Foodservice Cateys 2022: Regional Manager of the Year – Natasha Boshoff, BM
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The winner of the 2022 Regional Manager of the Year Foodservice Catey was described by our judges as leading from the floor. She is involved in all aspects of the business and goes the extra mile to ensure her teams are fulfilling their potential by setting a positive example at every turn.
Natasha Boshoff joined BM in 2017 as group catering manager of a seven-day-a-week operation near Uxbridge. She was quickly promoted to area manager, taking on a patch of well-established and newly won contracts with an annual turnover of £700,000. Within this role she mobilised an average of 11 new contracts a year.
Last year she was again promoted to operations manager, managing a variety of contracts in the Home Counties with an annual turnover of £2m. Under her leadership sales have exceeded budget consistently – this year standing at 18% over budget – and she has achieved a 100% client retention record. She has also achieved gross margin targets each month despite the difficulties presented by food inflation and fluctuating volumes due to hybrid working.
In response to the challenges presented by increased home working, Boshoff created fun ‘we miss you' videos to share on clients' internal comms channels as well as a series of health podcasts, which have proved popular. Pre-empting the challenges of the staffing shortage, Boshoff recruited mobile front of house and barista employees, reducing the reliance on temp agencies. She also set her focus on staff retention, challenging pay rates with clients and negotiating increases for her teams. As a result, her team turnover is less than 7%.
BM recognised Boshoff with an Inspiring People award in 2022, in recognition of the many times she has gone above and beyond. When the company saw a reluctance to sign up for the annual barista competition following the lockdowns, Boshoff put her own name forward, despite not being a trained barista. In return for some training at the coffee machine she mentored a team member in presentation skills and both reached the final of the competition.
She has since gone on to enter the Chef of the Year competition, despite having no formal training, as part of a deal with less confident junior chefs and chef managers.
Boshoff encourages her team to share ideas and encourages their career development. She insists managers join calls and has set up monthly marketing teams calls to discuss ideas and set targets. The results have seen year-on-year weekly sales growth of 320% across her sites, compared to 280% across the business as a whole.
As well as all this, Boshoff takes the time to support the Institute of Hospitality and the Association of Catering Excellence, as well as studying for an NVQ Level 5. It's no wonder the judges said the industry was in safe hands with managers like her leading the way.
What the judges said
"Natasha is a new generation manager and a true ambassador for our industry." Greg Bramwell
"Huge passion to lead from the front. Taking part in internal barista and chef competitions makes her stand out." Michiel Hageman
The shortlist
Natasha Boshoff, BM
Nick East, BaxterStorey
Shaun Mockridge, Eurest
Past winners
2021 Neil Quinn, Sodexo
2019 Rebecca Armstrong, the Genuine Dining Co
2018 Greg Bramwell, BaxterStorey
2017 Marie Arthur, Sodexo
2016 Catharine Barras, BaxterStorey
2015 Matt Wood, Restaurant Associates
2014 Michele Ribaudo, BaxterStorey
2013 Chloe Green, Lexington Catering
