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10 QUESTIONS


10 QUESTIONS WITH... JOHN BENNETT


Each issue we ask an industry professional the Tomorrow’s FM 10 Questions, this month, we chatted to John Bennett, Co-CEO of contract catering provider, BaxterStorey.


Q4 Q5


IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR PAST SELF ONE PIECE OF


ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?


Spend as much time as you can doing things with your children.


WHAT SHOULD FMS BE DOING THAT THEY’RE NOT?


Q1 Q2


Q3


DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS.


Honest, loyal and hard-working.


WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Whilst at school, I set up my


own business building Dutch blinds and selling them to local shops and houses. I was in charge of sourcing, production and sales for a small business, which actually taught me many things I use in my current position.


HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FM INDUSTRY?


I’m a caterer through and through, so I came into the industry by supporting a variety of leading facilities management companies in delivering great food to customers at client sites. I’ve always been in catering; first in hotels and then joining Sutcliffe catering and working in most sectors before coming to BaxterStorey eight years ago.


66 | TOMORROW’S FM


Facilities Managers need to concentrate on getting the best for their clients and customers. Understanding their business aims and needs ensures they can deliver a great service time and time again. The way we help FMs to do this is by visiting our clients’ sites regularly, getting to know the people we work with really well, and providing our external perspective on how we can assist in achieving their goals.


Q6


WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND? Believe it or not, I cook! I love


food and find it a great way to unwind cooking for my family and friends. If I had to pick a favourite meal it would be a BBQ cooked on the beach after an afternoon surfing in the summer.


Q7


WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST RECORD ON YOUR DESERT


ISLAND DISC?


Desert Island disc is a nightmare as without naming all 10 it is impossible to favour one track! I would have to go with either my first love, which is jazz, so maybe a musician such as Snake Davis who is an inspiring saxophonist. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, Tchaikovsky 1812 overture, but only if I have the right means of playing it so I can hear those cannons!


Q8


WHICH THREE GUESTS (DEAD OR ALIVE) WOULD YOU INVITE


TO YOUR ULTIMATE DINNER PARTY?


I’d say somebody like Nigel Howarth, who is one of our signature chefs, mostly because he still owes me £20. Or, my sensible answer would be JFK.


Q9


WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE FUTURE OF THE FM INDUSTRY?


The facilities management industry will continue to evolve and grow and I think that great food and great service will continue to be a very important part in motivating and attracting employees to any business. Our aim is to support the FM industry in delivering a bespoke service to customers and concentrating on the area to differentiate our offer from our competitors. Food is constantly evolving, you only have to look in the high street to see the number of new treats and ideas. Our aim is to bring the high street in and maximise the use of space provided by our client.


Q10


IS THE CRC ENERGY EFFICIENCY SCHEME


THE RIGHT TOOL TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION?


Sustainability and energy management continues to be a huge focus in the catering industry, and energy management schemes ensure that, as an industry, we maintain an enhanced awareness of the resources we use. The nature of our business means that we work across a variety of sites, and therefore don’t meet the volume requirements for this scheme in particular, however we are very committed to minimising our carbon footprint as part of our ISO 14001 accredited EMS and our CarbonNeutral offsetting strategy.


www.baxterstorey.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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