Creativevents aims for greater share of heritage and attractions catering market with new appointment

28-May-2013 - Last updated on 29-May-2013 at 14:58 GMT

Creative Taste is hoping for more contract wins like this one at Dulwich Picture Gallery with the appointment of Zoe Watts as business development manager

Events catering company Creativevents has taken on a business development manager for its heritage and visitor attractions division Creative Taste to help grow its share within the market.

Watts, who was head of events and catering at the Natural History Museum before becoming head of business development at Company of Cooks, will aim to build the client base for Creative Taste, which formed earlier this year.

Creativevents managing director Adrian Willson said: "Zoe will focus primarily on developing new opportunities for Creative Taste and building on the firm foundations that are in-place for this exciting part of the business. She will be a huge asset to us supporting the continued growth of Creativevents as well as promoting the company in the wider marketplace.”

Watts, who was also part of the team that set up catering at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, said she 'relished' the opportunity of working Creative Taste to boost the company's presence in the cultural sector.

"Really great visitor and event catering can significantly enhance the visitor experience as well as the reputation and profile of a heritage organisation,” she said.

Gallery win

Earlier this month, Creative Taste won a six year contract worth £3.8m to provide catering services at Dulwich Picture Gallery in South London, its first contract win since partnering with the MITIE Group.

Under the contract, the operator will run the gallery's cafe and provide hospitality and events at the venue while also launching a pop-up garden cafe over the summer.

Willson said the aim was to not only attract visitors to the gallery but locals too. "We want local people to fall in love with the Gallery Café and visit throughout the day," he said.

“We will be serving really good morning coffee and pastries, enticing brunches, afternoon teas, Sunday roasts and small portions on our children’s ‘Little Gallery Menu’. As well as wanting Dulwich Picture Gallery to be the natural choice for hosting events, we want the Café to be at the heart of the community and aim to make it the destination of choice locally where we will entice and delight all our customers.”