QUESTION TIME

Did you know ... we were the first to do mini fish and chips?
So ... how much do you really know about Heathcotes Outside? That's why we have included this question and answer session.

Where is Heathcotes Outside based?

Although correspondence goes to Winter Gardens in Blackpool, the team can be found at any of our locations according to business demands and event schedules.

The team of Heathcote-trained chefs work at a client's own choice of location, to creating Paul's mouth-watering signature dishes using the local, fresh ingredients that he believes in so strongly. But Paul is often there when we are catering at events such as a Chester race day, a major ACC Liverpool occasion or just passing by Winter Gardens, Blackpool on his way to Deepdale, Preston.

How safe is your food safety and hygiene procedures?

Extremely safe ... because this is of paramount importance to us. The majority of our venues are accredited with a four stars under the local environmental health scoring system and the ACC Liverpool has five-stars. The vans we use to transport our food are refrigerated and follow strict guidelines - so you can rest assured it arrives safely.

Your staff are brilliant - where do you get them?

The majority join from word of mouth and stay with us throughout their college or university term. We also have a number who return during vacation time. We develop excellent relationships with colleges and universities at all our locations and, although we can be quite strict, staff normally agree they are treated well, are trained, developed and nurtured ... and have fun working for us.

How do you serve restaurant quality food on such a large scale?

Simple! It's down to quality ingredients, first class training, safe practices, no cutting corners and ‘thinking outside the box'. We are not reinventing the wheel - not trying to go the moon - we are just trying to get really good quality food from one place to the other. And our clients tell us we do that very well!

Can we find you outside the North West?

Absolutely! We go anywhere. We have catered in the South of France, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and London. Food is mainly taken from the North West although we have sourced food locally. For example - a wedding at Leeds Castle wanted menu ingredients sourced from Kent and Ireland. We normally take our own staff with us but we also have a large network of experienced people that have worked with us through the years so we know who to call if we need extra hands.

What is the hardest part of Working for Heathcotes Outside?

Time ... there are never enough hours in the day!

What is the Heathcotes Outside view on locally sourced produce and food miles?

This is a fashionable mantra right now - but here at Heathcotes Outside we have supported this ethos since 1997 - although quality is the real deal breaker. If we can't source quality ingredients locally we will go elsewhere.

What's next for Heathcotes Outside?

As ever, we continually strive to be the best at what we do. So our next priority is always to review the service we provide, the training needs and opportunities, and to develop our team so we can consistently exceed client expectations. We want to continue to grow ... into more venues and events ... and to push back even more barriers in food techniques and service styles.

Got any more questions?  Click here to ask us!