Vacherin ends first year on a high note

Vacherin, the start-up food service caterer, has won two more contracts to end its first year in operation with a total turnover of £2.3m.

The company was launched by Mark Philpott, formerly managing director of Director's Table, and Clive Hetherington towards the end of November last year. From the outset it has targeted business and industry contracts in the City of London and the West End.

It celebrated its year-end by announcing two more deals with chartered surveyors Drivers Jonas and Cyril Sweett.

Philpott said: "We tripled last year's business plan. We're passionate about food and employ people who are passionate about food as well." He said the company's management fee-only approach was paying dividends in the market and allowed a far freer sourcing policy, particularly if a client demanded certain products.

"The marketplace is dominated by companies that are less and less flexible in the way they work and the marketplace wants more flexibility," he added. The company had exceeded his expectations, but was still a long way off attracting City giants like Merrill Lynch or PricewaterhouseCoopers.