Glasgow school children may not know it but they have a lot to thank Fergus Chambers for. Not for them a dreary school canteen serving food that's enough to make anyone bunk off to the local chippie at lunch time. Instead, they have The Fuel Zone, a new style of operation more akin to a high-street hamburger restaurant than a school cafeteria.
It was largely this initiative that persuaded the judging panel to award Chambers, director of direct and care services for Glasgow City Council, the 1999 Food Service Caterer of the Year Catey. Praised for his "forward-thinking nature", charisma and enthusiasm, and for being "a wonderful motivator", Chambers spent the 12 months prior to receiving his award introducing the new concept thoughout Glasgow's secondary schools, and all 30 now have The Fuel Zone in place. And it has proved so successful - take-up has risen to 65% of pupils from a mere 26% in 1995 - that officers from more than 100 local education authorities have taken a trip to the city to see the operation in action.
Chambers spent the latter part of 1999 adapting The Fuel Zone to suit primary schools, and 30 of the city's 200 primary schools are now trialling the concept. Besides his obvious commercial abilities, Chambers also radiates enthusiasm for the food service sector. "Twenty years ago," he says, "everyone wanted to work in hotels and restaurants, but now the food service sector has become much more 'sexy'. It offers good career prospects and salaries, and tremendous job satisfaction, especially when working with vunerable groups such as the young and the old."
His unerring dedication to the hospitality industry in general scored plenty of points with the judges, with his membership of various industry bodies, support for initiatives aiming to raise the profile of the industry among school leavers, and work for industry-related charities all being noted. Of his award, Chambers says: "Getting a Catey has to be the highlight of a career, particularly as it is voted for by your peers."
It is precisely the type of dedication to the industry shown by Chambers, coupled with outstanding commercial ability, that the judges will be looking for in the food service executive chosen as the 2000 Food Service Caterer of the Year. Whether the recipient is a contract caterer or running an in-house operation, he/she will demonstrate clear achievements over the past 12 months in a sector that has fought hard to rid itself of its poor-relation image and which offers excellent employment opportunities as we enter the 21st century.
To nominate someone for Food Service Caterer of the Year award, contact Sarah Sutton on Tel. 020 8652 8349 for a nomination form. Deadline for nominations is Friday 3 March, and judging will take place at London's Landmark hotel on Wednesday 26 April.