Background

The SFC Group.co.uk was formed in 1977 by Stephen and Karen Freeman, working out of a converted coach, with paraffin burners heating the pans.  Steady expansion over the years meant that by 1997, the business was running 12 mobile catering units and 4 lorries, based in basic premises in Gloucester Docks. 

They once more have outgrown their premises and now occupy a purpose built unit in Waterwells Business Park, Quedgeley, Gloucester.

Since those small beginnings, SFC Group.co.uk has grown into a large and well respected company, employing over 20 permanent staff, with employee numbers swelling to over 600 with seasonal staff.  The Company now runs a fleet of over 20 mobile units, plus 30 more permanent and semi-permanent units at venues all over the country, including Wentworth Golf Club, the Aintree Racecourse, Silverstone Race Track, Cheltenham Race Course and the stadia at Twickerham and Wembley.  Currently, they also have divisions for Wholesale Distribution, Bar Management and Concessions.

The Context

 The world of mobile catering is a complex business, with a huge amount of legislation to be aware of, understand and adhere to.  Originally, as a very small player, SFC Group.co.uk employed just a secretary and an accountant.  The Company quickly realised they needed some specialist help implementing Health and Safety and Food Hygiene Legislation in a practical and achieveable way. 

Amongst the many companies offering such advice, they decided to turn to Envesca.  The driving factor was primarily that the charges were seen as cost effective, but also because Envesca was a local company, just as they themselves were.

The Solution

In a series of meetings between Envesca's Operations Director, Simon Ellis and John Freeman, they quickly established a business-like, yet friendly relationship. 

Simon was seen as extremely good at breaking down seemingly complicated legislation, practices and procedures into simple, bite-sized chunks.  He had a common-sense approach and was very good at applying practical solutions to problems, as well as helping the company to prioritise their spending.

The Results

During the time Envesca has worked with SFC Group.co.uk, Health and Safety and Food Safety has, according to the current HR Manager, Amy Silk, become "just part of the culture".  Every single front of house staff member now holds a Level 1,2 or 3 Food Safety certificate, appropriate to their position.  All Catering Managers also hold a CIEH Level 2 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace certificate and all Front of House Managers have a CIEH Level 3 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace certificate.  Furthermore, all full time staff, between them, have qualifications in the 3-day HSE First Aid at Work, the CIEH Level 2 Award in the Principles of Manual Handling, Fire Safety and the CIEH Level 3 Award in Risk Assessment certificates, all provided by Envesca.

SFC Group.co.uk joined Envesca's Support Service in 1997 and during this time Simon has helped the Company to become an Approved Supplier to the Compass Catering Group, running semi-permanent catering facilities on their behalf at Twickerham.  This was achieved using a step-by-step approach through the whole process, resulting in SFC Group.co.uk passing Compass's stringent auditing standards and also complying with BRC Issue 6.

In a new venture, Envesca has also provided SFC Group.co.uk with Leadership training for its senior staff and access to a mentoring scheme.  The relationship between SFC Group.co.uk and Envesca continues to grow stronger, to the benefit of both businesses, primarily because Simon has a firm understanding of the business and is able to help the Company make informed decisions regarding its practices and procedures.