Paul was brought up in Yorkshire, with a passion for cricket, rugby and of course food! From a family of cooks it was obvious that he would end up pursuing a career in the food industry – had it not been for injury it may nearly have been a career in professional cricket!

Having worked in most sectors of the industry, from cocktail bars, premium hotels to event catering Paul came into the business dining sector in 1996 working for some of the ‘larger operators’.

He has a passion for cheese, charcuterie and wine; his ideal dining experience would be sharing these with great friends whilst watching the world go by! When he isn’t indulging in the above, you are more than likely to find him at the Rec watching the Blue Black and White of Bath RFC.

Generally easy going, but he does have a problem with the phrase thinking outside the box – ‘what box’ is usually the response you will get!

Kellie gained her qualifications at catering college and went on to work in a food-led public house where she progressed from chef, to kitchen manager then general manager / licensee. She moved around the country from her home town in Leicestershire to Suffolk, Southampton, Oxford, Slough before finally landing in Surrey where she met her now husband.

It was at this point she joined Blue Apple in 2005 having decided to leave the pub trade and settle down. One again Kellie progressed from food service assistant, unit manager, operations support and now senior operations manager and it was this hard work and dedication that crowned her FSM Area Manager 2012 in the prestigious Foodservice Management Awards.

Kellie believes that you can never have too many shoes — hers come in many forms, including a pair of ruby slippers. She also gained her direct access motorcycle license long before learning to drive a car. “Two wheels will always be better than four!”

Lou has been in the industry since 1997 where she quickly developed a passion for good food, service and quality. She has been with Blue Apple since 2009 and says that “I enjoy being able to bring a personal approach to the business.” Her pet hate when eating out is not being acknowledged on arrival and she uses these experiences, good and bad in her approach to managing her sites

Her favourite food is Italian or Japanese, while any situation can always be improved with a good old cup of tea. She says her best food experience was in California where she ate a delicious meal of fresh fish, caught that day in Monterey harbour with impeccable service and attentive staff.

Ed entered the world of contract catering eight years ago after studying hospitality management at Oxford Brookes University. He was lucky enough to win an Acorn Award in 2014 which is a massive career highlight.

He says he loves the world of high end contract catering, as it gives you the freedom to deliver some amazing food, using the best possible produce to different locations around the country with no day being the same.

He loves to cook at home after a long day, and at weekends can usually be found on the golf course. His favourite place is Padstow and not many people know that he used to be a sailing instructor.