Sue Thompson has officially taken over from Gaye Bullard as Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) Chair.
Thompson has been Vice Chair for two years and a member of the council for seven. This week her new role as Client Services Director at BaxterStorey was also announced.
Thompson (pictured left) commented, “Starting a new job as well as becoming Chair of ACE could have been an interesting challenge, but BaxterStorey are supportive of my involvement, and I believe the two roles complement each other very well.”
Departing Chair, Gaye Bullard (pictured centre) said, “Two years have flown by! Since taking over from Paul Hurren in 2017, we have continued his good work encouraging young people into our network, with 4 of the ACE alumni (Holly Brown, Chris Howard-Kraft, James Pike, Adam Thomason) joining the board.
'We’ve also extended our online activity and have seen some exciting Instagram takeovers from The Clink, Blue Apple and The Genuine Dining Company. We have had over 100 sponsors that have generously supported our events, and have raised over £20,000 for the Wiggly Worm Charity.
'I’m delighted to be handing stewardship of ACE over to Sue, who is highly regarded in the industry. She is a true foodie at heart, and has a wide network of connections built up over the years that will be a huge benefit to ACE.”
Thompson takes up the position with immediate effect and is planning to continue the quest for a youthful appeal.
She said, “I’m excited to be taking the reins from Gaye, as she has set the scene for the next generation to join in with the future of ACE. One of our biggest challenges is raising awareness amongst this group of the events that we run, and the benefits of networking face to face. Having younger members on the Board will really help us to engage with their peers.”
Thompson will be supported by newly appointed Vice-Chair, Sarah Prentice of Blue Apple (pictured right). Sarah has been an active council member for three years, acting on several sub-committees organising events such as the ACE Quiz.
Hospitality Action is Thompson's chosen charity to be supported by ACE for the next 2 years. They will receive money raised through ACE’s Charity Dinner raffles, and unique auctions at the various events.
