Waldegrave buys Leith's School

LEITH'S School of Food and Wine in London has been sold to Caroline Waldegrave, the school's managing director and principal.

Mrs Waldegrave, who co-founded theschool with Prue Leith in 1975, bought the establishment this week from Eurest International, the French contract caterer owned by Accor.

Eurest acquired the school only last year when Prue Leith sold her entire business, apart from her London restaurant, to the caterer.

Ms Leith, who remained managing director of the catering business, will also remain closely involved with the school. She described the sale as the best solution both for Eurest and the school, which currently has 96 full-time students.

"Eurest wants to focus on developing its core business in the UK, which is catering, not training, and it is only right after all these years that Caroline should have a stake in the business she developed," she said.

Mrs Waldegrave, wife of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster William Waldegrave, made the acquisition with backing from Sir Christopher Bland, former chairman of LWT. She said she planned to run the school in exactly the same way as before.

"We will keep the personal and friendly atmosphere which the school has always achieved," she said.