The Team
MEET
Nick Collins
Founder Director
As a chef-led business Cleverchefs creates a culture of real foodies that live and breathe that creative vibe. It is imperative that our team is supported by professionals with considerable strength but also a depth of knowledge that comes from being specialists in all fields of hospitality. Nick takes the recruitment of his leadership team very seriously, empowering experts in each sector we operate in. Giving our natural leaders the creative freedom to grow so they can excite our clients, customers and staff in a way that makes Cleverchefs stand out as one of the leading independent caterers in the UK.
Chef-led business
That is what makes Cleverchefs stand out, it makes sense that a thriving catering company has a passionate chef at the helm, well it is all about the food after all. Starting his career at 14 in local pubs washing dishes, Nick new that kitchens and hospitality is where he would feel at home. That is where the journey began, moving into Michelin star restaurants from a young age gave him the discipline and vision for perfection, by the age of 23 nick had won an array of competitions from chef of the year for the company he worked for to winning national competitions which abled him to go to the culinary Olympics.
One of our founders stand out achievements was getting through to the semi-finals of the BBC Masterchef the professionals.
Celebrities & royalty
A highlight of Nicks career is when he spent a considerable amount of time catering for high-net worth families, celebrities & royalty in private households, chalets and yachts across Europe.
"It gave me the insight into a side of hospitality that i hadn't been a part of up until then, it made me a chef that had to be able to converse with customers that have a set of expectations in food and service. I found a natural love for that pressure and started my journey in becoming more than a chef hiding in the kitchen, I found the art of service"
Development
The next step in nicks career seen him move into a chef development role for national contract caterers, transferring his skills from previous roles allowed nick to raise the game in contract catering.
Creating food offerings for national role outs, Whilst understanding the different types of customer requirements needed in each sector. This is where Nick found a passion for more than just food and service, a passion for creating food that changes peoples lives in their everyday eating habits, from independent & academy schools, workplace catering to high profile offices.
Cleverchefs journey
So in 2015 after nearly 18 years in the industry nick saw a gap in the market for a caterer that can produce food and drink matched with high profile service in the wedding and event industry, Quickly becoming one of the stand out caterers in the South of the UK by offering something a bit unique, 100% flexibility and putting the customer first. That offer has created a company that to date holds the market share of weddings & events in the south of the UK catering for over a thousand events a year.
That passion for perfection has led nick to securing contracts with high profile clients such as Admiral insurance, Orangebox and many more in the B&I sector. Cleverchefs have also created an education arm to the business bringing in industry experts to create a offer that is going to change the way school food is perceived, Bringing our creative inspiration to this sector feels like a natural progression for Cleverchefs, we want to make a difference by providing good food made by real chefs to give great vibes.
Leadership Team
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Operations Team
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Chef Team
CENTRAL PRODUCTION
Team
CENTRAL support
Team
Boots on the ground
Our Waiting Team
At Cleverchefs we pride ourselves on not using agency staff to work on our events. All of our team need to have gone through our hospitality school to be able to work with us.
It is really important to us that our team understand our ethos and values.
If you are looking to join our amazing team click the link below.
Our Site Teams
We also have a fantastic team of Managers, chefs and assistants on site in our contracts.
We manage a varied range of catering outlets from high street restaurants, workplace canteens, coffee shops and schools.
Each and every member of our team all have the same Cleverchefs vision.