Foodservice Cateys 2022: Boutique Caterer of the Year – Houston & Hawkes

Sponsored by Franke Coffee Systems

When Simon Houston and Dave Hawkes launched Houston & Hawkes in late 2019, they couldn’t have imagined that a global pandemic would bring much of the industry to a standstill. But despite Covid-19, the caterer has built a profitable business with a £8m full-year turnover with 75 team members and 17 clients including the likes of Three Mobile, the White Company, London & Regional and Rathbones, looking after an excess of 11,000 end consumers daily.

Innovation is the word that was repeatedly spoken by judges to describe Houston & Hawkes, with one describing the venture as a “a fabulous, optimistic and energetic story of a company being born”.

Over the past 12 months Houston & Hawkes has been faced with difficulties from the stop-start nature of catering in the year following the pandemic. Its relationship with Rathbones is an example. In August 2021 there was one team member serving 10-20 covers a week and, until the end of 2021, Houston & Hawkes operated with no contract, no formal agreement and no permanent on-site team members. Instead, it worked hand-in-hand with the client, which led to Rathbones re-signing a long-term contract that is currently running at pre-Covid volumes.

The team worked in a similar fashion with the Royal Society of Chemistry to deliver ad hoc events with no permanent team. Slowly the relationship developed and it now generates more than £700,000 in annual revenue and employs five team members, as well as support from over 15 casual team members. Everyone gets stuck in at Houston & Hawkes. The caterer doesn’t run a sales or operations team – “we’re one team,” it says – and this means the founders write tenders, mobilise the contracts and support client events.

From creating an exclusive partnership with chef Sally Abe to being the only caterer in the UK to have a 100% electric car fleet and becoming the UK’s first and only B Corp-certified contract caterer, judges were impressed by Houston & Hawkes' growth and results in such a short period of time.

As well as efforts to be as sustainable as possible, which includes sourcing at least 50% of its food and beverage from independent suppliers within 50 miles of London, the business also supports local schools through the Mud Kitchen Initiative, mentors small business owners and ensures fast payment for small suppliers.

The caterer “stands out from the crowd”, said another judge, and its dedication to its clients and teams, in addition to being a solid business with good cash flow, no debt and well-managed overheads, makes it a worthy winner of this year’s award.

What the judges said

“Simon and Dave have made a big impact on the industry in a very short time, with a great offer, great people and great results, all backed up with some serious commitments to doing business in the right way.” Phil Roker

“What a fabulous, optimistic and energetic story of a company being born. I loved the faith in the future of workplace hospitality, a burst of fresh ideas and a tireless work ethic." Anna Fenton

The shortlist

Houston & Hawkes

Signature Dining

Past winners

2019 Green & Fortune