Principal Hotel Company appoints group nutritionist
Principal Hotel Company, which includes the Principal and De Vere brands, has appointed Wendy Martinson to the newly created role of group nutritionist.
Martinson, who is the lead nutritionist for the Great Britain rowing team and lead performance nutritionist for the English Institute of Sport, will consult across the group's 45-strong UK portfolio of hotels and venues.
Her remit includes assisting with the creation of nutritionally balanced menus, the development of Burr & Co's - the group's coffee brand - product offer, and devising breakout sessions and personal training sessions for delegates at meetings and events.
In the New Year 2010 honours list, Martinson was awarded an OBE for services to sport and to nutrition.
Gail Hunter, group human resources director at Principal Hotel Company, said: "We are mid-way through a significant programme of investment in our portfolio to ensure that it is ‘future fit' and that we continue to cater for the diverse requirements of our clients. A major component of this is focused on enhancing our impressive outdoor spaces as well as refining our meetings and events offer, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks as we launch our new meeting, conference and events brand.
"As a result of this, along with the fact that a legitimate, high quality health and wellness offer is increasingly important to bookers, it felt like a natural progression to create the role of group nutritionist."
Martinson added: "I'm delighted to join the team at Principal Hotel Company. The right food and environment can greatly impact the enjoyment and productivity of meetings and events. Maintaining the concentration, motivation and energy levels of delegates is a key component.
"Working with the development chef and the wider team, I'll utilise my knowledge and experience of nutrition and performance to help create a series of new menus featuring delicious, nutritious dishes to enable delegates to get the most out of their event. We will also look to devise breakout and activity sessions allowing clients and delegates to benefit from the amazing outdoor spaces available across the portfolio."
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