A team of catering equipment professionals has raised thousands of pounds for industry charity Springboard after cycling 250 miles from London to Paris. The ‘Team CESA’ group, which comprised Crystaltech’s Derek Maher, Williams’ Malcolm Harling, MCS Tech’s Vince Wetherall, Smeg’s Phil Coulstock and JLA’s Tony Thomas, were taking part in the Springboard Team Velo Challenge.…
Catering boss ‘leaves £41m to charity’ following tragic death in plane crash
Richard Cousins, the chief executive of Compass Group, who tragically died in a seaplane crash in Australia on New Year’s Eve has left a “substantial amount” of money to Oxfam. Mr Cousins was killed when the plane he was travelling in with his fiancée, her daughter, and his two sons plunged into a river 30…
Rational staffers scale Britain’s highest peaks for industry cause
A team of employees from Rational have completed the Three Peaks Challenge – the feat of scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours – for charity. Nine intrepid team members took part in the challenge, with four of the group – technical sales director Graham Kille, corporate chef Tom Bentham, customer service…
National Trust tackles ‘free-from’ menu challenge across its 350 kitchens
The National Trust – which operates in excess of 350 kitchens nationwide – has declared its intention to find ways of making ‘free-from’ options more accessible to customers even though the scale of its business creates significant menu challenges. The charity has added gluten-free and vegan options to its menus in recent years, but it…
Casual dining chain raises £50,000 for foundation inspired by industry legend
Leading Italian casual dining group Gusto has raised more than £50,000 for the foundation set up in honour of industry legend Tim Bacon. The group’s 19 restaurants collected donations from diners across January with all the funds going to the Tim Bacon Foundation. Mr Bacon was the co-founder and chairman of Living Ventures, the renowned restaurant group…
Testo sets employee challenge after reaching business milestone
Food safety and testing equipment manufacturer Testo has toasted 60 years of business with a gala dinner event and worldwide charity challenge. The test and measurement application specialist marked the anniversary with a special ceremony for its 1,300 employees, retirees, international guests and VIPs, and took on a worldwide charity challenge, with the aim of getting…
EXCLUSIVE: Catering sales contribute £71m to the National Trust’s income
The National Trust made sales of almost £71m from catering and foodservice last year, FEJ can reveal. Catering is now the third largest generator of revenue for the National Trust, behind enterprise and renewables and membership. Food is on course to become the second biggest contributor to the organisation next year if it maintains its current…
Costa execs go coast to coast for annual cycle fundraiser
A team of 20 executives from across Costa’s UK business are set to embark on a 150-mile cycle ride to raise money to build a school in Uganda. The team, which includes Chris Keast, head of operations for Costa Supply Chain, will be embarking on the ride on September 9-10 as part of the Costa…
Hobart warewash man to tackle 230-mile cross-Channel bike ride
Hobart Warewash’s marketing manager, Chris Birch, is tackling Springboard Charity’s 230-mile Team Velo London to Paris Cycle Challenge for the fourth time in a bid to raise money for charity. Birch (left), a veteran of the hospitality industry and keen cyclist, has raised hundreds of pounds for Springboard during previous events and hopes to net…
Ryan Giggs backs restaurant ‘meal for a meal’ initiative
A Manchester social enterprise backed by footballer Ryan Giggs is calling on restaurants to ‘donate a plate’ and serve up meals for the homeless. Foodinate, which aims to create a sustainable impact on food poverty, is asking restaurant owners across the country to offer a meal-for-a-meal deal to help the homeless. When a customer chooses…
