Meet the Team

Meet the people keeping Panache running smoothly.

Our Management Team

NiccolaNiccola Boyd-Stevenson

Managing Director, Panache Consultancy
 
Niccola is a founding partner of Panache Consultancy and is a highly experienced foodservice professional with over 30 years experience in in-house or outsourced catering & cleaning services.

Niccola is the immediate-past Chair of FCSI UK & Ireland (Foodservice Consultants Society International). She is a founder member of The Hospitality Network and Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. She has also been awarded a Women 1st Top 100 Shine Award, joining a network of the 100 most influential women in Britain’s hospitality, transport, travel and tourism.

Key Management Roles Include:

  • National Health Service National Trainee
  • Group manager for British Airways & British Caledonian catering
  • Regional Operations Manager for Compass Food service
  • Regional Director for Education for Sodexo
  • Owner / Shareholder for Summit West specialising in Education

 
Niccola’s training in catering management took the form of a National Diploma in Catering Management and then achieved her HCIMA (Hotel and Catering International Management Association), both at Westminster College.

JonJon Rook

Managing Director, Panache South
 
Jon is Managing Director of Panache South and has more than 25 years experience within the Catering and Hospitality industry, specifically within the Higher Education sector.

Jon’s senior management experience includes some of the country’s leading Universities. Jon has been working with Panache for over ten years and following 6 years as a Director of Panache Consultancy became Managing Director of Panache South in 2014.

Key Management Roles Include:

  • Catering & Conferences Services manager for Downing College, University of Cambridge
  • Head of Catering, Conferences and Hospitality Services at the University of Southampton
  • Food & Beverages Manager at Granada TV studios in Manchester

 
Jon attained his Masters Degree in ‘International Hospitality Design and Management Consultancy’ in 2012 from Sheffield Hallam University. Alongside his degree, he holds The Prince 2 Project Management qualification, City and Guilds 706/1 & 2 and the Advanced Food Hygiene qualification. He is also a registered trainer for the CIEH.

IanIan Boyd-Stevenson

Managing Director, Panache North
 
Ian has over 40 years experience in the catering industry and is currently assisting Clarks International with their in-house catering operation.

Key Management Roles Include:

  • Director at Downs Foods
  • Director at Taylor Plan and Catering By County, specialising in education
  • Director of a racecourse catering specialist
  • Owner / Shareholder for Summit West

 
Ian’s training includes Chef qualifications in a Swiss Five Star Hotel and National Trainee for Bateman Catering.

GailGail Heath

Executive Assistant, Panache Consultancy
 
Gail is based at the Panache Consultancy office in Clevedon as Client Executive, having joined the company in 2012.

Working closely with Niccola, she has gained extensive experience in the tender processes and provides administrative support to ensure the smooth running of projects. Always at the end of the phone, any queries will be dealt with promptly and efficiently.

Our Associates

AndyAndy Jones

Associate Consultant
 
Andy is a senior NHS catering professional with an unprecedented level of experience as an NHS catering operator, consultant, multi-committee chairperson, panel leader, and auditor. As an associate of Panache, Andy works only on NHS projects.

Key Management Roles Include:

  • Experienced NHS/Healthcare Catering professional
  • Supply-side experience of outsourced catering contracts in NHS
  • Member of the Hospital Food Panel – Lead Nutritional & Hydration Strategy
  • Care Quality Commission – Policy group for Nutritional and Hydration standards and outcomes
  • Care Quality Commission – Audit role for FM
  • Development of Food & Drink Policy for NHS Trusts
  • Current PS100 Chair – Past Chair HCA
  • Council of Europe 10 Key Char’s – Panel member
  • Love British Food – Committee member & NHS Lead
  • NHS England – Guidance – Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration
  • Leading ISS into Food For Life – All fresh cook sites

PhilPhil Chivers

Associate Consultant
 
Phil works exclusively with Panache as a Principal Consultant, collaborating on a range of high-profile projects, combining shared values and knowledge to get the best outcomes for clients. Phil has worked within the catering industry for over 43 years, including Director roles in both sales and operations.

Having originally trained as a Chef and a self-confessed “foodie”, Phil has extensive experience within the catering and hospitality industry including business and industry, stadia and venue, retail and leisure, education, and healthcare, providing a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon.

Working with large organisations and smaller independent companies, the knowledge he has gained working in a cross section of sectors within the industry means that he can offer a wide view of service improvement opportunities across a number of different sectors.

From his management experience, Phil understands the importance of engaging with caterers, staff and customers whether internal or contractors, with clear and straightforward processes and support that enable them to achieve their aspirations for the catering and hospitality service providing clients and customers the best possible outcomes.

As well as management experience, Phil has extensive industry qualifications including HNC in Hotel & Institutional Management; City & Guilds 706/1 & 706/2, 707/1; Qualified Trainer (Craft trainer awards 1 & 2); IEHO Basic and Intermediate Hygiene award; Food Allergen Awareness Certification; OTA Craft Trainer award (Organising, Training and Assessment).

MarkMark Slater

Associate Consultant
 
Mark has been a Chef by trade for more than 20 years; working his way up through the industry with experience in both Commercial and the Education sector; specifically some of the most prestigious Higher Education settings in the county.

With his rich knowledge and experience across both education and commercial settings; covering a vast array of roles throughout his career, has enabled Mark to manage a team cohesively and effectively.

Mark is proactive and thrives on dealing with challenges, keeping up to date with current trends.

Key management roles include:

  • Head of Catering – Magdalene College, Cambridge
  • Executive Head Chef – Churchill College, Cambridge
  • Head Chef St Edmunds College – Cambridge

In 2021, Mark attained a Master’s Degree in ‘Hospitality Leadership’ at London South Bank University.  Alongside his degree he holds an advanced Food Hygiene qualification.

JasonJason Waterfield

Associate Consultant
 
Jason is a commercially focused catering consultant with over 25 years of experience driving the service, quality, profitability, and performance goals for a wide variety of catering and hospitality organisations across the education and hospitality sectors. He is a proven creative change-maker with a passion for delivering high-quality customer-centric products and services.

Jason’s portfolio includes Executive Chef positions at 5-star London hotels and contract caterers, along with Catering Director roles at some of the most prestigious universities in the UK.

He has been responsible for delivering catering services across multi-site campuses, including retail catering, restaurants, food court, licensed-operated coffee shops, hospitality, and conference, with over 5,000 staff and 20,000 students to cater for and global reputations to protect. His remit has included maintaining efficient, professional, and safe business operational practices that promote well-being and inclusivity.

Previous posts, such as Executive Chef of a leading London caterer, have given him a fantastic insight into creative, commercially driven menu design, creating and producing exciting, high-quality food on a massive scale.

Key management roles include:

  • Catering Director at King’s College Cambridge
  • Head of Catering Services & Retail at the University of Southampton
  • Operations Manager, Holroyd Howe, Contract Caterers for the education sector

Jason’s qualifications include Catering Industry City & Guilds 706-1 & 2, 707 1 & 2, 717 and a 2:1 Open University degree in Business Studies. He chaired the procurement and environment committees for the Cambridge Catering Managers’ Committee for several years, driving toward sustainable procurement and the support of local produce.

He enjoys projects where he can utilise his operational expertise and creative working alongside internal teams and reviewing services and outlets to ensure they provide what the customers want at the right price and at the right margin for the business.

SimonSimon Conway

Associate Consultant
 
Based in the North of England, Simon has over 40 years` experience within the Hotel and Contract Catering sectors, with the most recent experience of holding senior management positions within the Education sector.

Simon is an experienced operator who has challenged and influenced best practice to the industry’s advantage.

Simon’s most recent experience before joining Panache was as the client for a large Multi Academy Trust with over 100 schools throughout the country managing and monitoring various catering models with differing service level agreements.

Whilst working with Sodexo, Simon had the opportunity to diversify into sales, which brings a different dimension to his knowledge and experience to the benefit of Panache clients.

Simon’s strengths include financial acumen, creativity and solution modelling as well as being involved in catering and hospitality Simon also has experience and knowledge of cleaning support services and management contracts.

Key Management roles include:

  • County Catering Adviser for Durham County Council, responsible for all education and welfare catering as well as Police and Fire Brigade catering.
  • Senior Operations Director for Education for Sodexo
  • Group Catering Services Manager for a large Multi Academy Trust.

Simon’s qualifications include a BSc Degree in Catering Systems.  Simon is also a member of the Institute of Hospitality.

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