GH Event Catering creates planning director role

East Lothian-based caterer GH Event Catering has appointed Ian Muckett to the newly created role of planning director.

Tasked with supporting the company's growth plans to double its turnover in the next financial year to £2m, Muckett has joined the business with a background in senior hospitality roles. These include general manager at Signet Library, Carlowrie Castle and senior hospitality manager at Heritage Portfolio.

He also has experience of high profile, diverse events, such as the Queen's Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace, which the caterer said would be beneficial to the management and development of the wedding and corporate hospitality venue Dunglass Estate in East Lothian.

GH Event Catering assumed sole management of last year, under a 10-year lease agreement. Forecasted sales for 2015 are estimated to be £325,000 while the remainder of the lease is valued at around £3m.

GH Event Catering's managing director Brian Galbraith welcomed Muckett to the team: "We are continuing to attract high calibre employees like Ian into the company, with a total of five senior appointments made in the past 18-months. One additional senior role will be taken on this year, bringing our core staff to 22.

"These appointments are in part, due to a number of significant new contract wins, including becoming the sole operator of Dunglass Estate in East Lothian.

"Our growth and plans to increase our business with the corporate market, particularly within the country's energy sectors led to opening an Aberdeen-based office last year. And through our team's hard work, passion and high standards of innovative catering, which have all contributed to our rapid growth, we won Best Business High Growth & Innovation Award 2014 at the East Lothian and Midlothian Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Awards."