HOSPITALITY ASSURED
Pictured front row – left to right: Mike Audis FIH, CEO Elior UK; Alison Aviss, Managing Director, Team M&S; Philippe Rossiter FIH, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality; and Mary Burnside, Group Catering Manager, M&S. Helping celebrate behind them is Team M&S.
JANUARY 2008
Avenance at Marks & Spencer Awarded Hospitality Assured
Avenance Team M&S (Marks & Spencer), a division of Elior UK, has achieved Hospitality Assured.
Mike Audis FIH, CEO of Elior UK, and Alison Aviss, Managing Director of Team M&S, were presented with the accreditation by Philippe Rossiter FIH, Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality, at the Elior UK headquarters in Hounslow on Friday, 11 January.
In qualifying for the Hospitality Assured accreditation, Avenance Team M&S underwent a rigorous assessment process over a two-day period to ensure they maintained high standards of service. The key areas of focus were skills, professionalism and knowledge – relevant to the needs of the hospitality industry.
Alison Aviss, Managing Director Team M&S Avenance, said: “We feel that this award is the ultimate recognition of the professionalism of our team. The accreditation sets an industry benchmark for the new style of service which the team has worked hard to achieve in only two years of managing the contract.”
Since 2005, Avenance Team M&S have worked on a managed service contract for Staff Catering. Unique in the contract catering industry, this contract positions the twenty members of Avenance Team M&S as a group of catering professionals who advise over 400 stores in areas of operations, finance, food quality, food safety and hygiene standards without a direct line of management to the M&S staff. To meet the challenge of working in a demanding retail environment where Avenance are empowered to influence M&S teams without direct control, Team M&S has developed a five-step process to deliver bespoke solutions and ensure business excellence.
Mary Burnside, Group Manager Catering Operations, Marks & Spencer comments, “The award is testament to the professional and enthusiastic way in which Avenance Team M&S operates and serves as proof of the team’s tremendous commitment to our organisation.”
Institute of Hospitality Chief Executive Philippe Rossiter FIH, said: “I would like to congratulate Avenance at Marks & Spencer on its fine achievement in being awarded Hospitality Assured accreditation. This reflects Avenance’s determination and commitment to continuously improve the high quality of service and business excellence it provides to Marks & Spencer.”