Bruce Wilson

I launched a chef-led hands-on hospitality consultancy, providing a full range of services for food and catering businesses, from restaurants, hotels to corporate venues, events businesses, investors and suppliers, specialising in new concepts and openings, re-launches, and expansion roll-outs.

I have extensive experience in on-going operational management of sites, troubleshooting and auditing as well as supporting tenders for new business pitches.

Design, project manage and launch a large high-profile BBQ restaurant in Dubai

• Design, project manage and launch a multi-site casual dining brand in Lebanon
• Launching French-Vietnamese restaurant concept from ground up in new boutique hotel off Leicester Square, London
• Relaunch of high-end Chelsea brasserie with new food concept, kitchen team and management support
• Transformed underperforming American-style restaurant in Clapham into a profitable operation, improving guest satisfaction and operational efficiency
• Resolved operational challenges at struggling restaurant in Greenwich, implementing strategies that stabilised performance and improved customer experience
• Redesign and optimising F&B offer in multisite healthy living leisure centre based in the southeast
• Chef and offer development, client relationships and crisis management for a countrywide Education and Assisting living business.
• Established pop-up restaurants in Canary Wharf and the City for major event catering company, enhancing brand visibility and client engagement
• Concept development and pre-launch implementation of US-style outlets around London
• Concept and launch of retail sites for expanding brewery, Camden
• Re-developing food operations and designing new concepts across multiple venues for a London contract caterer specialising in cultural venues
• Launching a bespoke events business for London and the southeast region
• Contracts include:

Developed a platform for new and emerging food concepts to enter the market effectively and sustainably after industry stagnation in 2020.

Taking this idea from conception to incorporation and SEIS accreditation for investment

• Launching from the ground up our very first multi-vendor “Fill-in Kitchen” restaurant in the heart of Derby city centre
• Off the back of the success on the Fill-in Kitchen, launched our first partnership with local cocktail bar group to run all their food operations across the group
• Established and managed partnerships to mentor and sponsor local chefs and food operators in Fill-in Kitchen spaces.
• Led partnerships aimed at regenerating local areas, increasing footfall in town centres, and creating local jobs.
• The proposition behind Fare Traders was to bring life back to fading high streets by repurposing empty retail and restaurant spaces to create short-term pop-up residencies for entrepreneurs.
• Building a network of landlords and agents to support the business with potential venues.

Joined the founding executive team at Food Tech pioneer Yumpingo, a customer feedback platform.

Managed business development and client liaison with food directors and MDs of major restaurant groups and independents to integrate Yumpingo platform, leveraging insights to enhance customer experience and inform strategic decision-making.

Key responsibilities included:

• Overseeing customer success
• Onboarding new sites
• Consultancy on menu development
• Operational management advice
• Building the Yumpingo brand
• Food Tech pioneer Yumpingo, a customer feedback platform.

• Oversaw the management and development of large-scale exhibition venues, major special events contracts, and high-profile cultural and heritage sites, while establishing new business.
• Developed tender documents and delivered food offerings for successful bids including Royal Ascot, BBC Music Awards, ILM Star Wars launch party, Live Nation's Festivals, and bespoke events at Olympic sites.
• Working with the account holders, other senior managers and directors on the strategic direction of the business.
• Developing food strategy to improve the food quality and delivery of our offer.
• Created impactful presentations for clients to effectively communicate service offerings and foster relationships.
• Proposed, designed and implemented fixed site re-launches and new concepts, elevating overall customer experience.
• Propose, design and deliver bespoke events and hospitality, and creating this as a new brand.
• Propose, design and implement outdoor and exhibition mobile street food operations.
• Design, implement and open cultural & heritage sites.
• Re-evaluating all supplier relationships to achieve best value for money and create reliable partnerships.

• Brought in to design, develop and implement bespoke food and service concepts at a variety of client sites: the National Portrait Gallery restaurant, Atelier Café in the Royal Academy and Topolski on the South Bank.
• Developing food concepts and special project events at these sites and other pop-up events such as Milk Made on the South Bank.
• Responsible for overseeing the launches of these sites and ongoing development and management.

• Running a high volume, top end City restaurant specialising in quality seasonal British produce.
• Pro-actively managing and developing a team of chefs with the aim of continuously improving standards and aiding staff retention.
• Building close relationships with suppliers, farmers and fishermen to maintain an exceptional standard of produce.
• Emphasising the provenance and breeds of meat and fish and butchering whole carcasses in-house.
• Ensuring excellence in safety standards in both systems and practices of food hygiene and health and safety, resulting in achieving the highest rating from the Food Standards Agency.
• Total control of costs: both direct input food and labour costs, to operating costs for the business.
• Maximising growth in terms of both top line sales and bottom line profits.
• Developing restaurant concept and menu to reflect changing market conditions and differing needs of customers.
• As a result, winning 3 stars - the highest accolade - from the Sustainable Restaurant Association in 2012.
• From large scale corporate events to private functions and informal bar dining.
• In addition, working closely with schools and colleges to take on, train and develop young students and trainee chefs within the business.
• Writing columns for City AM newspaper and creating other PR opportunities to promote the restaurant as a whole and to generate interest in specific events such as teaming up with outside organisations including Fortnum & Mason and Nyetimber.

• Turning around an underperforming restaurant and implementing a top quality food offer, using seasonal and locally-sourced produce, as a central part of the re-launch of the business.
• Creating and building a branded food concept to be rolled out across multiple hotel sites as the business expands.
• Creating a unique cookery school concept and developing product lines to be sold at external sales outlets to drive publicity and maximise sales opportunities for the business.
• Developing relationships and co-ordinating on site and off site events with key partners such as Mercedes-Benz.

• Directly managing a team of 24 chefs in the service and production kitchens, as well as delivery area and stores.
• Managing the kitchen of the busy 7th floor 150-seater main restaurant, handling up to 500 covers per service.
• Managing the production kitchen, 2nd floor cafe, private members and retail areas of the business.
• Enhanced food offer by implementing high-quality seasonal menus for restaurant, café, and expanding retail options.
• Created specialty evenings and bespoke events for several hundred guests, increasing customer engagement and satisfaction.
• Oversaw budgeting, cost control and stock management to achieve financial targets.
• Developed and implemented business plan to elevate brand profile and drive turnover and profitability.
• Oversaw recruitment, training and career development of the team.
• Established a comprehensive health and safety and food safety compliance system to enhance inspection results.

• Coordinated culinary operations at Sony Europe corporate dining rooms, delivering tailored hospitality experiences.
• Directed hospitality services at Pepsi Co corporate dining rooms, enhancing culinary offerings.
• Managed high-profile corporate dining sites, ensuring quality and customer satisfaction.
• Leo Bennett’s, Corporate dining rooms and hospitality
• De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-On-Sea