A former economics graduate who switched careers to fulfill his dream of becoming a chef has won an exciting new role with Sodexo Prestige.
Tom Beauchamp, 34, has joined the team at the award winning catering division of Sodexo as event development chef. He brings to the table more than 20 years of experience working for some of the industry’s biggest names, as well as sound business knowledge.
Originally from Sheffield, Tom has worked alongside Raymond Blanc at his double-Michelin starred restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison and also with Andrew Fairlie at his renowned Gleneagles restaurant.
He also has degree in economics from Stirling University and two years’ experience working at London based consultancies, where he honed his business skills.
Tom said: “Food is one of the one of the most important things in my life, ever since I was a child, watching my mother and grandmother preparing family meals, it has fascinated me.
“My corporate life in both Stirling and London was a great experience and I’m glad I did it. However, I always knew I would be back in the kitchen sooner rather than later.
“To be part of the Sodexo Prestige team, really excites me. There is a lot of variety in the work they do, giving me a lot of scope to be creative and of course the opportunity to work at high profile venues with prestigious clients is also very appealing”.
NEW CHALLENGES
Now in his new role, Tom’s business acumen and passion for food will be used to develop menus and concepts for the company’s prestigious venues, including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Scotland’s National Stadium – Hampden Park.
Tom demonstrated his credentials during his first few months with Sodexo while working on high-profile events, including the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms and The Open Championship at Muirfield.
One of his biggest challenges to date was catering for 35 of the event industry’s top names at an event at the National Museum Scotland, where he created a menu inspired by the banquet served at the first Oscar Academy awards dinner in 1929.
Stephen Frost, Executive Chef at Sodexo Prestige said: “In terms of experience, we couldn’t have asked for much more. His work outwith the kitchen has honed his business skills and he has proven time and time again that he is a top class chef.
“Having arrived from Gleneagles, we had high expectations for Tom and he has certainly proved to be a very impressive professional. It was a joy to work with him at the Open Championship.
“Tom is a very valuable new addition to the Sodexo team and I’m looking forward to working closely with him in the future, especially on the more creative aspect of our work developing menus that excite and surprise.”
Tom’s role will continue to see him working alongside the hospitality teams at a number of world class venues that partner with Sodexo Prestige and he will also head up menu development, creating exciting event and seasonal menus.
Tom added: “Creating menus is my favourite aspect about being a chef. When you’re working in a restaurant, menu changes are less frequent than if you’re tailoring a menu for bespoke events, and it is this challenge that I’m most looking forward to.
“I’m a massive advocate of using locally sourced produce and luckily in Scotland, we’re not short of this, so expect to see a lot of dishes inspired by quality Scottish ingredients”
