Host Management, the national contract catering company, has furthered its ambition to grow its business in Scotland by being appointed to run the catering and cleaning provision at the Aberdeen and Dundee-based James Hutton Institute and the catering contract at John Wheatley College, Glasgow.
The Institute, a distinguished crop research centre, has 800 employees. The three-year contract was previously held by Sodexo and Compass.
Said regional director for Scotland Alan McDonald: “Over the past 12 months we have focused our attention on Scotland, which has a growing market and a real need for a niche caterer like Host. While we are a national company, our focus is very much on offering a personal service based on providing freshly cooked, locally sourced food.
“We are delighted to have these contracts and look forward to working with both the James Hutton Institute and John Wheatley College. Winning these contracts means our business now spans Scotland from the Borders to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee through to Fraserburgh.”
Earlier this year Host was awarded a three-site catering contract with Glasgow-based call centre specialist Response. The company also runs the catering provision at The Seafood Company’s Macrae of Fraserburgh site.
Host’s CEO, Scottish-born Bill Toner, is keen to capitalise on Scotland’s strong food heritage and last year forged a training alliance with Gleneagles’ Michelin-starred chef Andrew Fairlie. The agreement sees Host’s chefs spending time at Gleneagles to improve their culinary skills and to gain inspiration from Fairlie’s team.
Alan McDonald, 42, became Host’s regional director for Scotland in February 2012, joining the company from Elior, where he was operations director for Scotland. He is based in Newton Mearns, Glasgow and has over 23 years of contract catering experience.
He is assisted in Scotland by former Baxter Storey chef Jim Williams, as project chef manager, who works with Host’s Scottish units on menus and recipe development.
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For further information or comment please contact Linda Pettit at Tilburstow Media Partners on 01342 832866 / 07973 789853 or linda@tilburstowmedia.co.uk.
Alternatively Call Alan McDonald on 07990 975 245.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Host is an independent, nationally based, contract catering company founded in 2004. The company, headed up by former Aramark UK CEO Bill Toner, has contracts in Scotland, Wales and mainland England including business & industry, directors and partners dining rooms, conference facilities, independent (prep, senior and 6th form) schools, state schools, further and higher education, and the healthcare industry in care homes, hospices and hospitals.
In July and September 2012 Host announced its first acquisitions, Couture and Juice for Life, trading as OJ’s. The acquisitions, part of the company’s stated strategy for growth, take Host into new areas of business including leisure and heritage sites.