WSH, the company behind six trading brands operating in the food and hospitality sectors, created over 1,250 new jobs in 2014 following continued growth and investment in its businesses.
For the year ending 26 December 2014, the holding company also saw turnover increase by more than 10% to £590.7m from £534.8m in 2013.
BaxterStorey, Portico, Holroyd Howe, Caterlink, Benugo and newly-acquired Searcys, all saw significant increases in training and development initiatives over the reporting period, alongside investment in new back-office IT and people management systems.
Across the brands, WSH now employs over 16,650 people in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Continued investment
Alastair Storey, chairman and founder of WSH (pictured above), said: “We are pleased to see that our commercial success has allowed us to continue to invest in our systems and processes and, most importantly, in our people. As a business that is constantly innovating, it is hugely important that we continue to invest in our infrastructure to enable us to grow sustainably.
“We have had another brilliant year and I’m delighted to see that an increasing number of customers and clients are putting their trust in us.
“Growth and job creation can only be sustainable if supported by continued investment. This is why it is vitally important to us to continue to innovate to ensure that we remain at the forefront of our industry.
Flexible solutions
“The market has continued to grow and develop and we’ve seen the outsourcing sector continue to flourish. Our diverse portfolio of brands enable us to offer flexible solutions across a number of industries. What’s most important to us is the development of our people. This is why we have invested a significant amount of resource into further developing our academy structures, as well as our broader training programmes.
The recipe is simple
“Our recipe is simple; good fresh food, sourced locally, prepared and served by well-trained people. We continue to invest in our business to ensure that we stay true to the values that have made us so trusted over the years.
“This year, we have already seen how the market has continued to offer opportunities for our brands. We have some very exciting developments on the horizon and I’m sure that, through continued investment in our people and systems, I am confident that we will continue to see strong growth.”
WSH brands
Benugo, which operates high street stores and concessions within corporate organisations and public spaces throughout the UK, has seen a 16% growth in turnover (£81.1m from £70.1m in 2013), largely attributed to like-for-like growth across its high street operations, coupled with significant contract wins with the Wellcome Collection and Regent’s Park.
BaxterStorey, which operates in the business and industry sector, has increased turnover by 3% across the brand (£358.2m from £348.3m in 2013), in addition to increasing investment in training, food innovation and people management systems. This year alone, the company trained over 1,200 people through its Barista Academy, 32 chefs graduated from its Chef Academy and over 2,100 people were trained to become allergen champions following the introduction of new guidelines.
WSH’s education brands, Holroyd Howe and Caterlink, have both seen revenues grow by 14% (£44.1m from £38.7m in 2013) and 12% (£71.4m from £63.5m in 2013) respectively, alongside increasing developments in their operations. Holroyd Howe saw an uplift in the sector, with more schools choosing to outsource food services, whilst Caterlink continued to develop its business, achieving The Soil Association’s ‘Gold Standard Food for Life Catering Mark’ in two of its largest contracts. This means that the company is now serving more Gold Standard meals in London than any other caterer.
Searcys, the restaurant, bar and events company which operates at venues such as the Gherkin, St Pancras Grand and Blenheim Palace, saw five month turnover to December 2014 (following WSH’s acquisition in July 2014) grow to £20.2m.
Portico, the UK’s leading front of house services provider, also saw a strong year of growth and investment, where it increased its turnover by 10% following key contract wins at the Leadenhall Building and 20 Fenchurch Street (£15.8m from £14.4m in 2013). Portico was again awarded the ‘Investors In People’ Gold accreditation in 2014 for its commitment to the training and development of its staff.