Jockey Club Catering has appointed Richard Herring as its new catering general manager at Epsom Downs Racecourse, where he will oversee all catering operations, leading a team of up to 1,400 managers, chefs and frontline staff on key race days.
Herring started his career as a teenage kitchen porter at Goodwood Racecourse and became logistics manager at the venue after completing a degree at Loughborough University. He was catering, cleaning and waste venue manager at the London 2012 Olympic Games before becoming motorsports manager at Goodwood Racecourse in 2013 overseeing a team of up to 1,200 on event days. In his most recent role, he was general manager at Reading Football Club.
With extensive knowledge of the catering industry and a diverse experience within racing hospitality, Richard’s vision for Epsom Downs Racecourse is to raise the venue’s profile as one of the world’s leading high-end racecourses, showcasing the diversity of offerings on race days as well as on other occasions.
Herring commented, “Having spent most of my career at racecourses it is a privilege to become catering general manager at Epsom and be a part of the team that are responsible for delivering the ‘Greatest Flat Race in the World’. We are proud to provide world class hospitality and dining experiences to our guests, from groups of friends discovering racing for the first time to families and even royalty”.
Nick Campbell, managing director of Jockey Club Catering, added, “We are delighted to have Richard join us at Epsom, he has a breadth of knowledge spanning many years and shares our commitment in striving to provide a world class experience to all our guests. We are excited to begin implementing his catering vision at the racecourse”.
Jockey Club Catering is a venture partnership between Jockey Club Racecourses, the UK’s leading racecourse and venues group, and Compass Group UK & Ireland, to provide top quality catering, hospitality and service at 15 racecourses nationwide.