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Zoe Mann Career moves
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What is your main aim when catering for the festival? To ensure that every guest leaves feeling as though they have been treated as an individual, and that all food consumed at the event, whether a burger or full-blown hospitality, is as good as it gets.
As food and beverage manager at the Goodwood Estate, Zoe Mann co-ordinates hospitality for thousands of guests at events such as the imminent horse racing extravaganza the Qatar Goodwood festival, set for 28 July to 1 August. She speaks to Hannah Thompson about her nine-year career at the estate, local sourcing, tiered hospitality, and working with guest chef Bryn Williams
Bryn Williams is a guest chef this year – why Bryn? His approach to ingredients, qual- ity and taste is unsurpassed. The passion he demonstrates, such as through his cooking at Odette’s or in touring our organic farm, shines through, which is exactly why we chose him.
What do you need to consider when catering for a racecourse, compared to other venues? Timings are one of the most important aspects. Our guests are primarily here to watch racing, so we need to ensure all food is served before or between races and that any queue times are min- imal so guests are left to enjoy as much of the day as possible.
What makes Qatar Goodwood unique in terms of the food and drink offer? Not many racecourses can claim beef, lamb, pork, cheese, cream and beer sourced from their own farm. We also look very close to home for other pairings and our offer changes daily. Our chefs spend a large amount of time in the winter looking for the best local and independent products. This year our customers can tuck into caviar and sturgeon or pulled pork with popcorn crackling.
How do you co-ordinate the drinks requirements with the food? Racing attracts a very social crowd; Champagne rules the day, with Pimm’s a close second. This is one area in which little changes!
62 | The Caterer | 31 July 2015
What’s the most challenging thing about catering for an event? The number of offerings across the week is massive. The number of choices of menus, packages, public food and hospitality offers can sometimes be a little over- whelming, but you get used to it.
And the most satisfying? It sounds corny, but seeing every- one having a brilliant time and knowing the event is a huge suc- cess is the most satisfying part.
You operate a tiered system across enclosures and boxes. How do they differ? We always look to deliver a “Good- wood twist” at every level. For the top level, it might be arranging for guests to arrive by helicopter; at the other end of the scale we might offer a bottle of Champagne or afternoon tea for a guest’s cele- bration, just because we can.
You’ve been with the Goodwood estate for nine years, originally as a chef. What is the most important thing you’ve learned? Never accept average and never expect straightforward. Keep- ing in line with food trends, customer demographics
and
social influence means you must keep an open mind.
What would you most like to achieve in future years? Next year we have plans to develop specific areas of the catering, which will ensure that the splen- dour on the field is matched by the offering in the enclosures. Career-wise, anything can happen!
“Never accept average and never expect straightforward”
Move of the week
Ludovic Cosson has joined Brasserie Chavot in Mayfair as restaurant
manager. Originally from Brittany, his CV includes Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social in London, the Artichoke restaurant in Amersham, Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire, Oloroso restaurant in Edinburgh, and three years as wine buyer at the Tower restaurant in Edinburgh.
www.thecaterer.com
Eddie Kilty is the new head chef in the hotel kitchen at Oak Bank in Grasmere. He takes
over from predecessor Darren Cornish. Kilty won two AA rosettes for the Inn on the Lake, Ullswater, and the Ryebeck hotel in Windermere earlier this year. He will focus on bold flavours and seasonal produce.
Property specialist Colliers International has appointed Josh Leon as head of central London restaurant and bars. He brings 12 years’ experience at leisure property firm Davis Coffer Lyons and has worked with global restaurants and bars, from high-street names to Michelin-starred sites.
SACO, the Serviced Apartment Company, has announced Melanie Klaschka as its new
head of sales for Europe. The role comes ahead of significant expansion, including the 2016 launch of SACO’s first non-UK site in Amsterdam. Klaschka previously worked at Bridge Street and Furnished Quarters.
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