Blue Apple Catering's procurement team has been further strengthened with the appointment of Scott Taylor to the role of Procurement Manager.
Taylor joins the company from PSL (a Sodexo company), where his focus was centred around hotel clients – from worldwide groups to 5-star independents.
Taylor spent 10 years in chef’s whites before emerging from the kitchen to take on the challenge of front of house. From there he moved on to hotels, before starting his career in contract catering in the year 2000. Having spent eight years on the operational side of the business, looking after clients across London and the South East, Taylor joined WSH Purchasing in 2008, purchasing across brands such as BaxterStorey, Caterlink and Holroyd Howe.
Having worked within some very large teams, Scott’s desire for greater autonomy in his work brought him to Blue Apple, where his wealth of experience will be pivotal as the company continues to go from strength to strength.
Recent contract wins such at Gatwick Airport and Cancer Research, coupled with several other significant wins over the past 12 months, naturally led to a review of the company’s supply chain activities, and Taylor will be responsible for ensuring that everything from food security, quality and efficiency to sustainability and the environment are factored into every decision made.
Taylor said, “The contract catering sector has been reset over the last few years. The smaller caterers I knew are now the larger caterers, following prolonged periods of great growth and acquisitions, and Blue Apple has positioned itself to be nimble in the marketplace and to take a good run up at the key themes of 2020, such as sustainability, seasonality and a continued focus on plant-based options.
'The culture of Blue Apple was what attracted me to the company, and I am really excited to work with a business that shares my own ideals on the supply of great fresh food and excellent service.”
Ruston Toms, Founding Director at Blue Apple, commented, “Those that know Scott in the industry know that his specialist subjects are coffee and seafood (which he admits do not naturally sit together but are particular passions of his). We were very pleased to hear that our new coffee brand Pip & Bean drinks really well in his opinion, and now he has an overview of the procurement surrounding the product he has an even more vested interest!
“What really impressed us about Scott is his passion to ensure that we continue to have a food supply chain that is aligned with the requirements we all have now around the environment. Blue Apple has great pedigree in this area, and we are looking forward to having Scott on board to further enhance this so our teams and clients can be clear that a sustainable supply is in the DNA of how we purchase, ensuring our food is seasonal, sustainable and helps support the changes we all need to make to continue to have a healthy planet.”