm. Sunley said: "He's the driving force behind the company." He is also committed to developing young people within Chester Boyd and devolving responsibility to help nurture their talents. He delights in seeing them succeed in the industry. Outside the company, Boyd has been heavily involved in charity work and was also one of the founders of the Backbone Party, which fought to lift the beef-on-the-bone ban and promote the merits of British meat.
Boyd adds the Food Service Catey to the Booker Prize for Excellence for Best Caterer in the UK, which he won in 1997. n
