Joe GallopFreemans Event Partners has strengthened its catering division with the appointment of Mark Bodley (pictured left) as head of catering and Lee Nicholls (right) as menu development manager.
The duo join the Gloucester-based event specialists with experience in hospitality, contract catering and catering logistics.
Bodley has worked in fine dining and Michelin Star restaurants, contract catering and as an independent hospitality consultant and event manager. He was involved with Team GB at their national sports centres, developing menus for the nation’s athletes around the Tokyo Olympics.
Bodley will work on diversifying the culinary offering within Freemans Event Partners and developing employee catering at events.
Nicholls’ experience as a former serviceman spans over 20 years working as NATO’s senior global catering deployment manager and direct food safety advisor. During his time in the military, he also acted as a mentor for the combined services culinary arts team, assisting with the training and development of young talent within the Armed Forces.
At Freemans, Nicholls will focus on creating bespoke menus for the company’s portfolio of clients. His remit will also cover how the business can further develop provenance and sustainability practices.
Freemans Event Partners CEO Stephen Freeman said, “Beyond their roles, each will be given the scope to explore different focuses and passions. Lee will be using his military background to explore how veterans can be supported in corporate catering roles, post-military. Mark will establish how we can approach recruitment on a far more hyper-local level, ensuring our operations are more strategic and greener.”