our latest news and everything that's happening in the world of vacherin.
Celebrating Excellence: Vacherin's Ben Garnett-Sinclair Wins Prestigious Acorn Award!
We are thrilled to announce that our very own Head Chef, Ben Garnett-Sinclair, has been honoured with a prestigious Acorn Award!
Chefs Assemble at Pearly Queen Shoreditch
As part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing our team’s culinary creativity, last week our Executive Development Chef, Stephen Humphries, led a 'Chef’s Assemble' at the newly opened Pearly Queen Shoreditch. This seafood gem is helmed by the talented Tom Brown, a finalist on Great British Menu.
Ridgeview Vineyard Visit
We’re constantly seeking ways to inspire our teams and connect them with suppliers that share our passion for craft and quality.
Celebrating Women in Hospitality: Insights from the Vacherin Women in Hospitality Forum
We were delighted to hold the inaugural Women in Hospitality Forum for 2024. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of women in the industry.
Vacherin announce partnership with Doug McMaster
We’re thrilled to share that we are taking a bold step forward in our commitment to reducing food waste through an inspiring partnership with Silo, the renowned zero-waste restaurant based in Hackney Wick led by chef Doug McMaster.
Celebrating our Apprentices at the House of Commons!
Recently, we had the honour being invited to take four outstanding apprentices from various divisions of CH&Co to the House of Commons.
Vacherin Chef’s take on the Roux Scholarship challenge
This week two of our talented chefs have been preparing their entries into the prestigious Roux Scholarship. Founded in 1983 by restaurant legends Michel and Albert Roux, this competition is focused on nurturing culinary talent and offering young chefs the opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage.
Highlights from Our Spring Innovation Forum!
At our recent Spring Innovation Forum, we brought together 150 of our General Managers and Chefs under one roof for a spectacular showcase of innovative ideas, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Vacherin announces special partnership with chef and author, Sabrina Gidda
We're thrilled to share the fantastic news of our new partnership with the incredibly talented chef and author, Sabrina Gidda
Celebrating Coffee Excellence at the Barista of the Year Competition 2023
Last week marked an exhilarating culmination of talent, passion, and expertise in the much-awaited 'Barista of the Year' competition with competitors coming from across the CH&Co family. Baristas vied for the coveted titles in several categories including the penultimate “Barista of the Year”.
Celebrating Excellence: Vacherin Hot Shots 2023 Unveiled
Last Thursday marked a significant milestone for our company as we gathered for the annual company review and the prestigious internal awards ceremony
Halloween Spooktacular 2023
We were delighted to host the Vacherin Halloween Treat Master 2023, a celebration that showcased our commitment to addressing food waste and championing best practices within our business.
Vacherin partners with The Felix Project
This autumn we were delighted to be able to partner with The Felix Project, a dedicated organization working tirelessly to distribute food to various charities and schools across London. With nearly 600 organizations on their waiting list, the demand for food donations has never been more crucial.
Team Vacherin Triumphs at ACE Ready Steady Cook Competition!
Team Vacherin have emerged victorious at the highly competitive Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) Ready Steady Cook competition held at The Skylight Peckham. In the hotly contested competition with 11 other competitors contestants had to prepare two dishes for the judges. This year, the first course has to be cooked over open flame using a Big Green Egg.
Celebrating Excellence: Barista of the Year 2023!
At Vacherin, we're all about celebrating the art of speciality coffee. This year, our Barista-of-the-Year competition held at UCL School of Pharmacy saw a remarkable turnout of talented baristas.
The Vacherin Autumn Innovation Forum
Last week, we hosted our Autumn Innovation Forum, bringing our teams together to shine a spotlight on the fantastic new concepts, food, training, experiences and marketing that we have in store for the upcoming Autumn season.
A Recipe For Success
We recently held our highly successful Chef of the Year competition at Westminster Kingsway College. The competition put sustainability at the forefront and aligning with The Sustainable Restaurant Association's One Planet Plate criteria.
Taste of Vacherin
We are delighted to have celebrated 20 years of exceptional culinary experiences and heartfelt hospitality at Taste of Vacherin last week.
Charity 20K for £20K
On Saturday 17th June we held our Vacherin London20 challenge to raise £20k for our charity partner the social enterprise, Luminary Bakery.
Putting Health at the Heart of What We Do
At Vacherin we take yours and our health seriously, after all a healthy team is a happy team. We’ve teamed up with Gary Baverstock, as our inhouse registered nutritional therapist to offer a range of fantastic health, wellbeing and lifestyle workshops, programmes and consultations across our sites.
Vacherin London20 Charity Event
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Vacherin opening our first contract at Imagination which we are still proud to look after to this day!
Vacherin Success at the Salon Culinaire
Vacherin entered ten of our Chefs into the world famous, Salon Culinaire held at the ExCel Centre London.
Luminary Bakery and Vacherin Quiz Night
As part of our ongoing work together, Vacherin held a quiz night and raffle to raise funds for the Luminary Bakery. Luminary is an award winning social enterprise empowering disadvantaged women in London to thrive.
Vacherin wins at the Planet Mark Awards
We are delighted to have won the Best Sustainability Reporting category at The Planet Mark Awards held on Thursday evening at The Royal Institution.
Vacherin partners with Surrey Docks Farm
Vacherin is delighted to be working in partnership with the community charitable enterprise Surrey Docks Farm. We’re excited to be able to support its valuable work whilst also having the opportunity to develop our chefs and access the finest produce for our clients and customers.
Nutritious & Delicious 2.0 launches
We are very excited to have launched our award-winning healthy eating range, Nutritious + Delicious, to support the food, nutrition and lifestyle choices of our customers.
Vacherin wins Planet Mark accreditation
We have been immensely proud of our sustainability credentials and practices for years, always leading the field with innovation and doing the right thing by our customers and the environment, so we are delighted to have been awarded the Planet Mark accreditation for our transparent and authentic approach to sustainability.
Our partnership with Ashurst to support the Shoreditch Trust this Christmas
Ashurst and Vacherin donate 100 meals a week to the Shoreditch Trust’s Covid-19 Emergency Food Appeal
DON'T BIN THE PUMPKIN!
With the UK set to bin 8 million pumpkins this Halloween, we revisit Shane Cooke's suggestions for using the flesh in some very tasty recipes
Going against the grain
The value of corporate catering as a much-appreciated employee benefit is particularly evident at two of our very long-standing clients’ city offices.
Vacherin head chef Nick Smith is National Chef of the Year 2021
We're delighted and proud to announce that our head chef Nick Smith is the winner of this year's illustrious competition.
Spotlight on Vacherin head chef Sean and his baking venture ‘Sean’s Loaf’
Vacherin people are an entrepreneurial bunch and Sean is no exception. Here's how he has turned his passion and skill for sourdough into a family-run bakery.
Beyond Covid-19: The future of workplace catering
The team at Vacherin has published a paper setting out our predictions for the long-term impact of Covid-19 on workplace dining
OUR THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT'S MEASURES TO TACKLE OBESITY
Our approach has always been that calorie counting is just one consideration of a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle, and as such our menus and the information that we provide to our customers takes a more holistic approach.
We’re a people business, we thrive on social interaction. Being back together, in the office or at our sites just felt ‘right’.
EIGHT YEARS OF HOT SHOTS, THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF OUR PEOPLE
Hot Shots will return in 2021 but we've enjoyed the memories of previous gatherings and celebrations
SEASON'S EATINGS: OUR CSR & SUSTAINABILITY LEAD YESHNA MISTRY TALKS TO FACILITATE
As clients and end users demand sustainable food, contract caterers need to ensure that local, ethical and seasonal food is on the menu
Vacherin partners with Dynamify to provide our new app technology
Vacherin selects Dynamify’s mobile ordering platform to transform its catering operations for the digital age and the ‘new normal’ post-Coronavirus
Vacherin exceeds predictions with 14% turnover increase on previous year
A very successful 2019 to place us in a stronger position as we counter the effects of the coronavirus lockdown on the business for the next 12-18 months
The Vacherin Quarterly Marketing Workshop
A creative coming-together where we share marketing ideas, upcoming trends, food and drink concepts and CSR initiatives
Vacherin Run to the Moon
This week we launched #VRTTM, our 12 month wellbeing and fundraising initiative
Vacherin has joined the CH&Co family of catering businesses
We are delighted to announce that we have joined the CH&Co family of catering businesses
Vacherin's Wellness Summit
On Thursday 6th February 2020, we hosted our first ever Wellness Summit.
WE'VE SPENT NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STAFF
National Apprenticeships Week 2020 was a fantastic opportunity for Vacherin to share our new strategic approach towards the scheme with our people
YOU’RE WELCOME
What makes the front-of-house experience more meaningful? Here, our entrée Manager Natalie Joyce, provides insight into the benefits and demands of a seamless catering and front-of-house service.
Vacherin is part of the European Chicken Commitment
Every year over one billion chickens are consumed for human consumption; this number is fairly consistent year on year despite the rising popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets.
Vacherin Chef James Coe competes in MasterChef: The Professionals 2019
James Coe, our Hospitality Sous Chef at a prestigious city law firm, has succeeded in reaching the final, televised stages of the BBC’s flagship cooking competition
WINNERS! We're delighted with our Waste No Food win at The SRA Food Made Good Awards
Our zero tolerance food waste approach secured us a Food Made Good Award, and we're thrilled that all of our efforts have been recognised.
GIVE ME FIVE...Ways to reduce food waste
Dan Kelly shares five ways to reduce food waste with Facilities Matters
A FOOD SERVICE CATEYS WIN FOR GOING THE EXTRA MILE!
We are thrilled to have won the Extra Mile Award in recognition of our 15th Birthday fundraising efforts for The Luminary Bakery
NICK SMITH, A TRULY IMPRESSIVE 3RD PLACE, NATIONAL CHEF OF THE YEAR
Nick Smith, Head Chef, Hospitality awarded third place in the UK’s most prestigious culinary competition
September Marketing Workshop
Every quarter Vacherin hosts a Marketing Workshop where we bring our food, suppliers and marketing together for an update on the next 3 months.
How a caterer fights food waste
'At Vacherin, we recognise that wasted food is bad for our environment, but it's also bad for business.'
VACHERIN FORAGING IN THE WOODLANDS
A group of our chefs took a walk on the wild side and visited some Hertfordshire woods to learn the in's and out's of foraging.
HOT SHOTS 2019
Our annual Hot Shots awards ceremony, bringing people from across the company to recognise and celebrate their individual and team achievement
PHIL ROKER: FOODSERVICE CATERER OF THE YEAR 2019
Huge congratulations to Phil, one of our three owners and our Managing Director, who was awarded the Foodservice Caterer Catey this week!
TASTING DINNER CREATED BY VACHERIN CHEFS WITH ROBIN GILL
Eleven of our talented chefs, inspired by their stagiaires at Robin Gill's restaurants, created a fantastic five course tasting menu, enjoyed by our guests in the lovely setting of the Brasserie at Regent's University London
OUR TALENTED PEOPLE SHINE AT OUR ANNUAL HOT NOSH COMPETITION
Teams from across Vacherin came together to show their incredible talent at what is no ordinary culinary contest
BARISTA OF THE YEAR 2019!
Vacherin's 6th annual Barista Competition!
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 13TH - 19TH MAY 2019
We recognise that mental health plays a huge part in ensuring the wellbeing of our staff. Here we talk about how we are encouraging open discussion to raise awareness of this important issue.
Lewis Linley: Roux Scholarship Finalist 2019!
We are so proud of Vacherin chef Lewis Linley, who recently made it to the final round of the Roux Scholarship.
OUR HOT CROSS BUNS
Give this recipe a go to create your own hot cross buns!
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A PERSONALISED APPROACH IN HOSPITALITY
First impressions count for everything in business, making the importance of offering a personalised approach even more crucial.
ANOTHER YEAR OF GROWTH FOR VACHERIN
We are delighted to announce a 33% increase in turnover to £26.2m for 2017/18, having added eight new contracts to our portfolio worth an annualised turnover of more than £2.6m
FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT AT VACHERIN
Fairtrade Fortnight celebrates the farmers and workers who grow the food we eat. Yeshna discusses the importance of taking part in this campaign.
WHAT TO DO WITH STALE BREAD
Did you know, bread is one of Britain's most wasted foods? Candice has put together some of her favourite recipes for stale bread.
Vacherin continues success with Robin Gill partnership
Having joined forces in 2017 to give our chefs the opportunity to gain experience and development within Robin’s restaurant environments, our partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
REAL BREAD WEEK AT VACHERIN
We're celebrating Real Bread Week at Vacherin.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE AVO BROWNIES
Our Vegan Chocolate Avo Brownies were so popular we thought it would be worth sharing for your baking
HEALTHY HEART, HEALTHY YOU
This Valentine's Week Vacherin's nutritionist, Gary Baverstock, focuses on 10 foods that are good for your heart.
VACHCHAT, OUR PEOPLE COMMS APP IS LAUNCHED!
Last week we introduced all 504 Vacherin staff to their brand new app - another way to share, across our teams, everything that is happening in the world of Vacherin
What’s cooking in 2019?
Always in the know about the latest ingredients, food concepts and healthy diets to hit the London food scene, Dan Kelly and his food development team offer an insight into a fraction of what will be gaining in popularity in the coming months.
AS 2018 DRAWS TO A CLOSE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR FAVOURITE STORIES
What a year it's been for Vacherin...here's a selection of your favourite stories that we posted in 2018. Certainly a year of food, fun, achievement and celebration!
Heavenly Baked Vacherin
We may be a little biased but Vacherin Mont d’Or – baked or not – is truly delicious, especially at Christmas.
2 NEW CONTRACT WINS: WHAT A GREAT START TO OUR FINANCIAL YEAR
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Royal College of Pathologists and a global leadership advisory firm
Why I'm giving Veganuary a go
Zoë Watts, our Director | Commercial tells us why she's decided to take the plunge into a plant-based January
Vacherin Operatic Christmas Celebration
We hosted a beautiful evening at Events @ No 6, the newly built venue at the premises of The Royal College of Pathologists. Here's a taster of our Operatic Christmas Celebration.
SHANE COOKE WINS 2019 ACORN SCHOLARSHIP
Our Senior Company Executive Chef, Shane Cooke is the winner of the 2019 Acorn Scholarship
FOOD TO THE FORE AS DAN KELLY IS PROMOTED TO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR | FOOD & OPERATIONS
We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Dan Kelly, previously Director of Food, to the role of Deputy Managing Director | Food & Operations
Vacherin's Tom Rule is the FSM Awards Area Manager of the Year 2018!
This week we’ve been celebrating Tom’s very well-deserved award. Find out why the FSM judges considered Tom to be the worthy winner.
FESTIVE FOODS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY
As we launch into the party season and all the glorious food and drink that it brings, Vacherin's nutritionist Gary Baverstock highlights which of our festive favourites offer the most health benefits
WOMEN IN HOSPITALITY
Zoë Watts, Director | Commercial continues the conversation following her participation in last week's Institute of Hospitality, Women in Hospitality event.
VACHERIN TO TAKE PART IN WORKPLACE WEEK
Hosted by Vacherin, London’s leading independent caterer, in collaboration with The Crown Estate, Europe’s first ‘WELL Platinum’ building
MONTHLY COLUMN: CATERING FOR ACTIVE LIFESTYLES
With consumers becoming more health-conscious, it is important to tap into this sector of the market
VACHERIN MARKETING WORKSHOP
It was an inspiring September Marketing Workshop for the last quarter of 2018
VACHERIN TEAM WINS ACE READY STEADY COOK COMPETITION
Vacherin Chefs, Lewis Linley and Gemma Vardon take gold at The ACE annual Ready Steady Cook competition
SRA FOOD MADE GOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR TOP 20
For the second year running we have been shortlisted for the SRA Food Made Good Business of the Year award.
LE TOUR DE VACHERIN A COMMENCÉ!
From Hatton Garden to the Swiss Alps, the team are off! We'll keep you updated along their journey.
VACHERIN'S VISIT TO BYWATERS
To gain a deeper understanding of what actually happens to rubbish after we put it in the bin, a group of Vacherin employees journeyed to one of London’s largest mixed recycling facilities
THE REWARDS OF HAVING A CHARITY PARTNER
As we begin to prepare for Le Tour de Vacherin, our biggest fundraising event yet, we take a step back to understand the impact corporate social responsibility can have on a business and the wider community.
CUPCLUB
CupClub offers a tailored end-to-end service helping to reduce single-use plastic packaging by up to 47%.
DAN KELLY'S MONTHLY COLUMN: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES, SAFELY
How to reach your full creative potential while also abiding by the rules
FERMENTATION WITH ROBIN GILL
Our chef team enjoyed a masterclass in fermentation with Robin Gill.
HOT SHOTS 2018
Vacherin Hot Shots recognise those who have gone above and beyond in their roles to deliver innovation and passion in all that they do.
VACHERIN'S SECRET GARDEN PARTY: A CELEBRATION OF SUMMER
Last night we hosted a gathering in the beautiful Secret Garden at Regent's. Here's a taste of the delicious summer canapes and Chapel Down gin cocktails that were the perfect accompaniment to a lovely balmy evening.
LE TOUR DE VACHERIN: TEAM VACH TO CYCLE 700 MILES IN 7 DAYS FOR CHARITY
To celebrate Vacherin’s fifteenth year nine riders from across our business will push themselves to the limit by pedaling 700 miles from our home in Hatton Garden to the home of Vacherin in the Swiss Alps.
DAN KELLY'S MONTHLY COLUMN: AVOIDING THE SAME OLD MISTAKES
Dan shares his experience, his industry insights and his views on all things food.
VACHERIN IS THE FIRST CONTRACT CATERER TO INTRODUCE FREE RANGE MILK ACROSS ALL SITES!
We are proud and delighted to announce that as of today, 1st August, we will be purchasing only free range milk across our entire business
Vacherin wins five-year catering contract with ITV in London
We are thrilled to have been chosen by ITV to provide their catering services in London, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership
VACHERIN MEETS HONDURAN FARMERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR AMAZING COFFEE & CSR CREDENTIALS
Sourcing the very best ingredients is everything to us, and coffee is no exception. We were privileged to have the opportunity to meet Rene and Delmy from Honduras, who supply over 50% of our Extract coffee beans
TEAM VACH HEAD TO THE BEACH, BIN BAGS AT THE READY!
Determined to make a difference, our team headed to Gabriel's Wharf to support ByWaters with a beach clean.
EMMA ABRUZZESE, OUR CATERING MANAGER AT HISCOX INSURANCE IS AN ACORNS WINNER 2018!
We're so proud of our very own Acorns Winner 2018; Emma is a Vacherin superstar and couldn't be more deserving.
THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT: OUR HOME-GROWN CHEFS ARE PROOF OF THAT
As an employer, there's nothing more rewarding than developing your people and seeing them progress in your business. Here's the success story of just three of our chefs...
BARISTA OF THE YEAR 2018!
Vacherin's 5th Annual Barista Competition, a celebration of coffee and our talented people who are masters in the art of making it!
VACH VENUE VOTE: SUMMER’S HERE, IT HAS TO BE REGENT’S
With summer showing us snippets of sun, we’re gearing up for months of outdoor entertaining – and where better than Regent’s which boasts some of the most beautiful gardens in London
Vacherin chef takes on MasterChef the Professionals
The Vach rumour mill has been in a spin with whispers and murmurs that one of our very own Chefs was competing in the ultimate foodie battle - Masterchef: The Professionals.
Vacherin recognised for CSR at Foodservice Cateys 2017
Each year The Cateys aim to celebrate foodservice employees across the UK, recognising and rewarding individuals and teams that work tirelessly to ensure exceptional service.
Vacherin takes bronze at the 2017 ACE Ready Steady Cook competition
The Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) held its annual Ready Steady Cook competition at East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, London on Thursday 29th September.
Vacherin only contract caterer to make the SRA’s top 20 list
Premier London caterer Vacherin has been named on the ‘Food Made Good’ top 20 list for 2017, by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).
Vacherin Celebrates their Great and their Good of 2017
The Vacherin team came together in force last week to celebrate their achievements over the course of the past year.
Source Fish Responsibly Member Story: Vacherin
Zoe Stennett-Cox, Vacherin Our approach to seafood sourcing is simple; to minimise our impact and to contribute to a healthy future for marine wildlife.
Vacherin launches exclusive collaboration with multi award-winning Chef, Robin Gill
Independent London caterer Vacherin has joined forces with MasterChef judge and 2016 Good Food Guide Chef of the Year, Robin Gill
Volunteering at Mike’s Table
Our Head Chef at Cromwell House, Andi, has dedicated a lot of his time to the charity Mike’s Table, set up in memory of his friend Mike Redmayne.
Business Growth Fund for Charity Month
Our very own Russell Perman has been helping to raise money for charity at Business Growth Fund.
Team Vacherin takes on The Ultimate Staircase Running Challenge!
Despite it being 22⁰C our amazing team of runners at Vacherin: Phil, Simon, Zoë, Sam, Laura-Jo, Tom, Zoe S, Hazel and Sarah completed the Power & Tower race with smiles on their faces!
Volunteering for Springboard Charity
Vacherin Sous Chef Ed did his charity days at the Springboard charity earlier this week.
Customer service training at Mazi Mas
On Tuesday 2nd of May, Natalie Joyce, our Head of entrée, and Jodie White, Front of House Manager, conducted customer service training for a group of ladies at the charity Mazi Mas.
Well done Vacherin, ACE Quiz Night winners for 2017!
As usual, the ACE Quiz Night was great fun with an enthusiastic crowd competing for this year's title.
Volunteering for Mazi Mas
Mazi Mas is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting women from migrant and refugee communities.
Vacherin announces Luminary Bakery as new charity partner
Check out Hospitality & Catering News website for an article on our new partnership with Luminary Bakery.
Silvano Giraldin trains our team at London Stock Exchange
Our hospitality team at London Stock Exchange underwent a training session in fine dining service and customer care conducted by Silvano Giraldin, the legendary head of front of house from Le Gavroche.
Vacherin adopts reduced meat and dairy menus
Vacherin’s range of sustainable meals have been adapted so they include less meat and more veg.
A taste of Italy to say thank you from Abbi
We hope you enjoy your very own taste of Italy. Dan, Candice and Nick - your Vacherin chef team - have shared their favourite recipes so that you can enjoy a well-earned treat at home. Buon Appetito!
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