Food Service Caterer of the Year
Nomination form](http://www.processrequest.com/quickstart/survey.asp?e=XbcahejcCF-RaA&oid=UcgifCB" target="_blank)
Anyone who thinks contract catering is boring should take a look at the work of the last two winners of the Catey for Food Service Caterer of the Year.
Last year it was Charles Boyd, the man who set up contract caterer Chester Boyd. The company, which has developed a prestigious niche market in catering for events in the City of London, is about as far removed from the unglamorous image of the 1960s works canteen as you could get.
The firm was set up by Boyd in 1983 in a joint venture with the Worshipful Company of Butchers. From that single contract operation he has built a company with more than 300 staff and £10m a year turnover, catering for hundreds of events a month. The company has established itself at a series of prestigious venues, including the Honourable Artillery Company, Butchers' Hall and Founders' Hall.
One of the reasons why Boyd was picked by last year's judges was that he is a man prepared to take risks. To set up Chester Boyd he sold his car and borrowed £10,000, and in 2000 he took on the job of catering for 1,200 guests at the Millennium Cateys. Taking on a high-profile event like that under the scrutiny of your peers is a job from which lesser caterers would have shied away, but not Boyd.
The previous year the winner of the award was another contract catering leader, Chris Hind of Nelson Hind, who not only built the company into the largest independent firm in its field in the country before it was taken over by Elior, but also won a big reputation for investing in training and development.
In 1999 it was Fergus Chambers, the man who reinvented Glasgow's schools canteens, turning them into fast-food style areas which more than doubled the number of students using them.
Do you know anybody who could follow in their footsteps to become Food Service Caterer of the Year in 2002? Every winner is picked on merit, but past experience shows a common thread. They will show a dedication to the industry as a whole, as well as to their own business, perhaps being involved in training schemes, industry associations or otherwise raising the profile of contract catering.
To nominate someone, fill in the form on page 36, including your supporting statement of up to 200 words. The closing date is 22 February, and judging will take place at the Dorchester hotel, London, on Friday 26 April.
Judges' criteria
The Food Service Caterer of the Year will be a senior executive who has contributed to the food service sector in any of the following areas:
- Business and industry.
- Education.
- Healthcare and institutional catering.
- Both in-house and contract caterers are eligible. They will be able to combine innovation with sound financial performance, as well as demonstrate clear achievements over the past 12 months.
2001 Winner:
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| MasterFoodServices sales and marketing director Andy Cleverdon and the Food Service Caterer of the Year, Charles Boyd |
Previous Winners:
- 2000 Chris Hind
- 1999 Fergus Chambers
- 1998 Tim West
- 1997 Don Davenport
- 1996 William Baxter & Robert Platts
- 1995 Frank Bell
- 1994 Roger Davis
- 1993 Jacqui Newton
- 1992 Avril Robertson
- 1991 Robbie Brown
- 1990 Charles Allen
- 1989 Marc Verstringhe
- 1988 Arnold Fewell
- 1987 Brian Watts
- 1986 Sheila Mitchell
- 1985 Mary Scott Morgan
- 1984 Jean Alexander
Sponsored by: MasterFoodServices
[Nomination form](http://www.processrequest.com/quickstart/survey.asp?e=XbcahejcCF-RaA&oid=UcgifCB" target="_blank)
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