In this episode of Served. Founder Stories, Peter Baech sat down with Simon Houston FIH, Co-founder and Director of Houston & Hawkes, to explore his journey from university placement to leading one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent caterers.
Founded in 2019, Houston & Hawkes has become known for its people-first culture, independent ownership, and B Corp certification - all achieved while navigating a global pandemic.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have always been part of the contract catering world - but in recent years, M&A activity has accelerated. From billion-euro exits to independents joining forces with larger groups, consolidation is reshaping the landscape. Newest example being Compass Group's acquisition of Vermaat for €1.5 billion.
In this Served. panel talk, we sat down with two experts who know both sides of the table: Graeme Smith, Corporate finance specialist at AlixPartners, and Ruston Toms FIH, Co-Founder and Former Director of Blue Apple Workplace Catering , who sold his business to CH&CO which then got acquired by Compass Group.
In this episode of Served., Peter Baech talks with Tony Johnson, CCXP, former Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Aramark and now CXO at 4xi Global Consulting. With more than 14 years in one of the world’s largest food service companies, Tony shares what he's learned about building a culture of service that actually works in contract catering.
From what great service really means to balancing tech and human touch, Tony makes one thing clear: if you want better customer experiences, you have to start with your people.
She started by making sandwiches at 5am. Now she leads global strategy for Sodexo. In this wide-ranging conversation, Catharine Barras shares career lessons, food tech trends, and her predictions for how we’ll eat and work in 2035.
“If you don’t put your hand up, you’ll never be recognised.” - Catharine Barras.
In episode 8 of Served., we sat down with Catharine Barras, Global COO for Strategic Accounts at Sodexo, to explore her leadership journey across continents and companies.
We cover:
Her rise from bar shifts to boardrooms
The reality of being a female exec in a male-dominated industry
Global vs local catering models
How tech, AI, and dark kitchens are reshaping corporate food service
And what 2035 might look like for the next generation of eaters, chefs, and clients
Insightful, grounded, and refreshingly forward-looking - this episode is a must-read (and must-watch).
Welcome back to Served., where we dig into the ideas shaping the future of foodservice. This week, we’re talking about ESG, not as a PR exercise, but as a serious lever for performance in contract catering.
Eline Henriksen caught up with Gina Camfield , Head of ESG at Aramark UK & Global Offshore, to find out what it really looks like when sustainability is part of the business model. From cutting food waste across hundreds of kitchens to turning social impact into measurable value, this is ESG with substance, not slogans.
Welcome back to another edition of Served., where we explore ideas shaping the future of foodservice. This week, we’re diving into a core ingredient of sustainable growth in contract catering: loyalty. Toby Bonnett sat down with George Gee (CLMP™) - widely known as The Loyalty Man - to unpack what truly drives customer loyalty, what most schemes get wrong, and how contract caterers can unlock meaningful, measurable engagement.
Tenders shape the future of contract catering. They determine who gets to serve food the food, and create experiences in offices, universities, and public institutions across the globe, but what actually matters when the decision of catering company is to be made?
To dive deeper into this, we spoke with three experienced consultants in the industry - people who’ve sat through hundreds of tender presentations, advised some of the world’s biggest clients across both the U.S., UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and know exactly why some bids stand out while others fall flat.
In this episode of Served., we had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris Chidley, Chief Commercial Officer for Compass Group in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. With over two decades in the industry - 17 of those years spent in the UK before moving to APAC - Chris has seen the industry change and adapt in many ways.
Asia is the fastest-growing market for Contract Catering, with expectations for continued expansion in the coming years. The demand for workplace dining solutions is increasing rapidly, driven by economic growth, urbanization, and a strong emphasis on food culture across the region.
From the growing focus on workplace dining to the role of technology and sustainability, our conversation covered the differences between Europe and Asia-Pacific, the future of catering, and what it takes to build a strong career in this business.
The world has developed rapidly over the last few years, where especially remote work caused by the pandemic has played a huge role in shaping how work is done.
One of the key questions to ask: How will the future of work look like? And how will this affect workplace catering?
To dive into this theme, we have had the pleasure of sitting down with Henrik Jarleskog, who is the Head of Future of Work at Sodexo A/S.
Henrik’s journey into the Future of Work began five years ago when Sodexo's CEO recognized that the pandemic would permanently alter the workplace. Rather than simply reacting, Sodexo sought to lead the conversation by researching and educating the market to better understand what was coming.
The Contract Catering industry is no stranger to bold leaders, but few have tackled the challenges and opportunities of the sector quite like Bill Toner. As the former CEO of CH&CO, Bill led an incredible journey of growth - starting with a 12-million-pound company and turning it into a 500-million-pound industry giant through a combination of organic growth and smart acquisitions.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Bill for a conversation about leadership, growth, and what it takes to build a powerhouse in the contract catering space. His insights are gold for anyone looking to scale their business or make a name in hospitality.
