Year: 2019

What an absolutely amazing first year in 2019 for us at TAF as we reflect and celebrate (especially being touted proverbial new kids on the catering consultancy block)!

First Year Highlights

TAF’s Top of the Pops highlights 15 of the projects we’ve completed:

1. 5 MARKET REVIEWS (100% workplace catering)
2. 500% Average SALES UPLIFT (after the Market Reviews we’ve completed)
3. 3 Coffee and Café BENCHMARK REPORTS
4. 10 Happy B&I Catering Consultancy CLIENTS (Facilities and Procurement)
5. 1 KITCHEN DESIGN (in a London landmark building)
6. 1 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
7. 30+ CATERER MEETINGS
8. 33% Response rates from CUSTOMER SURVEYS
9. 62,000 CUSTOMERS at client sites benefiting from better workplace catering
10. 8 Leading CUSTOMER APPS analysed
11. 10+ Industry-shaping EVENTS attended
12. 1 Charity Ball SPONSORSHIP
13. 1 JUDGING of one of the foodservice industry’s most illustrious awards
14. 1 Little Girl in Tanzania SPONSORED
15. 1 MAGAZINE Feature

Today we are mostly celebrating 1 year of the TAF Catering Consultancy Ltd and, hurrah, what a phenomenal ride!

Apparently we’re THE “fresh, forward-thinking, innovative, app-savvy & sustainability-focused” catering consultancy (not our words but some of the words used by the clients who’ve appointed us).

Hospitality UK* reported last year that the hospitality sector employed 3.2 million people and produced £130 billions of economic activity. It represented 10% of UK employment and third largest private sector employer. Hospitality is the largest sub-sector of the tourism industry, employing around three-quarters of its total workforce. Its contribution to the overall UK employment rate is impressive, being one of the seven top employers in every region in the country (11% employment across all regions).

Despite the historical figures, most occupations in hospitality, in 2019, are still perceived as “low-skilled” by the general public, making its appeal and recruitment rates poor compared to other industries.

Yesterday we attended BITES Live 2019. Hospitality business leaders shared thoughts with us on challenges and opportunities within the sector. A lively thought-provoking day, the speakers addressed independent F&B businesses, well-known pub and restaurant chains, food retailers and consultants. The common goal: to be inspir
ed, gain valuable insight and exchange experiences.

Our Conference Highlights

1. Savanta | Top 100 Most Loved Eating Out Brands

The “Top 100 most loved eating out brands” were presented by market research company Savanta in a report, charts and a video shedding light and insight on consumer behaviour and what makes customers loyal to brands. NB. Their report, which we now have copies of, is due to be launched later this month.

Our catering consultancy is not even a year old and, for the first time, I was invited to be a judge for one of the most illustrious set of awards in our industry last Friday. With this said, it’s pretty fair to say I was super excited.

Why is this? I’ve always valued awards ceremonies as they highlight outstanding individuals, companies and initiatives making significant contributions to an industry – in this case, looking at the exceptional talent drawn from the wonderful world of contract catering, evaluating who does ”it” best and then presenting those considered the “best” with an award at a glittering awards gala dinner at a prestigious hotel in the heart of our fabulous city towards the end of the year, in front of peers and competitors.

Last Thursday 28th March, there was a breakfast debate at The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton about the ‘City of London: Prison and Prisoners’, where Alderman William Russell – due to be Lord Mayor of the City 2019/2020 subject to election – was the guest speaker. It was both an intimate yet very sobering session, one I was privileged to attend.

A recent Justice Data Lab Report says a Clink graduate is a WHOPPING 49.6% less likely to reoffend having been through training.

5 Things to Know:

1. Today there are circa. 84,000 prisoners in the UK; 80,000 men and 4,000 women
2. 49% of prisoners reoffend within one year of release
3. If a sentence is less than 12 months, that figure rises to 66%
4. Reoffending costing the UK Taxpayer a total of £15bn a year
5. There is a huge skills shortage in UK hospitality

Did you SEE Blue Planet Live last night folks? Imagine a world without the “blue” to our planet. WATCH #mygalapagos, it’s my personal collection of photos and videos my hubby & I took in the Galapagos just 6 months ago on our eco-holiday (fuelled by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II).

Special Report on Single Use Plastics

TAF Catering Consultancy’s latest UK Foodservice sector special report focuses on the challenge of Single Use Plastics within the UK Foodservice Sector today.

The report is the only in-depth review and benchmark of its kind looking at how UK foodservices are dealing with the challenges around single use plastics today.

COMING SOON *** TAF’s SUP (PLASTICS) SPOTLIGHT ON UK FOODSERVICES 2019.

TAF Catering Consultancy’s latest UK Foodservice sector special report focuses on the challenge of Single Use Plastics within the UK Foodservice Sector today. 

The report is the only in-depth review and benchmark of its kind looking at how UK foodservices are dealing with the challenges around single use plastics today. As a result of changing societal views, as well as governmental, local and global initiatives setting a course to change our behaviour to sustain the planet, TAF want to inspire UK Foodservices to drive A Plastic (free) Pollution Revolution with their first-of-a-kind report.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO GET YOUR EARLYBIRD COPY OF THE REPORT NEXT WEEK