Company of Cooks merges with Venues by CH&Co to create £70m brand

Company of Cooks has merged with Venues by CH&Co to create a £70m leisure catering and hospitality business.

The merger of the two CH&Co-owned firms has created a brand with a portfolio of 30 venues and destinations that will trade under the Company of Cooks name.

The combined business will offer specialist catering and hospitality services for visitor attractions and cultural sectors, and catering, event and sales expertise for venues.

Its portfolio includes the Royal Opera House, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Southbank Centre, RSA House, Old Royal Naval College (pictured), the Royal College of Physicians, Historic Royal Palaces and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Company of Cooks will launch a Service School in the second quarter of 2023 to train front of house team members and offer development opportunities for staff.

Rob Fredrickson, managing director of Company of Cooks, said: “The bringing together of Company of Cooks and Venues by CH&Co makes perfect sense. Both businesses have a reputation for brilliant food, drink and service and uniting them is the obvious next step in creating a leisure catering and hospitality brand that reflects our shared focus and strong values.

“Uniting the team and reimagining the brand has been incredibly exciting. Our teams are enthusiastic, professional yet personal, with an amazing eye for detail. We look forward to delighting our clients and customers across our portfolio of wonderful venues.”

Eve – CH&Co’s full-service venue and events solution – will be used as the sales platform for Company of Cooks, which the company said would give customers access to its wider portfolio of venues.

The original Company of Cooks catering business was founded in 1996 and was acquired by CH&Co in 2019.