Latest food trends, integrating catering into your garden centre offer, managing people and the growing gluten free market are just some of the key topics for discussion at Catering Matters – the HTA Catering Conference, dinner and exhibition. This popular event, sponsored by Vision Commercial Kitchens, takes place at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands on 9 and 10 June 2015.

Workshops and seminars include:

• Boyd Douglas Davis, CEO of Hillview Garden Centres Ltd, talking about ‘Integrating catering into your garden centre offer’.
• Charles Banks, Co-Founder and Director of thefoodpeople, will talk about ‘What’s Hot and What’s Not’.
• Edwin Harrison (right) of the Artisan Coffee School will join us to discuss his experience in ‘Managing People’. 
• Rebecca Rayner, joint Managing Director of Glebe Farm Foods, will also talk on Day 2 about the growing market of Gluten Free.

Tuesday 9 June – Focus on Strategy and Operations

Hosted by Paul Pleydell from Pleydell Smithyman topics include where we are as an industry, latest trends, growing and expanding your catering offer, driving footfall and reaching out to a wider audience, managing people and how to create ambience on a budget.

Speakers include: Ron Bent (Bent’s Garden & Home), Chris Brown (Turpin Smale Consultancy), Charles Campion, (food critic and MasterChef judge), Felicity Down (Cleeve Nursery), Tim Greenaway (Highfield Garden World), Anthony Hester (Dobbies), Alan Roper (Blue Diamond Group), Jason Danciger (Wyevale Garden Centres, pictured top), Will Armitage (Armitages Garden Centre), Helen Joyce (Thirsk Garden Centre), Boyd Douglas Davies (Hillview Group) and Edwin Harrison (Artisan Coffee School).

The conference dinner, also held at The Belfry, will round off an inspirational day one. The dinner will be another chance to network and share experiences with fellow industry colleagues. 

Wednesday 10 June – Focus on Food

Hosted by Doug Stewart, CEO of Waring Stewart Associates, topics include innovation and inspiration, provenance, menu planning and cost control. Speakers include: Charles Banks (thefoodpeople), Guy Topping (Barton Grange), Tim Godwin (Fosseway Garden Centre), Rebecca Rayner (Glebe Farm Foods), Salim Sajid (Blueberry Consulting), Brian Turner (Chatsworth Estate), Emma Milton and Beverley Spindler (Mains of Drum), Sarah Dunning (Westmorland Family) and Valentine Warner (TV chef and author).

Trevor Pfeiffer from Garden Trade News and Garden Radio will be chairing the panel discussions on both days of the conference. The panel session on Day 1 will be around ‘What next for garden centre catering?’ Trevor will be leading a debate on the latest hot topics in garden centre catering, including what is new, whether to use concessions or not, chefs versus cooks, and waitress service versus self-service, amongst others. Joining Trevor will be Will Armitage, Ron Bent, Helen Joyce and Anthony Hester. 

The panel session on Day 2 will be a food-focussed debate, including family favourites versus new trends and the convenience of ‘grab and go’ offerings.  The panel will be made up of experienced Catering Managers and Garden Centre owners who have dared to try something different, amongst others, including Tim Godwin, Fosseway Garden Centre, Guy Topping, Barton Grange, Joe Ainscow, Summerseat Garden Centre and Paul Cooling of Coolings Green and Pleasant Ltd.

There are new sponsors for the event, including Mondelez, the production team behind much loved brands such as Cadbury, Kenco, Bassett’s, Oreo and Philadelphia, and Massarella Catering Group Ltd, who provide catering services within shopping centres, department stores, garden centres, retail and leisure outlets.

Alongside the seminars, panel discussions and workshops there will be plenty of time for networking, with the conference exhibition providing a great opportunity to meet with catering product suppliers.

Exhibitors include: Vision Commercial Kitchens, Garden Trade News, Haymarket (Hort Week), Illy, Barclaycard, Beanworks, R & R Ice Cream, Catering Design Group, Tea Fusion, i2i,  Towergate Insurance, Cawston Press, Creed Food Services, Eden Farm, Easitills, Swan Retail, Fentimans, Cozy Bay Furniture, Planglow, IFSE, Tea from the Manor, Destiny Foods.

Book now at www.cateringconference.co.uk