Foodservice Cateys 2023: Chef Manager of the Year – Mark Price, Eurest

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Mark Price has been described by his colleagues as someone who is "always looking for ways to make a difference".

Eurest's chef manager for food wholesaler Brakes overcame the immediate challenge of excess food waste by creating a raft of new dishes from leftovers – even orange peel is saved to be infused in water. It means that his clients now save up to £2,000 a month on food and remaining stock is contributed to charities and foodbanks, in particular the charity Lunch, which helps to feed children in schools in the west of Scotland.

The policy is also attractive for Eurest's wider clients across education, defence and B&I, that hope to meet net zero targets. In fact, some workplace restaurants have reported they now make 98% gross profit on food before labour as a result of these initiatives, while others have discovered their foodservice provision costs have halved.

The Brakes site itself is home to a varied clientele, ranging from manual workers who want high-carb meals to office workers who prefer a light lunch. Price identified this discrepancy in demand and was able to tailor options to include healthy salads through the installation of frost-tops and giant stand-up chillers. He also spearheaded the recruitment of evening and late-night chefs to ensure greater consistency in customer satisfaction scores. Moreover, staff at Brakes are able to enjoy a free breakfast, lunch and backshift dinner three times a year.

Price also carves his time to engage with future talent, demonstrating his strong mentoring skills. When he realised there was no succession planning for his role, he arranged for Aiden, a Level 2 apprentice, to join the team. Aiden has since covered for Price with confidence and expertise when he was on holiday. Price is also often seen training his peers across Compass B&I and fostering leadership skills in the industry as a whole.

Colleagues have noticed a sharp uptick in team morale as a result of Price's encouraging presence, and although morale was never low, people have seen a boost in community spirit and a keenness to work for Brakes, with one individual who was thinking of reducing their hours deciding against it due to a new-found passion for the job.

Kate Smillie, regional manager for Scotland and North for Eurest, says: "All the team love their job and love coming into work. Whenever I go in to check on the team, they are all positive and speak so highly of Mark. The same is true for the client. In fact, their biggest fear is losing him one day!"

What the judges said

"Mark is clearly a strong mentor. His application showcased his ability to really develop his team and grow their confidence. He showed strength on sustainability and food waste." Hannah Horler

"Mark trains new managers and saves on food waste as well as raising standards in food." Harry Lomas

"A hard-working individual with great client feedback who leads his brigade, fixing waste management and undertaking charity work." James Tagg

The shortlist

Paul Bunker, Signature Dining

Mark Price, Eurest

Past winners

2022 Michael Hannon, Signature Dining

2021 Wayne Corbett, Compass Group UK & Ireland

2019 Andrea Fawcett, Gather & Gather

2018 Tony Mulgrew, Ravenscliffe High School, Halifax

2017 Hanke Fischer, H+J

2016 Henry Maasdorp, Blue Apple

2015 Nigel Simmonds, Connect Catering

2014 Steve Deacon,Sodexo UK & Ireland

2013 Fred Ockwell, Brookwood Partnership