Saltire Hospitality boosts retail business with NLS win
Scottish foodservice firm Saltire Hospitality has grown its retail business to be worth more than £1m following the award of a new contract at National Library of Scotland (NLS).
The two-year deal will see the Edinburgh-based caterer operate the café facility at the public space, which attracts more than 20,000 visitors a month.
The NLS café, situated in the George IV Bridge Building, has 65 covers and is open seven days a week. New staff with retail experience have been recruited to bolster the existing team and run the café, which will serve freshly made hot and cold snacks produced at Saltire's central production unit in Ingliston.
Other high profile retail contracts for Saltire Hospitality include the operations of cafes at two of VisitScotland's five-star tourist attractions, Rossyln Chapel and the National Mining Museum.
To fulfill retail contracts, Saltire Hospitality works in partnership with sister company, Saltire Patisserie, which also provides outlets such as Dynamic Earth, Harvey Nichols, Aurora Hotel Collection and the Montpellier Group with daily deliveries of fresh breads, desserts and pastries.
Saltire has appointed its first retail area manager as the company continues to drive the growth of the retail business. John McNiven joins the firm with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry including staff management roles at Edinburgh venue, The Dome, and for Belhaven Brewery in Stirling.
McNiven commented: "As we push to grow the retail business my role will be to ensure a continued high quality standard of service and product is delivered across our units and that our well trained, passionate staff provide excellent customer service.
"Many of the NLS staff use the café and feedback since we opened its doors at the beginning of the year has been very positive, with sales already exceeding expectations."
John Coll, Head of Access for the Library, added: "The contract was awarded following a competitive tendering exercise with Saltire impressing us with the high quality of what they had to offer. We look forward to working in partnership with them."
Founded in 2000, Saltire has a £3m turnover and employs 50 staff at its Ingliston head office, production unit and bakery with a further 15 employees based at sites across Midlothian.
Last year, the company also boosted business within outdoor public events by securing high profile contracts for the official street party to celebrate the Forth Bridges Festival and the Commonwealth Flotilla reception party.
David Peters, managing director of Saltire Hospitality, said: "A drive to grow the retail business is part of Saltire's broader expansion plans and prestigious contracts such as National Library of Scotland enable us to demonstrate that we can deliver a full catering service using locally sourced, fresh produce on an ongoing basis to venues with high footfall."
