‘Unsung hero’ and hospitality advocate Dick Turpin dies

Dick Turpin, a former Cateys Lifetime Achievement Award winner, has died at the age of 92.

 

Turpin passed away peacefully on 18 June, according to a statement from his family.

 

The hospitality veteran was described as an “unsung hero” when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Cateys in recognition of his altruistic approach to the industry. He is also viewed as a foundational figure of Compass Group. 

 

Having started his career in the Army Catering Corps, he moved into hotelkeeping at Park Hall hotel in Wolverhampton before being named managing director of the Berni Inn Group, where he oversaw 285 steakhouses and 21 million meals annually.

 

After merging three catering companies owned by Grand Metropolitan, in 1981, he became founder managing director of Compass Services Catering and Vending, employing 18,000 staff across 2,000 locations.

 

He was later appointed chief executive of Letheby & Christopher (then owned by Delaware North), where he managed clients including Ascot racecourse and Arsenal Football Club.

 

In 1988, he and Peter Smale founded Turpin Smale Catering Consultants, where the pair oversaw more than 350 assignments.

 

Turpin continued to work for industry bodies well into his semi-retirement, including Hospitality Action, for whom he was vice-chair, the Savoy Educational Trust, where he served as trustee and chair, and the Ark Foundation and Ark for Business.

 

He was also adviser to the castle and gardens of Mey in Caithness, chairman of CV Check, a pre-employment screening specialist, and adviser to eight agricultural shows.

 

Turpin received an MBE in the 2013 New Year Honours List in light of his charitable services to the hospitality industry.

 

Industry pays tribute

 

Charles Manners, director, Turpin Smale Consultants

 

“Dick has had a wonderful career in hospitality. His name and reputation continued long after he retired, and we were working with clients who knew him. He was always very encouraging and insightful, and I for one really appreciated his guidance and help.”

 

Angela Maher, chief executive, Savoy Educational Trust

 

“Dick Turpin made an outstanding contribution to the hospitality industry throughout his distinguished career, and the Savoy Educational Trust was privileged to benefit from his knowledge and leadership during his service as a trustee from 1998-2013 and chair from 2008-2011. He was a passionate advocate for hospitality education and for supporting the next generation of talent. His wisdom, generosity and commitment to developing future professionals left a lasting impression on the Trust and the wider industry. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

 

Mark Lewis, chief executive, Hospitality Action

 

"I only got to know Dick Turpin after he’d retired from the career that earned him the Lifetime Achievement Catey Award in 2012. By the time we met, he was semi-retired, though still travelling regularly from his West Country home to John O’Groats, where he oversaw the hospitality at the Castle of Mey; and still actively contributing to Hospitality Action as vice-chair of the board of trustees. Kind, supportive and committed, Dick brought a dedication to the board which I, in my first trustee role, always admired and always looked to mimic."

 

Dominic Blakemore, Group CEO, Compass Group 

 

“We are very sorry to hear of the passing of Dick Turpin, a pivotal figure in shaping Compass Group as we know it today. Dick led the merger of Bateman Catering and Midland Counties at a defining moment for the industry. It was a complex task, but he brought clear vision, energy and a strong sense of what the business could become. In doing so, he helped lay the foundations for what would eventually become Compass Group and shaped the culture we still maintain today. We are grateful for Dick’s lasting contribution and the difference he made. Our thoughts are with his family and all who knew him.”

 

Please send your tributes to Dick Turpin to jungmin.seo@thecaterer.com