Wilson Vale – a business built on strong foundations

As Wilson Vale celebrates its tenth anniversary this month, the business continues to thrive due to a great ethos and sound values. Annual turnover is now £15 million, which means that the independent caterer has already exceeded its projected turnover target for 2012. Wilson Vale’s year-end results (December 2011) show a 15 per cent increase in turnover over the previous year’s. Andrew Wilson, co-founder and managing director of Wilson Vale, said: “February 2012 marks a very big milestone for the business as it’s the tenth anniversary of our company. Our goal was to reach the £15m turnover mark this year so to be outperforming our own financial targets so early in the year is a very good position to be in. Our strategy has and always will be for steady, sustained growth.” Since 1st January 2012, the independent caterers have gained and opened three new contracts including a five-year contract worth over £1 million in collective turnover over the life of the contract with the Beacon School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. A team of eleven Wilson Vale staff took over from the incumbent caterers, Host, on 9th January 2012 and now look after the catering needs of 469 boys ranging in age from three to thirteen, as well as 91 teaching and administration staff. The Wilson Vale team also manages hospitality services. ”This is a massive gain for us and we see it as a gateway to further opportunities within this niche sector,” said Andrew Wilson. “There is a tremendous sense of caring and nurturing at The Beacon School and the provision of quality, healthy food plays an important role within that ethos.” Edward Stothard, bursar at The Beacon, said: “We are very pleased with the start made by Wilson Vale and look forward to working closely with our new catering partner in order to meet and exceed the expectations of our boys, parents and staff.“ This latest gain adds to a growing list of top independent schools in Wilson Vale’s portfolio including the Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham, The Mount School in York and Hipperholme in Halifax. The B&I side of the business, which represents 75 per cent of the company’s portfolio, is also thriving, with many clients still with the company since the early days. Last year, Wilson Vale opened over £1.5m worth of new business within the pharmaceutical sector alone. “There is no doubt that our fresh food approach is reaping benefits in terms of new business development and retention”, said Andrew Wilson. “It’s still a challenging marketplace but we work hard to stick to our core values and we are very fortunate to work with some great clients who really appreciate and understand our approach.” Andrew Wilson and Carolyne Vale established Wilson Vale in 2002 on £50K capital, ‘a pencil and a laptop’, working from home initially in a room above their garage in Derbyshire. Today, the company employs 550 people across 70 catering operations nationwide.