Reading: Westbury Street Holdings reports double digit growth for 12th year running

Privately-owned catering and hospitality company Westbury Street Holdings (WSH) - which operates restaurants and front-of-house services for big name brands such as the BBC, Goldman Sachs and The British Museum – has posted strong results for 2012, revealing a £60 million increase in annual turnover. The company, based on Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading, has seen a 14% increase in turnover compared to 2011, marking its twelfth strong year of growth. Since creating WSH in December 2000 the business has grown to a turnover of more than £465m. 

Despite last year’s challenging trading conditions, WSH continues to buck tough economic conditions with impressive financials from a succession of contract wins and renewals. Its combined businesses – BaxterStorey, Caterlink, Holroyd Howe, Benugo and Portico – have also supported the UK economy with the creation of 1,000 new jobs in 2012, taking the total number of employees to more than 12,000 across the UK and Europe.

BaxterStorey, the UK’s largest independent business and industry caterer and the biggest brand in the WSH stable, grew its turnover by 9% in England and Wales, 17% in Ireland and 29% in Scotland during 2012. In this time, the business has gained contracts with many notable names including RBS Group, as well as retained significant contracts with leading organisations such as Deutsche Bank and IPC Media.

Benugo, the retail and public venues operator, has had a record year, increasing its turnover by 35% and expanding its offering in all sectors with delis opening at Covent Garden, Waterloo Station and Luton Airport. Benugo also secured a contract with the British Museum.

Caterlink, the state education catering specialist, and Holroyd Howe, which caters for the independent education market, have posted equally impressive results, with the firms experiencing year-on-year growth of 18% and 28% respectively. New contract wins in 2012 include Wokingham Borough for Caterlink and the prestigious St Paul’s School in London for Holroyd Howe.

Alastair Storey, chief executive of WSH, said: “I’m exceptionally proud of the outstanding results being achieved across our businesses, and would like to thank our staff for their energy, hard work, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit. Our continued commitment to providing the highest quality service and using fresh locally sourced produce has ensured that we are able to consistently defy the downturn, in spite of increasingly challenging economic conditions.

WSH’s success has not gone unnoticed, with Storey securing the title of UK’s ‘Most Powerful Person in Hospitality’, knocking Jamie Oliver off the top spot for the first time in two years. Storey has been putting his position as a respected industry expert to good use, launching a number of training and support initiatives over the past year. A highlight of these was the inaugural Gold Service Scholarship, a national competition to recognise the professionalism and expertise in the service side of food and drink, and which is on a par with the Roux Scholarship for chefs.