hospitality
One Event Management gets Absolute Taste
One Event Management has acquired Lyndy Redding and McLaren Technology Group’s award-winning event-design company Absolute Taste. The move will see the creation of what has been called “Europe’s foremost luxury event design company.”
Neil MacLaurin, chairman of One Event Management, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased that Lyndy and her team will be joining forces with One Event Management. Absolute Taste marks the best of the best in food design and hospitality, and is a fantastic fit. We’re busy planning this year’s events and our new team is sure to knock creativity out of the park to create some phenomenal customer experiences.”
London-based Absolute Taste operates across a broad spectrum of hospitality services including restaurants and cafes, private-jet catering, events, fixed-site contracts and performance sports including F1 hospitality. As a result of the deal, Absolute Taste and One Event Management’s premium catering brand Mecco will re-brand to operate under the Absolute Taste name. It will continue to provide quality food at the group’s restaurants, cafes and events.
One Event Management comprises Mecco, F3, the Muddy Duck Pub, Unbranded, Fresh Air and Fresh Start. Absolute Taste was founded in 1997 to provide hospitality to the McLaren F1 team.
Accountancy firm Shaw Gibbs’ corporate finance team supported One Event Management throughout the acquisition, providing financial due diligence services and advice on commercial and tax aspects of the transaction.
One Event Management has been a client of Shaw Gibbs since 2009. Based in Oxfordshire, the group oversees a wide portfolio of businesses in the event-catering and hospitality sector.
Reading achieves Purple Flag status
Reading has achieved the prestigious Purple Flag status for its evening and night-time economy in the town centre. Purple Flag is a town and city-centre award, similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am.
Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture, while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.
The submission for Purple Flag status was led by Reading Business Improvement District (BID) along with key stakeholders including Reading Borough Council, Thames Valley Police, Street Pastors, Pub Watch and the University of Reading. The application was followed up by a 12-hour all-night visit by an inspection team in the run up to Christmas.
Graham Mountford, chair of Reading BID, said: “Reading town centre’s night-time businesses play an important role in Reading’s economic success. Obtaining Purple Flag accreditation for the excellence of the management of these businesses and the surrounding town centre environment has been a key objective for the current Business Improvement District group.”
Since 2007, the Purple Flag status has been awarded to over 65 towns and cities in the UK and Ireland. Purple Flag accredited areas have all reported a consistent increase in footfall and a decrease in crime. The Purple Flag programme is managed by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) which works alongside a partnership of key stakeholder groups backed by government, police and businesses, as well as by the UK sponsors Diageo Great Britain.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – FEBRUARY 2017
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