Eye on Hospitality
Henderson Foodservice – investing in the future of NI’s hospitality industry
When Henderson Foodservice opened its £16M warehouse facility in the summer, the company was making a statement that they will be part of the rebuilding of the hospitality industry which has been so devastated by the COVID pandemic.
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nd now, even more support to the industry has been pledged with the company’s sponsorship of the recently launched FutureChef competition, an initiative by Springboard, the charity dedicated to future proofing talent and skills for the hospitality industry across the UK. FutureChef is Springboard’s annual competition to find young, budding chefs between the ages of 12-16 in Northern Ireland. It is an opportunity for the next generation of chefs, cooks and foodies to learn the ropes, understand the industry and be mentored by some of the best in the business. The competition has some serious
sway in that business too, with JeanChristophe Novelli lending his know-how to the NI stages and has been named as Head Judge for the 2021/22 competition. Kiera Campbell, Sales Director at Henderson Foodservice says the talent pool is there and the industry is in desperate need of new blood after so many left hospitality following months and months of instability and lockdowns resulting from Covid-19. “Hospitality in Northern Ireland is the best in the world; nowhere else do we have such lush fields for farming, ideal conditions for seafood sourcing and innovation is sprouting from every corner of the country. Henderson Foodservice
has weathered the storm alongside our hospitality colleagues and have pledged to help rebuild the industry, starting with encouraging the next generation of chefs to come through and experience what this vibrant sector can give them. “Our island has produced some of the top chefs in the world and I’ve no doubt there are more to be found. So many young people got involved with baking and cooking and discovering what they loved to eat during time at home last year, and we want them to seize that curiosity and not only bring out their own passion, but help us spark the fire back into hospitality in Northern Ireland for the future.” Henderson Foodservice is the leading supplier to the foodservice and hospitality industry in Northern Ireland, supplying restaurants, hotels, café’s and gastropubs as well as care homes and education. Kiera continued; “Our commitment to local suppliers, chefs, their businesses
and staff is evidenced in the accelerated move to our new, 190,000 sq. ft. ambient and chilled distribution centre to align with the reopening of hospitality in the second quarter of 2021. It has enabled us to offer customers an expanded product range with greater efficiencies, providing an overall enhanced supplier and customer experience. “We are very excited to see the 2021/22 young chefs progress through the FutureChef competition. Our own development chef, Geoff Baird, will be a mentor for the participants and sharing his knowledge around the importance of local sourcing and building excellent relationships with suppliers to put the best ingredients on menus and plates. We can’t wait to meet Northern Ireland’s next top chef.”
For more on FutureChef, visit futurechef.uk.net
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