Caterer & HotelKeeper - 6 April 2000

The opening of the new Electronic Arts contract had promised to be a big event in the Artizian calendar, and no one was disappointed. Diane Lane reports

HI-TECH is the name of the game at Artizian's latest site opening in Surrey. From the sleek, stainless-steel serveries and the line of outsized television screens down the side of the seating area to the GiroVend cashless payment system, everything fits the image of the client, entertainment software giant Electronic Arts.

"It's a hi-tech company, and this is reflected in the catering facilities," says Artizian's general manager David Wood, who was appointed in January to set up the operation at the company's new UK headquarters in Chertsey. It was deemed necessary to have a general manager running the contract rather than a chef-manager because of the size and range of facilities on site.

The longer-than-usual lead-in period was necessary because of the size of the operation. Currently, 550 employees - mainly young, trendy types - occupy the state-of-the-art building with its sloping glass panels overlooking a lake, although the number is expected to increase to 1,000 within two years.

The contract is worth £560,000 in annual turnover to Artizian and is by far the largest gain to date by the company. "We wanted to get the team in and focus on detail," explains Artizian's joint managing director Jayne Billam, who has taken on the role of director of operations since Alison Robinson decided to concentrate on sales. "There is a perceived risk for large companies in going for smaller caterers, but we have demonstrated it is only perceived and not real."

In the week leading up to opening day a "ramp-up programme" was put into action, with about 160 covers a day being served on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as Electronic Arts staff gradually moved in.

Opening day itself was an elaborate affair, with a cocktail party, lunch and afternoon tea accompanied by a pianist welcoming the employees - who were all given £20 by the client to spend at the facilities during the week - to their new building. The remainder of the week saw a different theme for each day, from California Day to Sushi Friday, with menus tailored to suit.

Already the 130-seat restaurant called Eats has surpassed expectations, and three weeks after opening turnover is up 57% on the projected daily average of £700. Usage is running at about 60-70% with an average spend per head of £3-£4. But Robinson insists that the Artizian team will not be complacent. "There's always a novelty factor, and if you don't get it right in the beginning then you'll lose custom," she says. "But we won't take the increased sales for granted, we'll build on it."

The restaurant set-up comprises a hot servery with theatre station, a salad bar and a deli bar. Breakfast is available from 8-10am and consists of Continental (from 80p) and full English (£1.80) choices. For lunch, between noon and 2pm, the hot servery offers a daily changing selection of three dishes at £3.50 each to include vegetable accompaniments, such as Chinese lemon chicken with wok-fried noodles and greens. Prices were set by the client and make it the highest-priced operation in the Artizian portfolio.

The theatre, or call-order station, operated by Nick Barrett, offers four choices on a weekly changing basis, also priced at £3.50. Dishes here might be something like a chargrilled sirloin steak, sautéd mushrooms and grilled tomato.

To accompany the salad bar there are three main cold dishes - one fish, one meat and one vegetarian (all £3.50, to include salad) - and a range of take-away items, including sushi and noodles, is also available. Proving hugely popular is the deli bar - open until 3pm - where customers start with a bread choice from a selection including ciabatta and walnut, all priced at 50p, to which they add fillings, divided into three price bands of 50p, 70p and £1, ranging from Cheddar cheese to Parma ham. To ease queuing, an optional e-mail ordering system is in operation - taking about 70 orders a day at present - and orders placed by 11am are ready for collection by noon.

Menus are devised by head chef Louise McArdle, who describes the cuisine as modern British. "We offer healthy foods and keep away from cream sauces," she says. "And there is always a vegetarian option on the call-order section." McArdle is assisted in the kitchen by sous chef Heather Rendall, two chefs de partie, Barrett and John Hicks, and commis chef Alan Coibani. The total number of Artizian staff at the site is 16 including Wood and his deputy, Louise Boddington. Boddington is due to start on 10 April in place of Sally-Ann Wooster, who has left the company to pursue a different career. Meanwhile, area manager Sally Jackson-Grimes has been on site every day to support Wood.

The team also provides hospitality for an average of three meetings a day in any one of 21 meeting rooms. This can be anything from sandwiches to a fork buffet for up to 100 people. A coffee bar, managed by Hayley Murphin, is open from 8am to 6pm serving coffees, teas, freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies, the latter having been particularly well received by the small percentage of US staff. "Everyone in America has a smoothie for breakfast," says Wood, who took it upon himself to research the best products for the coffee bar. "I took a trip to all the big boys and took the best ideas from each one."

Opening imminently is a fully licensed sports bar, which will operate between 5pm and 7pm each evening, and a shop, both of which will be staffed by Artizian. Robinson has also been asked to work out costings for a possible extension of services into the evening.

Feedback from Electronic Arts has been positive, and Artizian has been credited with playing a huge part in the successful relocation of staff from the company's previous two sites, also in Surrey. "We understood that our employees would experience the new site through their stomachs, and that's exactly what has happened," says David Gardner, the company's European managing director. "We absolutely picked the right team."

The story so far
Artizian Catering Services opened in December 1996 with a £30,000 investment from Alison Robinson. Now the company has a turnover of £2.5m and 11 contracts.

Monday 13 March saw the long-awaited opening of the company's flagship contract at Electronic Arts in Chertsey, Surrey. The rescheduled opening meant that Robinson was unable to attend and the event was overseen by joint managing director Jayne Billam.

Facts

Artizian Catering Services
4 Spring Meadows Business Centre, Wargrave, Berkshire RG10 8PZ

Managing director and owner: Alison Robinson
Joint managing director: Jayne Billam
Finance director: Jackie Brain
February turnover (four-week period): £154,000

Electronic Arts
Contract started: 13 March 2000
Type of contract: cost-plus, moving towards fixed cost
Projected turnover: £560,000
General manager: David Wood
Average spend per head: £3-4
Number on site: 550
Artizian staff on site: 16
Projected labour costs: £241,000