NEWS RELEASE
PR 1737
For Immediate
Release
17 May 2004
Assembly Rooms catering contract
awarded
BATH & North East Somerset Council
has awarded the new contract for catering in the Assembly Rooms,
Bath, to Searcy Tansley Limited, a privately-run company whose
current contracts include The National Portrait Gallery and the
Royal Opera House in London.
The contract will start on Monday,
June 7, immediately after the Bath International Festival - catering
for Festival concerts and hospitality will be provided by Milburns
Restaurants under the current contract.
The majority of catering provided in
the Assembly Rooms is for private functions, from fine dining to
light refreshments, including the many conferences that are held in
the Rooms each year.
Searcy’s will also run a new day
time café for the months of March to October, to cater for more than
120,000 visitors who come to the Museum of Costume and Assembly
Rooms each year.
The caterer will also use the
extensive kitchens in the building to cater for outside events in
other venues throughout the region.
The contract will run for four years
and nearly eight months until January 31st 2009 and allows Searcy’s
exclusive use of the Assembly Rooms during that time.
Cllr Nicole O’Flaherty, Executive
Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, said: “Searcy’s provided a
convincing case that they are foremost in their field.
“We have considered every aspect of
their bid and are confident that customers will have an innovative
and appetising menu that will meet the needs of their event, at an
appropriate price.”
This announcement followed an
exhaustive fifteen-month contract tendering process which attracted
bids from both local and national companies with specialist
experience of providing high quality catering services in historic
venues.
It comes six weeks after the
announcement that Searcy’s have also won the contract to provide
catering services in the Pump Room and Roman Baths, Bath.
Cllr O’Flaherty added: “Winning the
Pump Room contract did not give Searcy’s a competitive advantage
because we considered the two contracts separately and in parallel.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council
was looking for understanding of the particular challenges of
providing quality catering for big events and special occasions and
we wanted a different style of operation to that of the Pump Room.
“There was a lot of competition for
the Assembly Rooms contract as there are many caterers with relevant
experience.”
Cllr O'Flaherty paid tribute to the
team of catering staff currently working at the Assembly Rooms, all
of whom will transfer to the new company under the legal
requirements of Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
Regulations 1981 (TUPE).
She said: “This contract has been
awarded on a 50 percent quality 50 percent price basis and we are
confident that Searcy’s offer will provide best value for the
Council and its customers over the full term of the contract.”
Searcy’s proposals included emphasis
on the wide variety of local dishes with a West Country flavour and
a strong commitment to local employment and sustainable sourcing.
They proved sensitive to customer
needs and had a sound business plan that develops the business in a
steady but not over-ambitious manner.
Changes that visitors will notice
include changes in menus and in crockery and cutlery and increased
emphasis on fresh local produce.
Richard Tear, Chief Executive of
Searcy Tansley Limited, said: “Searcy’s are delighted to have been
chosen by Bath & North East Somerset Council after a very
competitive tendering process.
“We are looking forward to starting
the contract at the Assembly Rooms and to providing a quality
service to the city of Bath and the surrounding area.”
The Decision to appoint Searcy’s was
made by the Executive Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture
following formal evaluation of tenders by a panel including the
Executive Member and officers with specialist knowledge of the
contract, advised throughout by an independent expert in the field,
John Downman of Tricon Foodservice Consultants.
He said: “The tendering process has
been thorough and fair and the Evaluation Panel has come to the
correct decision for this contract.
“The net result will be catering
services of which local people can be proud and which give best
value for money for the Council."
For more information, contact:
Stephen Bird, Head of Heritage
Services, on Tel: 01225 477750 or e-mail stephen_bird@bathnes.gov.uk
Patricia Dunlop, Commercial Manager
- Heritage Services on Tel: 01225 477759 or e-mail patricia_dunlop@bathnes.gov.uk
Richard Tear, Chief Executive,
Searcy Tansley Limited, on Tel: 0207 585 0505 - for more information
on Searcy Tansley Limited log on to www.searcys.co.uk
For comment, contact:
Cllr Nicole O’Flaherty, Executive
Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, on Tel: 01225 310341 or
e-mail nicole_oflaherty@bathnes.gov.uk
Issued by: Bath & North East
Somerset Press Office, tel 01225 477827 or 477283, email:
pressoffice@bathnes.gov.uk |
