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Staff retention is healthy at Vacherin. Long service awards are an annual fixture, with 50 staff notching up five years and 50 at 10, 15, and 20 years’ service. Roker does a Yapster shout-out to anyone who has a one-year anniversary in recognition that they have “got over the first hurdle”. “Having the right culture and working


with great clients helps. And being part of a bigger group affords more opportunities for promotion,” he says. The focus on wellbeing is important for


both recruitment and retention. “At our induction, we say: ‘we know you


work to live’. We get people involved in sustainability or sports or charity days,” says Roker. For the past 10 years, for instance, Vacherin


worlds’ because we still have the independent spirit and personal touch of Vacherin, but it is backed by bigger resources.” Roker’s operations team now comprises two operations managers from Vacherin (Chris Purser and Tom Rule) and one from CH&Co (Laurent Lepelletier), all reporting to him. Director of food Paula O’Neill, who heads the culinary team, joined Vacherin 18 months ago from a hotel and events background. “It is a nice blend of those who know how


CH&Co operates and the Vacherin team, who can share the ethos of the brand, but also get new ideas. So, we have a great blend,” says Roker, who regularly meets with the other managing directors in the group as well as Toner and Richards. “It’s a really mature corporate team and I’m part of that strategy,” Roker adds.


Room to grow Importantly, the move into CH&Co has given Vacherin the clout to flex its ambitions to expand. Previously, there was a cut-off point for the size of contracts it could go for because clients wouldn’t take them seriously. That changed when it inherited the CH&Co busi- ness, including six contracts worth £2.5m a year each. “With that sort of portfolio, we can get taken seriously to go for bigger contracts in London,” says Roker. The team have gone on to win more contracts


and we’ve carved out a good niche for our- selves. I can’t just pick up the phone to one or two people any more, but I have freedom to run the business the way our clients and customers need it to be done, and I don’t pick fights about things I can’t change.” A few of his key people did leave after the


deal, but Roker says: “I’ve brought in peo- ple who are thriving in this environment and can see the benefits. I call it ‘the best of both


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and retain others, with turnover of £60m in 2022 and projected turnover of £70m in 2023. Essentially, the CH&Co business is segmented, with brands for education and healthcare, destinations, stadia, venues and events. Vacherin and Gather & Gather split the workplace category, with the latter focus- ing outside London. “We have to be confident of our differences


both within the market and within the group,” says Roker. One point of differentiation is that Vacherin


is based in the capital. “We are London special- ists,” says Roker. “The majority of the team are from top-end hotels, restaurants and caterers in


has raised funds for Luminary Bakery, a not-for-profit that helps disadvantaged women in east London. As part of the 20-year anniversary, operations director Tom Rule is organising the London 20 fundraiser – a 20 mile walk or jog along the River Thames that will end in a pub get-together.


London. We are in a unique market and so we’ll be using the strapline We Live London. We know where our customers will be eating at the week- end, we know the pressures they are under from commuting – we understand London.” He adds: “We would never bid outside Lon-


don, but after joining CH&Co, we inherited some contracts in the regions, including in Bristol, Sheffield, Folkestone and Hove. But we have a group manager in London and share that ethos,” says Roker. Another powerful benefit to joining CH&Co


has been access to its technology department. “Flexibility is important as demand is variable. And there is a big focus on technology now to collect useful data to manage waste, sustainabil- ity and provenance,” he says. Not least, being able to see exactly what the


sales are, what the trends are and what items are popular helps Vacherin stay on the front foot. “Our message is ‘We’ve got you’,” says Roker. “Customers know our ingredients will be ethi- cally sourced, Red Tractor-accredited, seasonal, nutritionally balanced and on-trend without wor- rying about it, and clients like that message.” The 20-year milestone prompts a moment


of reflection for Roker. “In the early days, we reinvented the wheel when we got a new con- tract, which meant extra work. Now, we bring our knowledge of what works everywhere else and then coat it with what works for the client.” And he is excited about Vacherin’s next chap-


ter. The past three years have seen the brand nav- igate the fall-out from Covid, find its place within a group and strengthen its platform in the mar- ket, all of which has crystallised its position. “[We’re] putting our foot on the accelerator, showing London what we are about and get- ting more of those big contracts,” he says.


28 April 2023 | The Caterer | 27


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