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Geoffrey Harrison
A lifetime food enthusiast, Geoffrey Harrison started his culinary career as a professional chef before developing his own catering business, Harrison Catering Services, in 1994. His hands-on knowledge of great quality food and his vast experience in business operations and development gave Geoffrey the know-how and skills required to create a successful business that would thrive.
Geoffrey has received a number of awards, including Food Service Caterer of the Year (Catey Awards, 2010); Entrepreneur of the Year award, finalist (Ernst & Young, 2012); Honorary Doctorate from University of West London International Business School (2012); the Special Award (EDUcatering Excellence awards, 2014); the Catering Lifetime Achievement Award (Cost sector Catering Awards, 2015); Fellowship of the City & Guilds of London Institute (2017); and the Food Service Management (FSM) Lifetime Achievement Award 2019. Harrison will continue to grow with its unwavering goal of providing delicious, healthier catering.
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Claire Aylward
Claire is a born manager and, previous to working at Harrison, held several managerial roles in leading business and government organisations. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in education and the catering industry.
In 1995, just one year after it formed, Claire joined Harrison Catering and she’s been an integral part of the company ever since. She brought with her valuable experience in management and business. She immediately found herself at home working in education and industry operations and was appointed to the Board and a Directorship in 2006 along with her brother, Gareth. Claire excelled as Sales and Marketing Director until 2012, when she and Gareth became Joint Managing Directors.
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Gareth Harrison
Gareth inherited his father’s devotion to great food and followed that enthusiasm throughout his career. He worked as a commercial chef at some of the most reputable restaurants in Berkshire and Lancashire before joining Harrison Catering Services in 1998.
Since joining us, Gareth’s work has covered much of the Harrison spectrum. He has worked as our Executive Chef, Manager Client Services and Food Development and Procurement Manager. In 2006 both Gareth and his sister, Claire, were appointed to the board, with Gareth taking up the mantle of Director of Group Business. In 2010 he was made Director Client Services until 2012 when he became Joint Managing Director, along with Claire.
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Richard Harrison
Richard Harrison is Finance Director of Harrison Catering Services, a role he has enjoyed since joining the company in April 2006. Prior to this, his career included senior financial positions in both blue chip plcs and private businesses. Having started his career in the automotive industry, he then took up an international auditing role, before board level positions with an automotive components manufacturer and then a medical services business. Richard is not related to Geoffrey Harrison and describes his name as a ‘happy coincidence’.
Living in Oxfordshire, Richard enjoys playing golf and is married with two grown-up children.
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The Rt Hon the Lord Lingfield Kt DLitt EdD LLD DL
The Lord Lingfield is the Chairman of the Chartered Institution for Further Education.
In the eighties he was for six years the Director-General of St John Ambulance UK and in 1989 he was appointed by the Prime Minister to lead the drive for state school autonomy and was in charge until 1998 of grant-maintained schools. He was appointed by David Cameron to chair the Commission on Special Education Needs in 2005 and in 2015 chaired a review of Professionalism in Further Education, leading to the ‘Lingfield Report. In 2014 he was appointed by the Secretary of State to create a Royal Chartered body for Further Education, which he still chairs.
He founded the English Schools Orchestra in 1994 and is its President. He has chaired the League of Mercy since 1999, the ARNI Stroke Charity since 2000 and the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation since 2012.
He was knighted for services to education in 1993 and hold several foreign awards also.
In 2006 his appointment as Knight Principal was approved by The Queen, and he became Knight President in 2012. He was created a Peer of the United Kingdom for life in 2012.
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Professor David Foskett, MBE CMA FHI Bed (Hons)
Professor David Foskett is the previous Dean of the London School of Hospitality and Tourism at The University of West London. Professor Foskett is a member of the Academy of Culinary Arts, Craft Guild of Chefs and Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality and has worked within the hospitality industry for over 40 years coupled with a career with The University of West London stretching back 35 years.
Professor Foskett sits on various guiding committees advising on hospitality training and education coupled with conducting extensive research on trends and growth within the hospitality industry and innovative creative product development for a number of international companies. These are just some of David’s achievements to date:
- Pioneering the BSc in International Culinary Arts for Practicing Chefs, the first of its kind in the UK.
- Having developed many other innovative courses for industry career development.
- Co-authoring Practical Cookery and The Theory of Hospitality and Catering—together these books have sold more than two million copies—and several other leading text books for the industry and education.
- Other books he has co authored are on Supervisory and Food and Beverage Management
- Authoring several papers on hospitality and food production.
- Pioneering the hugely successful Saturday morning Junior Chefs Academy for local high school children.
- Helping to raise thousands of pounds for charity through his association with the Society of Stars and by helping to organise fundraising dinners.
- Serving as Hospitality & Food Consultant for two Royal Households.
- Achieving many gold medal awards and competition successes.
- Being named “Chef of the Year” runner up three times.
- Being voted by the industry as one of the most influential people in hospitality in the UK today.
- Chairman of Judges International Young Chef Olympiad Chairman International Hospitality Council
As well as being awarded the prestigious MBE by her majesty The Queen, David is also a judge on the most prestigious Catey Awards and was awarded a Catey Award himself in 2003 for Education and Training—considered to be the Oscar of the hospitality and catering industry.
In 2004 David was also awarded a special award from the Craft Guild of Chefs for Outstanding Recognition.
In 2007 he was awarded the grade ‘Chevalier dans l’ordre du Merite Agricole’ from the President of France.
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Geoff Booth
Geoff Booth has forty years of experience in the Hospitality, Business, Enterprise and Tourism sectors, including operational management, education, training, research and business development.
Current areas of hospitality and business activities are centred around enterprises in London, Paris and Marseille, which include Apprenticeship training, Food education, business coaching; Online curriculum delivery and assessment and Educational consultancy.
Geoff is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (FIH), he holds a MSoc Sc in Tourism and Leisure Services, and an NVQ5 in Management from the Henley Management Centre); has the freedom of the City of London, and is a member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. He is a director of PACE, representing colleges and schools offering Hospitality, and business related training; a Founder Member of the Mercury Intelligence Group (an industry Trends and Futures network) and Founder Member of the British Californian (BritCA) Foundation for international food development and entrepreneurship.
