Stephen Charles, Managing Director of Vivreau was presented with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his contribution to sustainability across the hospitality sector as part of the ACE Sustains awards created by the Association of Catering Excellence (ACE).
ACE Sustains was launched last year to celebrate those that stand out in the food service sector for innovation in their approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The 2014 awards took place at London Zoo on Wednesday 16th July at ACE’s annual summer networking event.
Vivreau continue to innovate and develop new solutions to help companies not only reduce their carbon footprint but also reduce unnecessary expenditure on pre-bottled mineral waters.
ACE Chair, Jeni Edwards says “Stephen Charles has taken Vivreau from humble beginnings to a highly successful international business and deserves our applause.”
Vivreau is a privately owned company, founded in the late 1980’s as a family business by Stephen Charles and his late father, Howard Cohen. The pioneers of water bottling systems, Stephen and his dad invented the very first table water bottling system. Frustrated by the cost and inconvenience of buying and storing bottled mineral water, an Indian restaurant in Wembley was their first customer. They went on to create a business that has had a massive impact on the hospitality sector by reducing the need for bottled water to be imported and transported all around the globe at a huge cost to the environment.
Stephen Charles was delighted with the award: “To be recognised by an association with the credibility of ACE is extremely humbling. My Father and I started this business due to our concern for the environment and to be awarded a lifetime achievement over 20 years later for something that I still wholeheartedly believe in is absolutely amazing. Vivreau has been built on the same fundamental principles that led my Father and I to develop the first Table Water Bottling System and to see it grow the way it has, is extremely satisfying. Thank you ACE for such a wonderful award.”
Vivreau is the industry standard for all hospitality and catering environments from corporate headquarters and leading hotels to Michelin starred restaurants, and now services the needs of the world’s leading companies including approximately 75% of the top 100 UK companies and many fortune 500 companies. They are even serving Vivreau in The White House now!
From its inception Vivreau’s purified drinking water systems provided an environmentally positive alternative to pre-bottled mineral waters, a fact that has become a key driver in recent years for clients who have become increasingly concerned about their environmental impact.
As Stephen was away at the time of the award, Stephen’s mum, Sue Cohen, collected the award on his behalf together with Vivreau’s Marketing & Communications Director, Debbie Tate.
