amadeus_glorious_final

The adventurous catering solutions magazine Autumn 2016 

ALL IN A 

DAY'S WORK 

Behind the scenes with the Chefs delivering 

fabulous food at amazing venues 

FOOD MATTERS 

When only the best will do – creating 

bespoke menus for clients and customers

Welcome 

Welcome to the first edition of Glorious, a magazine 

from Amadeus celebrating everything that 

is great about food and service 

If ever there was a time to be proud of 

what is happening in our industry it is 

now. With innovation in food and 

technology, what we eat and how we 

order it is changing. The focus on the 

customer and providing the best service 

has never been more relevant and 

the team at Amadeus has 

embraced this fully and is 

constantly looking for ways 

we can improve what we 

deliver to our venue clients 

and ultimately their visitors. 

In an ever-changing industry, 

having an eye on the future 

both for trends and for 

talent is something you 

ignore at your peril. 

I hope you will enjoy 

reading about some 

of the talent I am 

fortunate to have 

in our business. 

The passion and 

enthusiasm Chefs 

like Simon Hellier, 

Aaron Johnson and 

Darren Proud 

bring to their teams is immeasurable and at 

Amadeus it is the people that drive change. 

Our business is simple – it’s about food and 

people. What is not simple is getting those things 

right. Being able to sell well, understand the 

customer needs and fulfil them is a skill and in 

the last year we have focussed on changing our 

culture from one of serving to selling. 

Find out more about this on page 28. 

Autumn is a great time in the food 

industry, gearing up for Christmas 

hospitality and for us swapping from 

our summer events season at visitor 

destinations to venue retail and 

hospitality. I am looking forward to 

launching our new project, 

The Edge, at the 

NEC and hope 

you enjoy reading about 

how we developed the 

concepts on page 16. 

KEVIN WATSON, 

MANAGING 

DIRECTOR, 

AMADEUS 

Emma Thorn 

Head of Marketing 

Jenna Hadley 

PR & Communications Manager 

info@amadeusfood.co.uk 

0121 767 3329 

amadeusfood.co.uk 

Follow us... 

@amadeusfood 

This magazine has been produced in 

conjunction with EP and Newhall Publishing Ltd 

EP 

14a Ganton Street, London W1F 7QT 

020 7025 1862 

epmagazine.co.uk 

Newhall Publishing Ltd 

New Hall Lane, Hoylake, Wirral CH47 4BQ 

0844 545 8102 

hello@newhallpublishing.com 

newhallpublishing.com 

Managing Editor 

Ben Butler 

Production Editor 

Anita Comerford 

Art Editor 

Gareth Evans 

Senior Designer 

Owen Moran 

Picture Editor 

Robyn Barr 

Account Director 

Richard Woolliams 

Advertising 

Simon Jones 

and Dean Brown 

01603 821021 

Print 

Buxton Press 

Cover photograph 

Stockfood/Karolina Kosowicz 

WWW.MARUSSIABEVERAGES.CO.UK 

AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 3

IN THIS ISSUE READ ALL ABOUT IT 

READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THIS ISSUE 

Contents 

Issue 01 

Autumn 2016 

Hot 

topic! 

22 33 

The adventurous catering solutions magazine Autumn 2016 

ALL IN A 

DAY'S WORK 

Behind the scenes with the Chefs delivering 

fabulous food at amazing venues 

FOOD MATTERS 

When only the best will do – creating 

bespoke menus for clients and customers 

14 

01_OK_0072AMM_COVER_REPRO.indd 1 06/09/2016 09:56 

REGULARS 

06 

43 

Changing the way we eat 

The latest news from Amadeus and why 

they're at the forefront of innovation 

Calendar of events 

The definitive guide to what’s going 

on over the autumn and winter seasons 

FEATURES 

10 

16 

The perfect double act 

Simon Hellier and Aaron Johnson 

talk inspiration and seasonal favourites 

Taking you to The Edge 

Introducing the innovative food 

concepts at The Edge within the NEC 

10 

22 

Feeding time at the zoo 

Amadeus reinvigorates the food on 

offer at Dudley Zoological Gardens 

– and it's not for the animals! 

28 

33 

50 

Satisfaction guaranteed 

Always pushing for a better customer 

experience is key to Service that Sells 

How was it for you 

Glorious talks to Sam Bates and Darren 

Proud about what it took to host 

the Ricoh Women’s British Open 

Amadeus made my day 

Apprentice of the Year, Tyrel Richards, 

reveals how his apprenticeship opened 

up a world of new opportunities 

4 GLORIOUS 

AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 5

NEWS FOOD INNOVATIONS 

FOOD INNOVATIONS NEWS 

UNDERSTANDING 

THE CUSTOMER 

Changing 

the way we eat 

For 40 years Amadeus has been recognised for its 

culinary expertise and commercial development that 

is designed to improve the customer experience. 

Here are just some of their latest innovations... 

MADE FOR YOU 

One of the most important elements scratch. At the International Convention 

of the Amadeus catering business Centre (ICC) Birmingham, this is 

is the ‘MADE for you’ initiative, which business as usual and has seen the Chef 

means it is a bespoke offering – so up to team – headed up by Executive Chef, 

85 per cent of food delivered is exactly Simon Hellier – create some of the 

what the client wants. This means most imaginative and operationally 

Amadeus creates an experience from challenging events ever seen. 

“Food should be 

part of the event 

experience and 

we want to get 

even closer to the 

customer” 

Simon Hellier Executive Chef ICC 

EXPERIENCING FOOD 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL 

In January 2016, Simon and his team 

introduced the ‘Chef ’s Table’, an 

experience that gives guests a real 

insight into the food served at the ICC. 

This has been created to support the 

sales teams as it enables them to bring 

clients on to the site to sample the 

food and showcase it as a unique selling 

point for the venue. Simon cooks in 

front of the guests while talking them 

through recipes, food provenance 

and wine pairings. 

Record 

breaking 

A ground-breaking event from the 

team at the ICC saw Amadeus break 

its own catering record. The gala 

dinner for the World Small Animal 

Veterinary Association Congress 

(WSAVA), allowed 950 guests to 

choose their starter, main and desert 

from a full choice menu. The restaurantstyle 

service for such a large event was 

a first for the catering group, and a rare 

occurrence for any venue. 

“Delivering a restaurant-style service, 

where each guest has a menu of 

options to choose from is relatively 

unheard of, particularly on such a 

scale,” said Craig Hancox, Amadeus 

General Manager at the ICC. “Each 

table’s order was taken by 

our front of house waiting 

staff and then fed into the 

kitchen where Simon Hellier and 

his team got to work to deliver the 

courses as ordered. 

“We have delivered this service 

before but not for so many. It 

presents its challenges, primarily 

from a service and ordering point 

of view, but we have a very talented 

team who are always looking to 

raise the bar and I feel we’ve 

certainly achieved this here.” 

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 

HOLDING AN EVENT 

AT THE ICC OR ANY OF 

THE AMADEUS VENUES 

CONTACT 0121 767 3329 

Providing customers with innovative 

solutions continues when it comes to the 

environments run by Amadeus. Within 

the NEC, Amadeus had the opportunity to 

conduct some in-depth customer research 

to understand what would improve the 

experience of a visit to the NEC food 

and beverage areas. 

In 2015, Emma Thorn, Head of Marketing 

for Amadeus, teamed up with Know Research 

and conducted one of the largest and most 

in-depth customer research programmes ever 

at the NEC site to understand the consumer 

decision-making process at all stages of the 

customer journey. This included a number 

of research channels including accompanied 

shops, app-based research prior, during and 

post visit, incept interviews and observations. 

The research produced insight into when 

customers start thinking about food and 

beverage, what impacts purchasing behaviour, 

their mind states during the day and pre and 

post perceptions of the food and beverage 

offerings. From the research, some of the key 

actions included refurbishment of some of the 

NEC food and beverage areas called PODs. 

As part of the redevelopment, the Amadeus 

project team investigated eating trends, 

multiple food service options and food 

trends to influence the concept choices. 

Working with the NEC Group’s central 

Insight and Marketing Services departments, 

which includes a full in-house marketing 

agency, the concepts for ‘The Edge’ were 

developed. The project is being launched 

at the Autumn Fair and will include increased 

speed of service and covers and four brand 

concepts – see page 16 for details. 

6 GLORIOUS 

AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 7

NEWS FOOD INNOVATIONS 

FOOD INNOVATIONS NEWS 

BUILDING THE 

RIGHT TEAM 

In order to foster innovation, Amadeus has 

to ensure the right people are part of their 

culture, understand it and live and breathe 

the values of ‘MADE a difference’. 

In 2015, the HR team at Amadeus looked 

to innovate and reinvent how they recruited 

and trained over 1,000 staff including 90 

Chefs. Tony Baldock, Operations Director 

for Amadeus, looked at overhauling the 

recruitment and training based on his belief 

that a change was needed to take Amadeus 

from being a serving culture to a selling one. 

The process started with recruitment and 

scrapping the traditional interview for an 

audition, one in which the applicant had 

to demonstrate they can sell and have 

a passion and flair for food and service. 

Tony then introduced a Service that Sells 

programme to the Amadeus business, which 

focusses on customer service – turn to page 

28 to find out more about how it is working 

for the staff and the customers. 

As a brand, Amadeus prides itself in living 

by a personality that is progressive, creative, 

passionate, supportive and inventive. 

It’s a culture that is delivering real results, 

both now and in the future and one that 

ensures the team will and can respond to 

any challenge they are given. 

TO FIND OUT ABOUT 

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 

WITH AMADEUS GO TO 

NECGROUP.CO.UK/WORKING-FOR-US 

THEATRE ON A PLATE 

The Amadeus team’s most recent 

innovation has been introducing 

a theatrical dining multi-sensory 

experience where the food is 

prepared and cooked in front the 

guests, creating an additional air 

of anticipation and excitement. 

“Food should be part of the event 

experience and we want 

to get closer to 

the customer,” 

explains Simon 

Hellier. “Not 

only does it 

showcase to the 

guests the quality 

and freshness of 

the ingredients 

and talent of the 

chef’s brigade, but 

it reiterates everything we say we 

do – that we can serve fine dining 

in large numbers.” 

The theatrical dining experience 

was premiered at the Vox launch 

in February 2016. Emma Channon, 

a journalist from Meetings and 

Incentive Travel Magazine, said of 

the event, “You don’t generally 

associate conference venues with 

Michelin-quality food – this has 

officially set the bar.” 

One of the standout dishes was a 

lemongrass mist that engulfed the 

table to give a citrus twist to the dish. 

This technique, and other theatrical 

dining elements, is an area Simon is 

truly passionate about. He believes 

multi-sensory experiences add 

another dimension and overall the 

whole meal is enhanced. 

“It goes beyond just the experience 

of eating the dish, it adds a bit of fun 

into it too. The dish feels more alive, 

more fresh. The lemon mist is a real 

crowd pleaser. We use flavoured dry 

ice, which reacts when warm stock is 

poured over. As it evaporates vapour 

is released and the mist travels across 

the table and starts to roll in front 

of the guests sat at the table. They 

get this intense lemongrass smell 

which 

adds another 

sensory level to 

the dish. You are 

creating a mystical 

element and with the 

right ambiance and lighting it can really 

make the course stand out. We serve 

this course at the beginning of the 

dining experience so we really have to 

make sure we follow through with four 

or five other really impressive courses. 

If you start with a great course and 

don’t follow it up, the whole meal can 

fall apart. We like to keep anticipation 

levels high and really carry on with 

the theatrical elements.” 

Simon continues, “I wouldn’t say 

I look at any particular ingredient 

and think, ‘How can I use this in the 

room?’ It’s more, ‘How can I add theatre 

to this, how can I impress the guest?’ 

I’m always looking at dishes and 

aspects that can be completed in the 

room with the guests involved rather 

than away in the kitchen. I believe 

Crêpes Suzette may make 

a comeback and will 

be created in front 

of the guest.” 

Food and drink 

at the click of a button 

Under the brand initiative, ‘MADE life 

easier’, Amadeus is also committed to 

delivering innovation that improves 

how customers order food and 

drink at events and improving the 

speed of delivering service. The first 

major technical innovation that saw 

Amadeus shortlisted for a prestigious 

Catey award in 2016 was Qjacker 

– an online ordering service to 

cope with the demands of feeding 

thousands of visitors at the Insomina56 

Gaming Festival hosted at the 

NEC Birmingham. 

One of the most critical components 

for the Insomnia event – an impressive 

new event for the NEC venue – was 

having a service for the BYOC (bring 

your own computer) community 

who are engaged in live games and 

competitions round the clock on a 

global scale throughout the event, to 

be able to order refreshments from 

8am-2am each day without causing 

disruption to their play. Amadeus used 

the convenient web and smartphone 

app Qjacker, which allows users to 

order food and drink to be delivered 

directly to their gaming stations – all 

other live sites now operating the 

app use collection points. Working 

closely with NEC Group IT and Qjacker, 

Amadeus developed the application to 

suit the needs of the event – including 

design, build and testing – within just 

eight weeks. With record numbers 

processed and delivered to happy 

gamers with an average time from 

order confirmation to personal delivery 

of just eight minutes it transformed the 

way food and drink was delivered. 

Operations Director, Tony Baldock, 

explains the importance of introducing 

the ground-breaking service, “The level 

of detail required to get the finished 

solution just right was challenging but 

the planning and teamwork including 

IT, marketing, our service partners and 

suppliers helped make this venture 

a success. The event was only 

won in September 

so a three-month 

turnaround 

for a brand new technological concept 

is phenomenal. Allowing customers 

to order instantly rather than preordering 

gave a different dimension to 

the event and was important for the 

visitor experience. The team offered 

exceptional service by following a predetermined 

seating plan meaning we 

were able to find customers quickly.” 

Tony added, “We also worked 

closely the Insomina56 organisers 

to determine the demands of the 

community with the most important 

factors being portion size, quality of 

food and value for money. Normal 

operations were also in effect with our 

service partners extending 

their hours to support us so 

if we did have any issues they 

were resolved promptly as 

to not affect food service 

or customer experience.” 

Qjacker has now been 

tested in Starbucks and 

the NEC Group’s two 

arenas – Genting and 

Barclaycard Arena – with 

positive results. The service 

is due to be implemented 

across all NEC Group sites 

by the end of 2016. 

8 GLORIOUS 

AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 9

DEVELOPING TALENT MEET OUR CHEFS 

The perfect 

double act 

Executive Chef Simon Hellier and Head Chef Aaron Johnson know 

what it takes to deliver exceptional food. They work with their teams 

to provide restaurant-quality food on a grand scale. We caught up 

with them to find out their favourite seasonal ingredients 

Simon Hellier (pictured right) has been 

working for Amadeus based at the 

ICC Birmingham since 1991 and has 

worked his way up through the ranks 

to become Executive Chef in 2011. 

He is renowned for his ability to deliver 

restaurant-quality food in a large scale 

environment – creating drama and impact 

for guests at events and banquets and 

creating menus for anything from two 

to 8,000 guests. 

So what inspires him? “For me 

I always resort back to the 

fundamental rules of 

cooking, without this 

you are unable to 

be innovative. My 

inspiration comes from 

art, the weather, what 

I see, what I feel, 

music or a smell. 

All these can 

help innovate 

to create new 

dishes, but you 

have to start 

with the basics.” 

His most recent 

innovation has been 

introducing a theatrical dining experience. 

This includes a multi-sensory experience where 

the food is prepared and cooked in front the 

guests. “Food should be part of the event 

experience and we want to get closer to the 

customer,” explains Simon. “Not only does it 

showcase to the guests the quality, freshness 

and talent of the chef ’s brigade, but it reiterates 

everything we say we do – that we can serve 

fine dining in large numbers. 

“At the moment we are working on the 

autumnal menu, which for me is all about 

comfort food and slow cooking. We choose 

selections of meat that take a long time to 

cook but deliver the maximum flavour 

– something like blade of beef (see 

page 15 for Simon’s recipe) served with 

British root vegetables works very well 

during the autumn season. With 

braised cuts we make our own 

sauce using the meat juices 

as it gives an intense and 

natural flavour. So you’re left 

with quality meat, good 

vegetables and a delicious 

highly flavoured sauce. 

“It’s also really important 

to use seasonal vegetables – 

they taste best when you are using 

locally grown produce in season. It’s the same 

with fruit – there’s no comparison between 

the flavour of strawberries grown in season and 

forced – they’re like two different products. 

Using seasonal vegetables is also important as 

it means we can support local farmers. 

We work closely with our procurement 

department who are close to all our suppliers. 

We also talk directly to our local suppliers and 

encourage them to send us information on what 

they’re producing and to tell us about what they 

have coming on. Weather really can make the 

difference between a good crop or early crop or 

late crop so we have to keep up to date with 

what supplies we may have coming in. There 

are also product trends and growth trends 

Dishes clockwise from top left: lobster tail and claw, ham hock 

with a Scotch quail egg, tiramisu and venison parfait 

“My inspiration comes from art, the weather, 

what I see, what I feel, music or a smell. All 

these can help innovate to create new dishes” 

Simon Hellier, Executive Chef ICC Birmingham 

10 GLORIOUS 

AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 11


Gressingham duck breast 

with baby broad beans 

that we may not be aware of, so the relationship 

between us and the growers is really important 

and the success of that good communication 

is reflected in the food we produce.” 

To find out what goes into producing 

award-winning food on such a huge scale we also 

caught up with Aaron Johnson, Head Chef at 

the Vox conference centre (pictured right). 

He has worked his way up through the ranks at 

Amadeus and was mentored by Simon at the 

ICC. “My passion for food was originally honed 

by my parents. They owned restaurants so I was 

exposed to preparing food for paying customers 

from an early age. My parents worked hard and 

had a real passion for their work and I think that 

rubbed off on me – seeing their enthusiasm and 

hard work shaped my career choices. 

“Before I came to Amadeus I worked for 

Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton at the 

Michelin-starred Maze restaurant in Mayfair. 

The work was relentless but really rewarding. 

It really taught me all about presentation – food 

has to look beautiful, you have to want to eat it. 

That’s what I love about what I do now – it’s a 

real challenge to produce restaurant-quality 

food with fabulous presentation on this scale. 

We regularly produce banquets for 800 guests, 

but every plate of food is served straight from 

the kitchen to their table. We don’t reheat dishes 

and then serve – this is restaurant dining.” 

The demands of the job are phenomenal with 

preparation starting up to two weeks in advance 

for an event. “We have a menu selection for 

clients to choose from, but about 85 per cent 

of our clients opt for a bespoke menu, so 

that’s when you can really let your creative side 

run wild,” says Aaron. “It’s great to work with the 

client to ensure we can deliver exactly what they 

want. Once we’ve decided on the menu we will 

start planning up to two weeks in advance, 

ordering the ingredients to put the dishes 

together. Obviously we also look at how the 

dishes will be presented on the day as when you 

have 800 plates leaving the kitchen through up 

to 24 delivery points you have to know that 

every single one looks perfect. 

“We have a core team that work at the 

VOX and then we bring in agency staff for our 

big events so we have to be able to communicate 

well to ensure everyone is clear about what’s 

expected of them. When I was working in other 

kitchens I had head chefs shouting at the staff, 

but I just don’t think that works. When the 

pressure is on with a job of 

course we all feel it, but 

I would rather people 

felt focussed and 

motivated rather than 

terrified of being shouted 

at. I don’t think that brings 

out the best in people.” 

Every Chef also has a 

passion for their ingredients 

– you can’t make memorable 

dishes without great ingredients, 

so what are Aaron’s 

favourites? “I love 

seafood and one 

of my 

favourite 

“You can cook food to 

perfection but if you 

don’t make it look 

beautiful then you 

won’t get the best from 

it. A glass of the right 

wine also helps!” 

Aaron Johnson, Head Chef VOX 

0121 748 3377 

info@contemporaryeventstructures.co.uk 

www.contemporaryeventstructures.co.uk 

12 GLORIOUS


Slow-cooked 

feather blade of beef 

Enjoy this flavourful cut of British beef, perfect for slow cooking, 

along with butterbean potato purée, seasonal roast roots and a 

Merlot and red onion compote for a hearty autumnal dish 

INGREDIENTS 

BUTTERBEAN MASH 

ROOT VEGETABLES 

RED ONION COMPOTE 

dishes to cook is squid ink risotto with a piece 

of bream on top and served with a lobster 

sauce. It’s great to play with different flavour 

combinations to see what works. Obviously 

there are classics – slow-cooked French dishes 

like beef Bourguignon, moules marinière, 

bouillabaisse, confit of duck – but I like to 

add different twists. I like to experiment with 

flavours from Thailand as I spent some time 

travelling there, so I like to introduce the classic 

spices and flavours of Thai food, so that might 

be a Thai broth with the moules or infusing a 

confit of duck with Asian herbs and spices. 

“We really like getting people to try different 

things. Obviously when we’re developing a 

menu for the VOX we need to be mindful 

of producing it on a large scale, but once you 

know you can produce something for 50-100 

people I know it will work at banqueting level 

as then it’s just a case on multiplying it up. To 

deliver on the day it’s all about the organisation 

– we normally have about one and half hours to 

deliver three courses, so it’s demanding but I’m 

proud that we manage to do it several times a 

week throughout the year. We’re building a 

reputation here for great food and that’s what 

I am so proud of.” 

Aaron clearly loves what he does – it’s hard 

work but he says the rewards are definitely worth 

it. “I just love food – my favourite dinner that 

I cook for friends at this time of year is pan-fried 

loin of venison, cooked medium rare, squash, 

coffee-glazed beets and Parmesan crumb 

shallots all served with a red wine jus. For dessert 

it has to be a plum and gooseberry crumble with 

macadamia nuts and vanilla topping. 

“It’s great to cook with what’s in season as 

then you can ring the changes throughout the 

year, adjusting your menu to make the most of 

what’s in the shops and at its best.” So what’s his 

other top tips for the best dinner party food? 

“It’s all about the presentation – you can cook 

food to perfection but if you don’t make it 

look beautiful on the plate then you won’t get 

the best from it. A glass of the right wine also 

helps! It’s worth trying out different wines to 

find flavours that complement each other – at 

Amadeus we have wine training to learn about 

how wine and food can work together – or not! 

It’s all part of the restaurant experience of dining 

at an Amadeus banquet.” 

TO FIND OUT ABOUT 

BANQUETING FACILITIES AT THE 

ICC CONTACT THEICC.CO.UK/ 

CONTACT OR FOR THE 

VOX THEVOXCENTRE.CO.UK/ 

CONTACT-US 

Serves 2 

2 x 8oz British feather blade of beef 

or braising cuts (from any good 

quality butcher) 

1 x small bunch of fresh thyme 

2 x cloves of garlic 

500ml x fresh beef stock or 500ml water 

with 2 beef stock cubes 

50ml x sunflower oil 

28g x tomato paste 

2 x large parsnips 

2 x long carrots 

1 x red onion 

1 x small bunch of fresh rosemary 

28g or a good-sized spoonful of 

redcurrant jelly 

100ml x Merlot red wine 

2 x jacket potatoes 

1 x lemon 

56g x butterbeans 

56g x salted butter 

28g x sea salt 

Salt and pepper for seasoning 

Sprig of fresh parsley 

BRAISED BEEF 

AND SAUCE 

Preheat the over to 

200°C/Gas mark 6. Seal 

the blades of beef in a 

hot pan until golden 

brown on both sides, 

then place into a 

suitably sized braising 

dish. Add the beef 

stock and tomato 

paste to the meat 

sealing pan to capture 

any beef sediment 

for additional flavour. Pour 

the braising stock over the 

beef blades and add the fresh 

rosemary and cloves of garlic. 

Fully cover the beef with lid or tin 

foil and slow cook in the preheated 

oven for around 4 hours or until the 

meat is tender. Then remove the excess 

cooking liquor from the beef and reduce 

down to a sauce consistency. 

Bake the jacket potatoes in the oven (about 

2½ hours after the beef was placed in the oven) 

on a bed of sea salt for around 60-80 minutes 

or until the texture is soft. Scoop the filling from 

the potato skin and crush with a fork. Add 

a squeeze of fresh lemon, coarsely chopped 

butterbeans, salted butter, fresh chopped 

parsley and plenty of seasoning to taste. 

Peel the parsnips and remove the core. Prepare 

the carrots, rub with sunflower oil, fresh thyme 

and seasoning. Place on a flat roasting tray and 

cook in the oven about 30 minutes before beef 

is ready until the vegetables become golden 

brown and soft to the touch. 

Peel and slice finely the red onion into strips 

or diced, soften in sunflower oil in a small pan, 

add redcurrant jelly and red wine. Reduce the 

cooking liquor until the mixture becomes sticky 

and thick, then remove from the heat. 

BUILDING THE PLATE 

Serve a generous portion of butterbean mash 

in middle of the plate. Place feather blade of 

beef on top. Add the red onion compote on 

top of the beef. Build the root vegetable up 

and over the beef. Finally pour the rich 

beef sauce over the dish. 

14 GLORIOUS

FROM VENUE TO MENU PROJECT POD 

PROJECT POD FROM VENUE TO MENU 

Taking you to 

THE EDGE 

Now guests can enjoy Italian, British, a handcrafted deli cafe 

and a man vs food meat concept within @the Edge in halls at 

the NEC. Executive Chef Neil Ashton talks through the process 

Above: Sustainably caught, hand beer-battered 

cod with hand-mashed minted and chilli peas 

There are mouth-watering changes 

taking place at the NEC with new 

food and drink offers being created 

to ensure visitors have a really great 

experience. Amadeus has taken a 

new approach following in-depth 

research and has created four new 

concepts for in-hall dining: Italian, 

British, handcrafted deli cafe and a 

man vs food offer with fresh food 

cooked to order and lots of healthy 

options. The changes are part of a £1.4 

million investment named Project Pod 

and the new in-hall services will also 

have faster service, more seating and 

‘grab and go’ options. Calm and cool, 

NEC Executive Chef Neil Ashton has 

been working for Amadeus for nearly 

30 years and leading the charge – his 

experience has been indispensable and 

here he talks all about the new offers. 

“Previously the food areas in the halls at 

the NEC were designed to last around ten 

or 15 years. Once they were created, the idea 

was that they wouldn’t need much changing. 

However, with customer desires this is 

simply no longer possible. Each hall at the 

NEC had at least one restaurant before this 

project but now, with the customer in mind, 

we have invested heavily to offer one 

restaurant with four concepts. Our hope is 

that visitors will enjoy the new range and find 

something that works for them for whatever 

reason they are there. This project includes 

the new EvViva (Italian restaurant) and 

Butcher and Grill (the meat and grill option) 

as well as the Oak Kitchen, which serves 

British food. This on-trend concept launched 

in 2012 and the menu proved so popular that 

each year we only tweak the dishes slightly” 

The customer experience is at the centre 

of all events at the NEC, and this extends 

to the food and drink offering. The 

refurbishment of the first three in-hall 

food restaurants is part of a venue-wide 

improvement programme, and following 

extensive research carried out in 2015, a 

radical re-styling of the look and feel began. 

Logistical issues have also been looked 

into to ensure visitors receive their food 

quicker and have more choice of good value 

and great quality food. 

“We have evolved the traditional offer of 

self-service to enhance the experience for 

the customer,” Neil continues. “This still 

works but now the customer has a greater 

choice. We looked at the high-street options 

and then decided to take these ideas further 

to improve the guests’ experience. The NEC 

Group research team, Insight, provided us 

with market trends and information on the 

up-and-coming experiences such as ‘grab and 

go’. The research process started over a year 

ago and the team began by looking at ‘mega 

trends’ in food and basically with a blank 

sheet of paper with regard to the overhaul of 

the 250-seat food restaurants at the NEC. 

“The main areas looked at, alongside the 

food offering, were the times people want to 

eat and people’s craving for longer dwell 

16 GLORIOUS 



PROJECT POD FROM VENUE TO MENU 

Above: Try burgers from the meat and grill selection 

Main: The “Brummie” Balti will also be available 

Customers are looking for fresher, 

tastier food cooked quickly to order to 

suit their personal tastes 

times. Food trend information and eating 

out trends have been essential for identifying 

high performing, large appeal potential food 

concept ideas around food types. The project 

team were split into research teams to go out 

and look at similar concepts, style of service, 

menu and restaurant design and report back on 

findings and recommendations. We discovered 

that customers are looking for fresher, tastier 

food cooked quickly to order to suit their 

personal tastes, whether it’s adding extra shots 

in their coffee or choosing the filling and type of 

bread for their sandwich. 

“We also noticed that alcohol and especially 

beer sales are in decline, so we reduced the size 

of the bar area and added an Italian themed 

restaurant in the previous bar area. By changing 

our offer to match the customer demand and tie 

into key new trends, we are able to provide the 

very best visitor experience.” 

Studying customer behaviour has been vital 

to the project and from these results, the growth 

of healthy options – as part of the decisionmaking 

factor – has increased. “This is especially 

true in the morning but also as the day or week 

goes on they have something more of a treat,” 

Neil explains. “We have to make sure there are 

options available for whatever the customer 

is looking for.” 

Designing how the concepts work and how 

they would sit within the areas to maximise 

customer flow, speed and wayfinding was 

also completed at the same time as this research. 

For the customer, they should hopefully see 

some great food options. While behind 

the scenes the whole customer journey has 

been thought through and designed to ensure 

they can easily find exactly what they want. 

“We were handed back the areas from the 

designers in the summer and have spent time 

making sure it was all ready for food tours. 

We hold these for key internal, NEC Group 

stakeholders, because it is important we have all 

the teams involved. These food tours are great 

for this and our teams really enjoy experiencing 

the food themselves – they have to explain it to 

our customers after all. Following this stage 

we’ll open up the dining space for the staff to try 

and hold training days around this time too. VIP 

tours for show organisers and key people will 

then take place just before we go live this month 

– just in time for the very popular Autumn Fair! 

“Working on the new menu offers was great 

fun. We investigated a range of products and 

18 GLORIOUS 



rattled the choices down to the best of the best. 

Designing new menus can be challenging but 

it does have its advantages, like getting to try 

numerous delicious options. If you take 

our burger, we tried ten patties, ten brioche 

buns and ten more of everything else. The initial 

cook-off allowed us to pick the best relish and 

garnish too. Then all the chefs went away and 

created different versions. After whittling it 

down we were left with the best choice. 

“When I think of hot plates I think of 

motorway services, ones where customers have 

to come to the counter with a tray and someone 

places food on to the plate in front of them. This 

wasn’t too far removed from what we offered in 

some areas and so we have completely rethought 

this to improve it for the customer. Now dishes 

are prepared and plated in the kitchen after 

orders come in via electronic screens from the 

front of house teams. We can spend more 

time on presentation before the customer 

sees the finished article. 

“Before these changes we had a library of 

dishes that we switched for shows depending on 

what they were. This ranged from the type of 

show like a trade show, to the gender of the 

audience and we believed we had covered all 

requirements and everyone had a fair offer. 

However, we have rethought this process and 

work across all shows at the NEC to keep it 

consistent. It’s an exciting change to make and 

I know it’s going to work, but I have to admit 

that I am a bit nervous – but more excited. 

“Our main hope is that we have created some 

defined areas for people to enjoy. It didn’t make 

20 GLORIOUS 

Above: A rack of low ‘n’ slow ribs is a traditional grill favourite 

THE EDGE CONCEPT CAN BE FOUND IN HALLS 

1, 3 AND 4 AT THE NEC BIRMINGHAM AND WILL BE 

LAUNCHED AT THE AUTUMN FAIR IN SEPTEMBER. 

sense for the visitors to queue for their hot food, 

queue for their drink and then maybe queue 

for their dessert. Now they can select their 

complete meal in one movement and go away 

and enjoy it. None of us like being delayed, 

especially when it comes to a meal! The new 

areas will now feature an increased number 

of tills so visitors can be served more 

quickly. And seating has been increased 

by 30 per cent after customer feedback 

that they want more areas to sit down 

and enjoy a coffee. 

“With our exciting customer-driven 

concepts we feel equipped and ready to 

provide a great visitor experience at the 

NEC. We’re continually looking at ways to 

improve and hope the investment and the 

food and beverage offerings reflect the customer 

needs. We’ve really enjoyed trying something 

totally different, the excitement, and the fear of 

something new. It’s been around eight 

months in the making. It’s been a 

challenge for me and the Chefs 

but one we have embraced 

with open arms. We now have 

four key concepts – meat/ 

grill, a grab and go deli cafe, 

an English concept and an 

Italian concept. Every 

factor has been considered 

from speed of service, 

freshness and 

preparation, to 

equipment and 

service style.” 

With our exciting 

customer-driven 

concepts we feel 

equipped and ready 

to provide a great 

visitor experience 

BARS 

THE 

BARS 

BARS 

B 

19 &20 OCTOBER 

The UK’s original and most 

comprehensive exhibition of . . . 

products, services andentertainment 

for the outdoor event industry . . . 

The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition 

Newbury Showground 

Berkshire RG18 9QZ 

BARS 

SHOWMAN’S SHOW 2016 

For exhibitor & visitor information contact: 

Lance Show & Publications Limited, Courtyard Office, 

The Courtyard, Parsons Pool, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8AP 

Tel: 01747 854099 Fax: 01747 854634 

Email: info@showmans-directory.co.uk 

www.showmans-directory.co.uk

OUT AND ABOUT DUDLEY ZOO 

DUDLEY ZOO OUT AND ABOUT 

Feeding time 

AT THE ZOO 

Amadeus began working with Dudley Zoological 

Gardens in 2014 and since then the relationship 

has flourished. The zoo is full of exciting sights and 

sounds and Amadeus match the fun activities with a 

quality food offering that adds to the overall experience 

“We believe 

visitors want 

to understand 

the provenance 

and animal 

welfare of the 

food offering 

Dudley Zoo is set around an 11th century 

castle on 40 acres of land. Thousands of 

visitors travel each year to the unusual 

surroundings of the castle in a zoo. The 

wooden fortification on the site was built 

not long after the Norman Conquest of 

1066 and was recorded in the Domesday 

Book of 1086. The first stone castle was 

built on the site a while after this – this 

was destroyed by order of King Henry VII 

and another castle was erected. Over 

the years the castle was beseiged and 

survived several attacks but eventually 

became uninhabitable after a fire in the 

late 18th century. 

The zoo opened in 1937 and is now home to 

hundreds of animals. Much of the collection 

is linked to international conservation and 

breeding programmes. Endangered species 

include Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, Tibetan 

red pandas and Madagascan lemurs. 

The food offering available is very much 

an extension of Dudley Zoological Gardens 

rather than a separate entity and is now 

an important element of the overall zoo 

experience. Many visitors take a ride on the 

chairlift connecting the zoo’s upper (where 

the castle stands) and lower 

levels – they mostly take it up 

rather than down and this could be 

to avoid the steep walk up Castle 

Hill! The chairlift was the first 

passenger-carrying aerial ropeway to be 

installed in England when it opened in 1958. 

Back then passengers paid sixpence for their 

journey, but today it’s free and offers panoramic 

views across Sandwell to Birmingham. While 

travelling on the quirky ride, visitors can look 

over the flamingos and Gelada 

baboons. Amadeus has food 

options dotted nearby the lift so 

after the two-minute ride visitors 

can grab a bite. If you’re visiting the 

zoo you can relax knowing the food 

offering provides a great selection and includes 

a few classic favourites. A wide range of British 

dishes should tempt most visitors, especially 

the sustainable fish and chips, the famous 

Brummie balti and the award-winning sausage 

DUDLEY ZOO 01384 215313 

OPEN FROM 10AM EVERY DAY 

DUDLEYZOO.ORG.UK 

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 

Dudley Zoo offers a Close Encounter experience, 

which makes a vital contribution to their 

conservation work. Popular as birthday and 

anniversary gifts, the 30-minute experience goes 

towards special animal treats, toys, bedding, health 

checks, food bills, heating and more. Visitors can 

enjoy a unique experience with packages including 

the choice of feeding the lemurs, spider monkeys, 

giraffes, a big cat, the bats and the sea lions. 

Visitors can also choose to meet the orangutans, 

the chimps or even opt to explore for a reptile 

encounter. Other activities include grooming and 

behind the scenes access and each participant 

receives a Close Encounter certificate, detailed 

animal fact sheet, gift card and zoo entry ticket. 

GHOST HUNTING 

Looking for something different to do for 

Halloween this year? Look no further than 

Haunted Happenings at Dudley Zoo with Ghost 

Hunt and Suppers. An experienced team of 

investigators guide visitors safely through the 

ghost hunt in what is thought to be one of 

the most haunted locations in the 

Midlands. Working in small teams 

throughout the night, guests are 

able to carry out séances and 

vigils in the castle and use 

forms of communication 

including ouija boards 

and table tipping! 

LORIKEETS LAND! 

The first Australian rainbow lorikeets 

arrived at Dudley Zoo in the 

summer to take up a residence 

in the new Lorikeet Lookout. 

The £40,000 new home is one 

of many new enclosures to be 

developed and open at the 

zoo this year. Flamingo Falls 

has already been a popular 

hit having opened in March 

to excellent feedback 

from visitors. With its 

running waterfall 

and a bigger 

den for the birds 

as well as a new internal pool, 

visitors can see the birds even when they’re inside. 

MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN 

You can make a trip to Dudley Zoo even more 

memorable by popping the question to your 

loved one. The Zoo proudly supports those who 

choose to propose there and can enable you to do 

so surrounded by some of the rarest animals in 

the world before celebrating with 

a glass of fizz. From Humboldt 

penguins to Rothschild’s 

giraffes, the zoo then puts 

together a meet and 

greet with some 

animal magic. 

and mash. Overall visitors to the 

zoo have increased since Amadeus 

started providing the food offering 

and their hearty, simple food made 

from the best quality ingredients 

is a hit with the outlets 

consistently beating revenue budgets. 

There are many choices for dining, 

including The Queen Mary restaurant, 

which can hold 200 people, The Grey Lady 

Tavern, which can fit 20 and there is also 

a marquee for events. The food has a clear 

identity but is also sympathetic to the zoo. 

A good example is The Oak Kitchen in The 

Queen Mary Restaurant on the zoo’s upper 

level opposite the sea lion moat pools. 

This area was the base for creating a new 

and exciting dining experience on shared 

22 GLORIOUS 


OUT AND ABOUT DUDLEY ZOO 

ZOO KEEPER FOR A DAY 

Amadeus has added 

a mobile food kiosk 

and ice cream unit for 

those warm summer 

days, and for those 

feeling adventurous 

on a colder day 

tables, which – as the name suggests – serves 

a wide range of traditional and iconic British 

dishes prepared by hand. 

Marc Frankl, Food and Beverage Director at 

Amadeus, is proud of the menus the restaurant 

serves and has ensured that the right suppliers 

have been sourced, “We believe visitors want to 

understand the provenance and animal welfare 

of the food offering, so we are committed to 

various sustainability initiatives.” 

Following the success of the zoo’s main 

eaterie, the Oak Kitchen housed in the Queen 

Mary Restaurant, a new and unique mobile food 

kiosk with the Amadeus MADE coffee brand 

was also installed. Amadeus has also added a 

mobile food kiosk and an ice cream mobile unit 

for those warm summer days, and for those 

Above The medieval castle really sets the scene 

Below Dudley Zoo’s newly created Oak Kitchen 

feeling adventurous on a colder day. Running 

the zoo’s catering has not been without its 

challenges, however. The Queen Mary 

restaurant is located in a Grade II-listed 

building so there was always going to be a 

limit on what changes could be made in the 

main building. Amadeus is proven at 

not only improving the ambiance and 

environment for the customers, but also 

the back of house facilities, which needed 

extensive work including new extraction, 

flooring and equipment. It’s always good 

to make sure the Chefs have the right 

environment to create their delicious dishes! 

In the restaurant some internal walls were 

removed to allow visitors better views of 

the tree canopy outside. 

Working alongside one of the expert zoo 

keepers and across all animal sections at Dudley 

Zoo, you can get up close and personal with some 

of the rarest animals in the world. With purchases 

supporting conservation programmes and animal 

care at the zoo, you will enjoy a hands-on 

experience feeding and having educational play 

with the animals. Priced from £195 for the Adult 

Zoo Keeper experience (aged 14-plus) and from 

£80 for the Little Zoo Keeper experience (aged 

8-13), entry for one guest, lunch vouchers and 

a special souvenir gift are also included in 

the package. 

TWILIGHT TRAIL 

Dudley Zoo is one of the country’s busiest 

attractions during the day. Guests can enjoy 

a very different zoo experience by taking part in 

one of the Twilight Trails, following the keepers 

going about their evening duties after the zoo 

closes to look behind the scenes and get up close 

to some very exotic species. Learning about the 

vital conservation work carried out and seeing 

the animals settle for the night, after the tour 

guests enjoy a BBQ Supper in the Castle 

Courtyard. Priced at £45 per adult and £35 

per child (aged 8-15). 

ARACHNOPHOBIA WORKSHOP 

Dudley Zoo offers a hands-on approach to facing 

your fear of spiders. The Arachno 

Workshops are run by spider experts 

who take groups through relaxed 

discussions and education 

sessions and have been a 

huge success over the last 

five years. Through 

encouraging a better 

understanding of 

spiders, those with a 

phobia will even gain the 

confidence to touch 

the arachnids by the 

end of the session. 

Photo Experiences and Creative Events 

Photo booth / Selfiebox / Polabox / Photography / Live Events 

www.flashmat.co.uk | contact@flashmat.co.uk 

24 GLORIOUS

Supporting 

Great Festivals 

Temporary Structures, Tiered Seating, Total Overlay 

and the Freedom to be Truly Creative. 

Bringing People Together for over 150 years. 

GL events UK | Station Road | Castle Donington | DE74 2NL 

01332 850 000 | info@glevents.co.uk 

www.glevents.co.uk

SERVICE THAT SELLS CUSTOMER FOCUS 

CUSTOMER FOCUS SERVICE THAT SELLS 

Satisfaction 

GUARANTEED 

Last year Amadeus introduced a customer service programme 

that created a positive impact on both employees and customers. 

‘Service that Sells’ has led to team champions, healthy competition 

for prizes and overall greater customer experiences 

Service that Sells encourages employees 

to find out what a customer wants and 

make appropriate recommendations. 

Introduced by Operations Director Tony 

Baldock, it has already proved to be 

effective for customers as it reduces 

the effort and time of decision making 

needed, so customers get exactly what 

they want and in less time so have 

an enhanced and positive customer 

experience. The programme has been 

running successfully in many venues 

including the NEC, the ICC, the VOX, 

Barclayard Arena, Genting Arena, the 

Library of Birmingham, Cadbury World 

and Dudley Zoological Gardens. 

When customers visit these venues they 

engage with teams who are full of energy and this 

is due to the training programme. Behind the 

scenes the teams have been working hard to set 

up the programme in a fun and successful way. 

This has included one team turning themselves 

into themed hero squads to ensure everyone 

gets involved. The programme primarily has 

commercial aims – which is to be expected in as 

part of a business – but the employees have also 

been having fun and enjoying the experience. 

Employees are trained in the programme in 

various ways, all of which are made as interactive 

as possible with an element of fun included. 

From flipcharts to game cards and ten-minute 

focus sessions to button badges. Tony explains 

how this has boosted team morale and staff 

motivation, “The training pack really is a super 

tool. Alongside the flipchart the team leaders 

can use regularly, we have games that help 

explain to staff how their sales generate profit 

and the impact they can have on business.” 

Tony is immensely passionate about the 

initiative and believes it has been effective 

for both employees and customers. “We really 

are living and breathing a retail and sales culture 

for the future and it has been an exciting journey 

that will long continue.” The programme also 

includes mystery shoppers who keep an eye 

out for staff members who have the right 

attitude and always give the customer a great 

customer experience. 

Amadeus presents many of the team with 

Love2shop vouchers. The rewards are given 

as incentives where a number of business areas 

reach or exceed their targets. “It’s wonderful to 

see the staff getting excited,” Tony says, “It’s 

a great motivation for them to get instant 

recognition. It shows others that you are 

rewarded for doing a good job and encourages 

them to immerse themselves into the culture, 

which can only be good for our customers.” 

As well as the vouchers, employees receive 

other forms of instant recognition, such as a 

28 GLORIOUS 


SERVICE THAT SELLS CUSTOMER FOCUS 

THE DRIVING FORCE 

HIRE 

THE 

BEST 

‘pot of money’ for teams who achieve a certain 

growth target. All of the winners of the instant 

vouchers are also added to a prize draw each 

quarter to win a big prize. Trophies are also 

awarded to teams who have achieved the biggest 

percentages of growth per quarter. This healthy 

competition really does push the team and 

is a great incentive. “Moving forward the 

programme is also going to include training in a 

realistic environment. It’s important to ensure 

employees understand and feel part of the 

bigger vision of the caterer and so loyalty cards 

are being introduced to help them understand 

the impact. This will be visible to the customers 

who feel they are dealing with someone who 

cares about their role within the company.” 

Visitors to the various venues may also spot 

a number of the team wearing badges. Support 

pin badges are worn to remind all of the vision 

and values of the company. With an overall 

focus enabling the teams to implement the 

programme in a fun and engaging way, 

Amadeus has achieved great success. Customers 

can see and appreciate the employees going the 

extra mile, and for the teams they are rewarded 

for their hard work and made to feel part 

of the wider organisation. Correct resources, 

can-do-attitude, clear training and team 

momentum have led to this programme making 

a positive impact, especially for those 

receiving a satisfying customer experience. 

Some of the well-deserving team 

members since the programme started: 

Ian Hunt at Dudley Zoological Gardens 

Ian has achieved mystery shopper scores above 

90% . He has also supported the training and 

set up of Herbert Art Gallery and Museum 

(HAGM) during mobilisation, the customers 

loved him there as well as the team! 

Matthew Harborne, Cadbury World 

Matthew received several Love2shop vouchers 

as he showed consistent high performance. He 

has had written compliments regarding the 

service he has given during peak times. 

Romana Higgins, NEC 

Romana was nominated for her tireless work in 

training, developing and leading the team as 

illustrated by the great customer service and 

upselling on display for a recent show. Romana 

has recently joined the team as a Deputy 

Catering Manager and her positivity in 

embracing the programme has cascaded 

throughout the teams that she manages. 

Davina Allington, Barclaycard Arena 

Davina was nominated by a customer during 

an event over the summer months. The 

customer feedback on the night to her manager 

read… “Her customer service and attention 

to detail was exceptional – nothing was too 

much trouble.” 

Operations Director Tony Baldock joined 

Amadeus in 2014 and brought with 

him a wealth of experience from over 

35 years in the foodservice industry. 

Tony has made a huge impact on the 

business, both commercially and 

culturally, through his passion for 

delivering exceptional customer service 

and implementing a selling, not serving 

retail culture that has driven top-line 

sales. His campaign started in Canada 

where he developed a Service that Sells 

training programme that added 10% 

growth to a business with a billion-pound 

turnover. From this, Tony’s new training 

method was rolled out globally. He has 

now brought his passion and experience 

to Amadeus in the UK. 

Tony explains, “Service that Sells is 

about moving from a service culture to a 

sales culture to help drive the business to 

where it should be. In the UK selling has 

a bad reputation, Service that Sells shows 

it’s giving the customer what they want. 

We encourage our teams to find out 

what the customer wants and to make 

appropriate recommendations to reduce 

the effort and time of decision making 

for the customer and it teaches staff not 

be afraid to offer a sales-led service. 

This results in customers receiving faster 

service and ensures they get exactly 

what they want.” 

Service that Sells 

is about moving to a 

sales culture to help 

drive the business to 

where it should be 

Our portfolio of clients 

includes 5* hotels, 

catering companies, global 

brands, PR agencies, 

event production companies, 

sports stadiums and 

corporations. Every day we 

give our staff hundreds of 

opportunities to work for 

amazing companies. 

Like yours. This is why the best 

staff come to work for LOLA. 

FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP 

YOU PROVIDE FIVE STAR 

SERVICE TO YOUR GUESTS. 

VISIT WWW.LOLASTAFFING.CO.UK 

OR CALL US ON 0207 0430 652 

30 GLORIOUS

RICOH BRITISH WOMEN’S OPEN HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? 

Airstream Facilities 

www.airstreamfacilities.com 

The event from 

every angle 

An insight into the team behind the Ricoh Women’s British Open 

We are Europe’s leading Airstream hire company, our ever increasing 

fleet ranges from the 16 foot ‘Bambi’, up to the 34 foot ‘Slide’ in all 

styles from the 1950s to the present day. 

With years of experience, we supply a wide range of industries, 

including corporate events, TV and film, weddings and private hire. 

Get your brand on our 

Airstreams, the smooth 

curves and sleek lines of 

our trailers provide the 

perfect canvas for your 

brand and campaigns. 

All our Airstreams are fully 

equipped for a luxurious stay, 

from central heating and 

air-con to fluffy towels and 

a cold fridge. 

We also supply state of 

the art Poleadion marquee 

structures, perfect for any 

event or production. 

The Ricoh Women’s British Open 

celebrated its 40th anniversary this year 

at Woburn Golf Club in Buckinghamshire. 

It’s the tenth time the championship has 

been held at the course, with the last one 

played here in 1999. This is just one of 

the exceptional summer outdoor events 

Amadeus caters for, and Woburn is 

always a special location, especially with 

the golf being played on the Marquess 

course, the club’s ‘jewel in the crown’. 

The championship was established in 1976 by 

the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) and has become 

one of golf ’s truly iconic events. The quality 

field of top players are from the Rolex 

Women’s World Golf Rankings plus 

other players who have qualified 

through competition. The 

exciting championship is full 

of thrilling action from 

the hugely talented 

sportswomen, and 

the hospitality provided has to match these 

great heights. The Amadeus team behind the 

event are known for their dedication, hard 

work and ability to set up shop in a greenfield 

at numerous locations throughout the year. 

Carrying the baton are Samantha Bates, 

General Manager of external events, and Darren 

Proud, Executive Chef, who together make sure 

everything runs smoothly and that visitors are 

provided with the very best hospitality and food 

during the four-day event. From the top players 

all the way through to the marshals, Amadeus 

makes sure everyone is catered for, going the 

extra mile to ensure 

the event is a success 

on all fronts. It’s no 

easy feat, but it’s 

essential for 

the historic 

and passionate 

Ricoh Women’s 

British Open. 

A BRIEF HISTORY 

In the first three years of the event, from its 

inception in 1976 to 1978, English players 

prevailed with Jenny Lee Smith, Vivien 

Saunders and Janet Melville taking the trophy. 

Then the international players began to take 

part, tempted by the chance of a British Open 

title. Although Laura Davies (1986), Alison 

Nicholas (1987) and Penny Grice-Whittaker 

(1991) would furnish three more home triumphs, 

there would be a 13-year gap before Karen 

Stupples won at Sunningdale, Berkshire, in 

2004. It was then a further five years before 

Catriona Matthew became the first Scottish 

woman to win the title, and did it just 11 weeks 

after giving birth to her second child. 

The event was afforded ‘major’ status in 2001, 

and to date players from nine different countries 

have won the trophy – South Korea lead the way 

with five wins, followed by America with three 

and Taiwan with two. The championship has 

grown in popularity and now 50,000-60,000 

spectators attend each year at some of the 

greatest golfing venues across the UK – and 

Amadeus is part of that growth, ensuring the 

event catering matches the thrilling action. 

info@airstreamfacilities.com 

www.airstreamfacilities.com 

or call us on 01885 400223 

Airstream Facilities 

@AirstreamUK 

@AirstreamFacilities 


Tel: 0845 222 0069 

Email: info@crewtec.co.uk 

RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? 

Event Support Services 

Delivering the highest standard of event support available in the uk 


Samantha Bates? 

Samantha Bates is the General Manager of External Events and plays 

a pivotal role at Amadeus. Celebrating 22 years at Amadeus the 

knowledgeable and hugely experienced events expert is praised by 

clients and colleagues but puts her success down to those around 

her and says you’re only as strong as the team you work with 

Since it’s formation 3 years ago, Crewtec has 

evolved to alleviate the increasing pressures put 

upon the Events Industry. In 2013, the majority of 

Crewtec’s workload was supplying professional 

support crew to push flight cases and load vans, 

but today our clients need much more from us. The 

skill set within our crew is diverse, from certified 

plant operators to technicans and multi - skilled 

event crew. 

Crewtec operate throughout the UK and have been 

sending strong crew oversees to work on global 

events for our clients. Crewtec are able to identify 

common challenges from a global perspective. 

Supporting our clients anyway possible and at any 

time of the day or night is the mantra at Crewtec 

and we uphold this by investing in our services. 

CORPORATE CREW SITE CREW PLANT OPERATORS TECHNICIANS 

/Crewtec /Crewteccrew crewtec.co.uk 

CREWTEC EVENT SERVICES LIMITED 

UNIT 6, 38 HEPBURN ROAD 

HILLINGTON PARK, GLASGOW 

2016 CREWTEC EVENT SERVICES LTD 

G52 4RT 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

Samantha and Amadeus recently received 

a top award at the annual FSM Awards. 

They won the prestigious ‘Event Caterer’ 

accolade, which recognises those who 

excel within the events sector of the 

contract catering industry. 

Samantha oversees events run by 

Amadeus from inception to delivery and 

breakdown. These range from greenfield 

events where everything has to be set 

up from scratch – all delivered by the 

Amadeus team – or at external venues. 

Running Amadeus’s external events is 

no easy feat and recently Samantha 

played an essential role for the 

Ricoh Women’s British Open 

2016. Each event must 

match the client’s brief 

and she ensures the 

guests leave with a 

smile on their faces. 

How did you get into 

event catering? 

I grew up on the Isles of Scilly, 

which really is a tourism-based environment. 

It followed from working summer jobs in hotels 

and restaurants – you could say I fell into it! 

How much has the industry changed? 

I’ve been working for Amadeus for just over 22 

years now, having started after leaving college 

in Cardiff. I studied a Hotel and Catering 

Management course and my first role was 

a Banqueting Coordinator. I’ve held a few 

different positions within the company which 

Sam receiving 

the FSM award 

for Caterer of 

the Year 2015 

“I’m lucky to be able to take a step back 

and look over my experienced team” 

a “I’m step lucky back and to be look able over 

to tak 

experienced team and ma 

sure they are happy and 

has over 

time turned 

into a very 

client-facing job. One thing I have noticed 

that has changed greatly over the years is the 

knowledge everyone has now on food. This is 

both a positive and a negative because most 

people now have an opinion. Food and drink is 

hugely popular, and many now cook as a hobby. 

However, because of this they begin to think of 

themselves as an expert, which is lovely to see, 

but sometimes you are given some very difficult 

challenges that simply aren’t possible for 

a caterer to achieve! Our role is to make sure we 

explore every option for better ways of doing 

things, and we strive to ensure all our clients and 

customers receive the very best of our abilities. 

What is your favourite part of your role? 

It’s hard to say because the job itself is so varied! 

No day is ever the same. We could be looking at 

different quotes in Scotland, Germany or just 

down the road from the office. It’s certainly not 

the easiest job – you have to love it to stay in it 

– and I have a great team around me. 

As a GM I’m lucky to be able to take a step back 

and look over my experienced team and make 

sure they are happy and on the right path, plus 

push them to do better year on year. We are 

always looking to find better and more efficient 


when start o 

t! We we’re work at 

on what 

uld do differently the next 

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN 

and know our planning team have everything in 

place. I make sure the client is happy and that 

everything is delivered to the best of our ability. 

Liz Mallinson plays a vital role as Logistics and 

Planning Manager and has 15 years working with 

us – her huge amount of experience helps me 

and makes my life much easier. It’s great to have 

others around who we have grown up with, 

including some clients. At this event all the 

catering is our responsibility – we feed the 

public, we manage the hospitality suites, we 

feed the players, the media and also look after 

the marshals. So in other words, nearly everyone! 

“Watching the team come together 

to pull that off and deliver the very 

best event was extraordinary and 

has given me some great memories” 

ways to support the client. Sometimes I do get 

involved in the thick of it, which is good now and 

then and is what I used to do. A fresh pair of eyes 

and lots of questions can really help sometimes. 

Which events from the past stand out 

the most and why? 

So many! We have major events such as the golf, 

tennis and other greenfield sporting events, as 

well as weddings at Stoneleigh Abbey stately 

home and corporate and business events for 

clients such as JCB, John Lewis, Selfridges and 

Bentley Lamborghini. I remember a few years 

ago I came into an event just two weeks before. 

That was challenging! It was for a flower show 

and I came on board due to an unfortunate 

colleague illness. I went in fairly blind as it 

was about to be built and it needed to be 

ready for 8,000 guests in six days. 

Watching the team come together to 

pull that off and deliver the very 

best event was extraordinary 

and has given me some 

great memories. 

Another 

that stands 

out was the 

Anniversary 

Games, which was 

under very different 

circumstances from the games the year 

before. It was a great experience and is a lasting 

memory. We even got to watch Usain Bolt do his 

100m. We are lucky to work on international 

events and a recent one was in Munich. This job 

does offer opportunities to travel and while in 

Munich we were able to see the city – it’s little 

perks like that which can make the difference. 

What do you personally most look 

forward to during external events? 

Seeing what we do as a team being delivered, 

and feeling proud in the circumstances. It’s 

important to remember that everything we do is 

temporary and nothing is fixed down. 

Whether this is the kitchen, structure 

or space – it’s always new to everyone 

and we must always 

maintain our 

high standards. 

What do 

Amadeus do at the 

Ricoh Women’s 

British Open? 

I always feel so 

lucky to be able to 

turn up at this event 

How far in advance do 

you start preparing for 

an event like this? 

We start organising the next 

year at the current event! We 

work on what we could do 

differently. The course 

changes each year and this time it 

was over two sites. It is demanding 

for the team as it takes longer to get 

around but we are experienced and 

can work in one area or two if needed. 

We can work on events all year round, 

even when they are held annually. With this 

ongoing cycle we tend to start the confirmation 

stage and site visits in February and March. This 

gives us plenty of time to make sure everything is 

set-up and ready for a successful event. 

What is the ‘takeaway’ you want guests 

to have after receiving hospitality? 

A great day out! Sometimes the events we cater 

for are almost white-label under our clients, 

but we always make sure the catering is a great 

standard. We are part of a package – we bring 

the food and service and the client brings the 

ambiance and look. A perfect partnership for a 

brilliant event. So for an event like this we know 

PGA always provide beautiful events and 

ultimately we both want to make sure everyone 

leaves happy with great vibes. We have received 

great feedback from the client and the visitors 

so this is always great to have. 

With our experience we do truly know how 

to provide a great event. We are a small team 

but our commitment is clear whether it’s for 

a wedding or a golf tournament. It’s important 

to make sure we look after everyone from the 

hospitality suites to the marshal rest areas. 

Everyone’s there for a reason and we always have 

to make sure we provide the best experience. 

36 GLORIOUS


RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? 


Darren Proud? 

Executive Chef Darren Proud is in charge of making sure all external 

Amadeus events have the very best catering in any location. From 

a historic abbey to fields in the middle of Scotland, Darren is leading 

the brigades to ensure a successful event. However, his job doesn’t 

start in the kitchen – it can start months, even a year, before the 

event takes place and is at the concept stage 

“As a chef, the limits are 

job only and what whatever you put you into put the 

in, 

OVER THE FOUR-DAY EVENT… 

Amadeus fed over 170 managers and staff 

Provided 1,000 media lunches 

1,200 hospitality packages 

(breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea) 

1,750 players’ meals 

15,000-plus beverages 

and 4,500 public hot meals 

“As a Chef, the limits are only what you put into the 

job and whatever you put in, you will get back” 

Having worked at Amadeus for more than 

10 years, he is one of many long-serving 

team members who constantly pushes 

boundaries and thrives under pressure. 

How did joining Amadeus come about? 

I celebrated 11 years working here on 1 August 

this year. Before that I worked four or five-star 

hotels and two-rosette-awarded restaurants. 

I was working as Head Chef at a golf club hotel 

and had been awarded a rosette in the first year, 

but I decided I needed something new. Hotels 

and foodservice are like chalk and cheese. 

I applied to work for Amadeus at the NEC, 

which I only knew as the venue for the 

Motorcycle Live show – I didn’t realise it hosted 

more than 700 events each year! I took part in 

a ‘cook off ’ and, to be honest, I thought I hadn’t 

done very well, but I was called back for a third 

interview and was given the job. 

The way of working here was completely 

different – I mean every aspect was different. 

In a hotel, as a Head Chef you have to do 

everything yourself, but in foodservice you have 

great teams around you. There are hygiene 

experts taking that workload from you, you have 

purchasing people who help with suppliers. 

I felt Amadeus was very posh when I was first 

shown around. I’ve enjoyed every second since 

that first day – no day is the same. I can be 

working on a wedding, organising the food for 

a golf event, arranging menus for a 300-person 

function in a field – it’s so diverse and you really 

do have to think outside the box. I’ve worked in 

old kitchens the size of a broom cupboard, set 

up in fields with no electricity and had to get 

ovens into spaces that weren’t designed for 

them! I love that every day here is different. 

Coming from the hotel sector, Amadeus was 

a world away. I was working 15-hour days and 

didn’t feel rewarded. Here, I work hard and 

feel appreciated. In hotels you can hide 

and work can become pedestrian, but 

here you have structure and support, 

and it’s so diverse. 

What’s the most memorable 

Amadeus event? 

That has to be working at the 

Scottish Open for the first 

time. I had worked with 

you will get back” 

Amadeus for a year and the catering for 

this event was now mine to run. There 

were about eight kitchens with 40-plus 

Chefs and it was manic from the day it 

started till the day it ended. I loved every 

minute of it – seeing the teams working 

for you in the middle of field with heaps 

of happy visitors. Every year gets better 

and better for me. I’m trying new 

things, bouncing ideas off my Chefs. 

I stand back and look at some of this year’s 

events and feel so proud, and we received 

great comments, so we know we’re 

doing something right. 

Hitting the client’s brief and going 

beyond it is always the aim. It can be 

different to showcase what we do sometimes 

without seeing it first-hand. Hearing comments 

such as ‘it’s the best food they’ve ever had at an 

event’ is special to me, and to the team. Honest 

feedback from both the team and visitors helps 

us grow. Recently, Marc Frankl, our Food and 

Beverage Director, said he just couldn’t believe 

what we do and wished he saw it more often. 

I took this as a great compliment, because it can 

be difficult for all of the team to come and visit 

our sites when we’re hundreds of miles away. 

What’s your favourite dish? 

For me it has to be pork belly. I just love cooking 

it – it’s not praised enough and there’s so much 

flavour in it. That’s what I enjoy the most about 

38 GLORIOUS 



“No 

cooking – getting as much flavour out of 

something as possible. I would always go for the 

chicken leg rather than the breast for this every 

reason. It may not look as nice, but the taste is 

superior, in my view. Sometimes the cheaper 

cuts of meat may not look as good but 

they can taste amazing. 

What’s been the most popular dish at 

the Ricoh Women’s British Open? 

Poussin with baby vegetables and potatoes has 

been a huge hit. We really enjoyed creating this 

dish and it’s great to see the guests enjoying it. 

We relish pushing ourselves to try something 

different. This can be as simple as fish and chips 

– we will serve 1,000 portions in four days, so 

how can we make it better? So we make our own 

batter, individually put this on the best fish and 

make the finest chips. Receiving 

good feedback tells us we’re 

creating delicious dishes. 

What do you find the 

most enjoyable and most 

difficult during events? 

I really enjoy pressure and 

work better with it. I thrive 

“We relish pushing ourselves to try something 

different. This can be as simple as fish and 

chips – we will serve 1,000 portions in four 

days, so how can we make it better” 

“No day is the same for me. I can 

be working on a wedding, organising 

the food for a golf event, arranging 

menus for a 300-person function in 

under the not knowing. You can plan everything 

but once you’re out there, you can’t just pop 

next door or down the road for something. If 

you forget a ladle, you need to find something 

that will do the job, so you have to make sure you 

have every piece of equipment. It involves a lot 

of thinking outside the box, and I mean properly 

outside the box. It will take you far beyond your 

comfort zone, and I love that. 

The most different aspect can be the 

suppliers – and I don’t mean the people! You 

have to plan so much in advance 

and make sure you have what 

you need so that you, firstly, 

don’t run out and, secondly, 

you don’t have any waste. Some 

sites are difficult to access and 

you don’t want to be waiting 

around for the key to arrive. Our 

experience plays a huge part 

here – we’ve been doing this for so long now we 

feel we can deal with most situations. 

Any words of wisdom for would-be 

chefs out there? 

Stick at it. When you first start it isn’t great 

money. I was a Commis Chef for a few years and 

earned very little, but if you work hard it’s worth 

it. I believe it’s the best job you can do. I’ve 

always wanted to be a chef. I see people come 

into the job and then leave because they can get 

better money doing something else, but they 

don’t think about the long term. If you work 

hard as a chef you can climb the ladder and 

eventually earn really good money. Go into some 

other jobs, yes you are on good money initially, 

but there is no scope for growth. As a Chef, you 

can go for Michelin stars, rosettes or awards. 

The limits are only what you put into the job 

and whatever you put in, you will get back. 

Event branding 

Bespoke menu design 

Live illustration at events and venues 

Wall murals for events and venues 

Hand painted and decal window designs 

Editorial illustrations 

www.missmagpiefashionspy.com +44 (0)7730 876017 info@missmagpiefashionspy.com 

@miss_magpie_spy 

40 GLORIOUS

AMADEUS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS • PUBLIC & TRADE 

The comprehensive guide to the upcoming shows and events this season 

05•10 

Horse of the 

Year Show 

22•10 

Bear Grylls: 

Endeavour 

19•10 

Grand Designs 

Live 

18•12 

BBC Sports 

Personality 

of the Year 

16•02 

Jack Whitehall 

@TentickleUK 

www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 

07826 843099 Tentickle UK 

www.thenec.co.uk 

www.barclaycardarena.co.uk 

www.gentingarena.co.uk 

OCT 

1-2 

Miniatura, NEC 

2-5 

W Exhibition, 

NEC 

5-9 OCTOBER 

Horse of the Year 

Show, Genting Arena 

4-6 

Clean Energy Live, NEC 

5-9 

Horse of the Year Show, Genting Arena 

7-9 

Destination Star Trek Europe, NEC 

Filling a 50-acre site with thrills, spills, world-class entertainment and spectacular 

horsemanship, the Horse of the Year Show is a veritable equestrian utopia. Whether 

you are a competitive rider, horse enthusiast or simply want to enjoy an exciting day out, 

this show has something for the whole family. 

CALENDAR OF 

EVENTS 

8 

Jean-Michel 

Jarre, Barclaycard 

Arena 

11-12 

The Care Show, 

2016 NEC 

11-13 

The Print Show, 

NEC 

11-16 

Motorhome & 

Caravan Show, NEC 

12 

Fifth Harmony, 

Barclaycard Arena 

14 

The Australian 

Pink Floyd Show, 


14 

Nickelback, 

Genting Arena 

14-16 

The Vaper Expo, 

NEC 

15 

Babbu Maan, 


17-18 

Justin Bieber, 


18-20 

UK Construction 

Week, NEC 

19 

Steel Panther, 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS AMADEUS 




22 OCTOBER 

Bear Grylls: Endeavour presented by Land Rover, 

Genting Arena 

In his first live tour, adventurer, writer and TV host Bear Grylls hosts a ground-breaking interactive experience that transports the audience to multiple 

environments in an action-packed two-hour show. Celebrating some of the greatest feats of courage, endurance and endeavour through the ages, the wonder 

of our planet and the important value of mankind’s indomitable human spirit will be revealed. 

19-20 

Best Practice 

2016, NEC 

19-20 

Fleet 

Management, NEC 

19-20 

World of 

Learning, NEC 

19-23 

Grand Designs 

Live, NEC 

20 

Group Leisure & 

Travel Show, NEC 

21 

Bad Company, 

Genting Arena 

22 

Bear Grylls: 

Endeavour 

presented by 

Land Rover, 

Genting Arena 

22 

Supreme Cat 

Show, NEC 

22-23 

DIVE 2016, NEC 

24 

Justin Bieber, 

Genting Arena 

19-23 OCTOBER 

Grand Designs Live, NEC 

Now running for five days, Grand Designs Live (sponsored 

by Anglian Home Improvements) offers visitors a unique 

opportunity to see the latest trends for the home as well 

as many products never seen before. Based on the 

Channel 4 TV series, and presented by design guru Kevin 

McCloud, the event will be packed with over 500 exhibitors, 

across six different sections where you can take away 

ideas and inspiration for your very own grand design. 

25-30 

Disney On Ice 

presents Frozen, 


26 

Birmingham Post 

Business Awards, 

The ICC 

26 

Four Tops & 

The Temptations, 

Genting Arena 

27-30 

BRICK LIVE, NEC 

29 

Maxwell & Mary 

J. Blige, Genting 

Arena 

26 OCTOBER 

Birmingham Post Business Awards, The ICC 

Prosecco reception from 6:30pm. Aiming to celebrate 

success, recognise achievement and highlight the innovative 

people and companies in Birmingham putting the region on 

the map, the awards will cover 14 categories across a range 

of sectors. The Birmingham Post has joined forces with the 

leading brand agency and event specialists Champions 

(UK) plc to make this the best year yet! 

27-30 OCTOBER 

BRICK LIVE – Built for LEGO fans, NEC 

NOV 

2-3 

Billy Connolly, 


2-3 

Advanced 

Engineering UK, 

NEC 

2-3 

Lab Innovations, 

NEC 

2-3 

Saltex, NEC 

3-6 

Crafts for 

Christmas, NEC 

BRICK LIVE, the UK’s biggest celebration of LEGO, returns to the NEC just in time for the 

half-term. See the latest LEGO sets, vintage collectibles, meet builders from all over the world, 

special guests and have-a-go themed areas. New for 2016 is MindStorm showcasing fantastic 

robotic builds and technical challenges, with more exciting features still to be announced. 

4 NOVEMBER 

Bring Me The Horizon, Barclaycard Arena 

After the success of their genre-splicing album 

Sempiternal which reached No. 3 in the charts in 2013, 

Bring Me The Horizon are back touring with their fifth 

album, That’s the Spirit. One of the most ambitious 

modern metal bands, they electrify crowds wherever they 

go and are a must-see for any fan of metal music 

3-6 

The Stitching, 

Sewing & 

Hobbycrafts Show, 

NEC 

4 

Bring Me 

The Horizon, 


4-5 

Graduate 

Recruitment, NEC 

4-6 

Mind Body Spirit 

Wellbeing Festival, 

NEC 

4-6 

Cake 

International, NEC 

5 

Brit Asia TV 

World Music 

Awards 2016, 


6-7 

Trade Days, NEC 

8 

Bastille, 


8 

Nursing in 

Practice, NEC 

44 GLORIOUS 






26-27 NOVEMBER 

The 2016 Birmingham International Tattoo, 


Britain’s biggest indoor international tattoo will bring together marching bands, exciting 

displays and the spectacular Grand Finale with guest vocalists in a spectacle of pomp 

and pageantry. In addition to the bands, this three-hour family event will host a range of 

spectacular displays including Royal Air Force Cosford Queen’s Colour, the tri-services 

RNRMC Field Gun Competition, the Flyball Dog Racing teams, the United Kingdom 

Disco Display Team and the Parade of Massed Standards. 

9 

WWE Live, 

Genting Arena 

9-10 

Farm Business 

Innovation, NEC 

9-10 

Holiday Park, 

NEC 

10-13 

Festive Gift Fair, 

NEC 

11-13 

Classic Motor 

Show, NEC 

30 NOVEMBER 

The Catherine Tate Show, 


17-19 

The Skills Show, 

NEC 

18 

Jess Glynne, 

Genting Arena 

18-20 

Spanish Riding 

School of Vienna, 


19-20 

MCM 

Birmingham, NEC 

19-27 

Motorcycle Live, 

NEC 

20 

Simply Red, 

Genting Arena 

22 

Elvis Presley 

in concert live 

on screen, 

Genting Arena 

23 

The Academies 

Show, NEC 

23-24 

Occupational 

Therapy, NEC 

23-24 

Therapy Expo, 

NEC 

The critically acclaimed, award-winning comedian and actor performs live in new sketches uniting some of her best-known 

characters from the hugely successful BBC series. The cast will include ‘Nan’ Taylor, Irish nurse Bernie, Geordie Georgie, 

Essex girl Sam… and the return of a certain argumentative teenager. Guest starring Mathew Horne. 

18 DECEMBER 2016 

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2016 

The Genting Arena will play host to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2016 ceremony broadcast live around the world. One 

of the most eagerly anticipated awards nights on the sporting calendar, once again Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan 

play host to this star-studded event celebrating what has already been an extraordinary year for British sporting achievement. 

24-27 

BBC Good Food 

Show, NEC 

25 

Mika Singh, 


25-26 

National 

Engineering & 

Construction 

Recruitment, NEC 

26 

Free Radio Live, 

Genting Arena 

26-27 

National Model 

Railway Exhibition, 

NEC 

26-27 

The 2016 

Birmingham 

International 

Tattoo, Barclaycard 

Arena 

27 

Alter Bridge, 

Genting Arena 

30 

The Catherine 

Tate Show, 


30 

Pete Tong 

presents, 

Ibiza Classics, 

Genting Arena 

DEC 

2-3 

Rod Stewart, 


2-6 

The Clothes 

Show, NEC 

2-23 

Christmas 

Parties, NEC 

3-4 

UK Drone Show, 

NEC 

7 

Biffy Clyro, 


8 

Placebo, 


9 

Reeves & 

Mortimer, 


10 

The Human 

League, 


10-11 

Red Hot Chili 

Peppers, Genting 

Arena 

10-11 

Ladies Kennel 

Association, NEC 

16 

Status Quo, 


17 

Madness, 


18 

BBC Sports 

Personality of the 

Year, Genting Arena 

21 

André Rieu, 

Genting Arena 

26-30 

Marvel Universe 

Live!, Barclaycard 

Arena 

30 

Best Ever 

Christmas Show, 

Genting Arena 

46 GLORIOUS 



JAN 17 

12-15 

Performance 

Car Show, NEC 

16 FEBRUARY 2017 

Jack Whitehall – At Large 

12-15 

Autosport 

International, 

NEC 

13 

Avenged 

Sevenfold, Genting 

Arena 

13 

Comedy Central 

Impractical Jokers, 


In what the Evening Standard stated, “May well be the most spectacular arena stand-up show ever!” multi award-winning 

comic Jack Whitehall is back on tour with his brand new live show. Following up his fantastic debut arena show and fresh 

from hosting the Royal Variety Performance, Jack is back at his dynamic best in what is sure to go down as one of the 

comedy shows of the year. 

15 

Basketball 

Cup Finals 2017, 


15-16 

Trophex 2017, 

NEC 

21 

The 2017 Monster 

Energy Arenacross 

Tour, Genting Arena 

21-22 

Asian Bride Live, 

NEC 

22-24 

Beta 


22-25 

January Furniture 

Show, NEC 

23-25 

Great Hospitality 

Show, NEC 

25 

A Day to 

Remember, 


FEB 

2 & 4 

Black Sabbath, 

Genting Arena 

3 

Donny Osmond, 

Genting Arena 

5-9 

Spring Fair 


15-16 

The UK 

CONCRETE Show, 

NEC 

16 

Jack Whitehall, 

Genting Arena 

24 

Pet Shop Boys, 


25 

Kaiser Chiefs, 


MARCH 

1-5 

Cirque du Soleil Varekai: Tales of the 

Forest, Genting Arena 

7-12 

Yonex All England Open Badminton 

Championships 2017, Barclaycard Arena 

17 

Russell Howard, Genting Arena 

24 

Olly Murs, Genting Arena 

www.titaniummreworks.com 

020 7183 9665 

group@titaniummreworks.com 

48 GLORIOUS 

Private Parties National Events Corporate Weddings

TEAM WORK THE APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME 

BUILD IT 

BEAUTIFUL 

made my day 

WWW.FURNITUREONTHEMOVE.CO.UK 

Tyrel Richards, Solihull College Apprentice of the Year 

at the ICC, and Executive Head Chef Simon Hellier talk 

to Glorious about Amadeus’ apprenticeship scheme 

How did you get on to the Amadeus 

apprenticeship scheme? 

Tyrel: In 2015 I was 34 and unemployed. I’d 

never really thought of a career in catering 

before but I love learning new things in life, so 

I decided to take on a new challenge. It was 

actually Simon that interviewed me and 

we really got on – he said he liked the way 

I presented myself. 

Simon: That’s the great thing about the 

apprenticeship scheme – it is open to anyone 

over the age of 18. Sometimes, later on in life, 

people realise their passion for something and 

schemes like this give them the opportunity to 

work in an industry that’s exciting and creative. 

They get to work alongside professional Chefs 

and really learn a trade. As soon as I met Tyrel 

I knew he had everything you need to work well 

in a kitchen – he understood that he had to 

listen, work efficiently and always be on time. 

That’s key when we’ve got a long day of food 

preparation ahead of us! He is also patient as he 

knows that learning some of the processes takes 

time – you can’t rush in the kitchen as that’s 

when things can go wrong. It’s been great 

to watch him grow in confidence – he is not 

only maturing as a Chef but as a person. 

T: I’m so grateful to have been given this 

opportunity. I’m learning new things and feel 

such a great sense of achievement. 

So how does the scheme work? 

T: I go to college once a week. I’ve now finished 

the paperwork side and I’m concentrating on 

the practical tasks. We learn different ways of 

preparing food and are then assessed in a real 

kitchen environment to see if we are practically 

applying what we have learnt. I practise at home 

too – it doesn’t always turn out how I want it, 

but that’s why I practise! 

S: Tyrel does his theoretical work at college and 

his practical work here. Students study food 

safety, manual handling etc, and then come into 

the kitchen and apply it. 

T: I prefer when we’re hands-on in the kitchen 

rather than sitting in a classroom as I feel that’s 

how you can learn best and understand the 

creative part of the process. When I found out 

that I’d have to spend a day a week in college – 

and that I’d have to do my English and Maths as 

well – I almost changed my mind. I knew I had 

to get through that stage to get to this part of the 

scheme and I passed every exam. It wasn’t as 

hard as I thought it would be and I get a lot of 

support from the college and from Amadeus. 

How did it feel to win the Solihull 

College Apprentice of the Year award? 

T: I was shocked when I received the 

nomination in the post, but when I found out 

that I’d actually won it, it felt great. 

S: Tyrel’s award was due to everything he has 

achieved in the last year. He is consistent, has 

learnt a lot and really embraced the opportunity 

of working in a busy kitchen. Tyrel’s attitude, 

his commitment to his work and his ‘I want to 

learn more’ approach to everything was what 

ultimately won him the award. The assessor 

could see Tyrel was applying the same attitude 

to his practical work as in the kitchen. 

What’s the best thing about working 

for Amadeus? 

T: The teamwork and the people. When I first 

started, I thought the Chefs would be shouting 

and swearing, but meeting Simon for the first 

time I realised it wasn’t like that. All the Chefs 

are so helpful and encourage the more junior 

members of staff every step of the way. I am 

so happy I joined Amadeus – it really has 

changed my life. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT 

MORE ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES 

AT AMADEUS GO TO NECGROUP. 

CO.UK/WORKING-FOR-US 

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