Stroud College in Gloucestershire (SCG) has awarded 7 Day Catering a five year contract to manage the catering and hospitality services at its main campus in Stroud, including vending.
The contract, which has a turnover of around £215,000, will be operated initially by a team of six 7 Day Catering staff.
Facilities include a light and airy cafeteria, large shop and attractive patio eating area outside for use in the summer months. 7 Day Catering provides a wide range of hot and cold snacks, meals and beverages, including vegetarian and healthy eating choices for students and staff, as well as providing working lunches, buffets for training events and governor lunches.
The contract also covers four vending machines to clean and fill, and the busy team will be required to deliver the services to an extremely high standard.
Stroud’s new £18m college, which currently has over 1,000 full time and 2,500 part time students, was officially opened in July 2007. The college offers an extensive range of courses to a wide variety of students ranging from 14 year-olds experiencing their first taste of college life, to adults looking for a new challenge.
7 Day Catering undertook a competitive tender exercise and one of the key reasons that SCG chose the company was that it demonstrated a good understanding of the college’s requirements.
Andrew Clare, Deputy Principal and Director of Finance at SCG explained: “The 7 Day Catering team appeared to be a close cultural match for SCG from the outset, and its site visit and documentation supported this. Healthy living food and Fairtrade products featured heavily on our wish list and 7 Day Catering was quick to offer solutions to both.”
7 Day Catering is now in its 12th year of business, and Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Johnson, says he has been keen to grow the further education side of the company.
“We feel exceptionally fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a client such as SCG”, he explained. “The building and facilities are stunning; it really is state of the art, with recording studios, hair and beauty salons, and a performing arts theatre. It gives us a great platform to provide truly inspiring culinary delights.
“Our experience in the further education arena has shown us that choice is the key to operating a successful catering service. By reflecting what’s happening in the high street, with coffee culture, and deli styles, we keep things on trend and tempting to the customer. Encouraging students to eat a wide ranging and healthier diet can seem a challenge, but by offering balanced and varied meals, mixed with bright and innovative marketing techniques means there’s something for everyone.”
New team members
7 Day Catering has also announced the appointment of new Sales Managers – Ian Carpenter and John Hamill. Ian joins from Sodhexo, where he spent 20 years in sales and operational roles. In his new role, he is responsible for sales and business development in the South East and East Anglia region.
John brings experience in both operations and sales following a 19-year career that spans a number of sectors in the hospitality industry. He is now responsible for business development in the South/South West region.
Mark Johnson comments: “Ian and John are highly-regarded for their work in the field, and their arrival adds extra strength and depth, helping us to develop our client base in the South”.
http://www.7daycatering.co.uk/
