THEY'RE cooking up a storm at Warrington-based Catering Academy, which in three years has gone from turnover of £500,000 to an expected £10m this year.

Founded by directors Kevin Cannon, 49, Allan Causey, 52, Louise Carey, 38 and Stacey Roase, 36, early in 2005, Catering Academy now has more than 50 clients nationally, many of them educational institutions or office-based businesses, for which it supplies in-house food.

It serves an average of around 25,000 meals a day.

Now the company has won a place in the 2007 HSBC Start-Up Stars awards for its entrepreneurial flair, one of 10 from the west, Wales and Northern Ireland region.

"We all worked previously for a large independent caterer in the midlands which was taken over by an American multinational," says Mr Cannon.

"Alan and I had worked together in different capacities for about 15 years.

"We decided we didn't want to be part of a huge organisation but to continue to develop bespoke options for clients as we had before.

"We are all four directors of the business now, with equal roles in running it. Stacey is responsible for the financial side, Louise for operational aspects, I'm over sales and Allan looks after marketing and development."

Catering Academy operates from three office bases. The main site is in Warrington, the registered office and accounts department is in Tamworth, and there is a small sub-office between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Swindon

The company plans to open in the Swindon area later this year.

"Our clients are spread over the country, from Scotland to Poole on the south coast," says Mr Cannon. "But it's important to us that we have local people, supplying local services, in each area where we operate.

"We employ about 560 people in total - a mix of management, chefs and part-time service assistants. About 60 per cent are part-timers."

The company set out to target clients with a minimum turnover of £200,000 a year and, last year, won its first group contract, worth £750,000 annually. It has grown fast: from its £520,000 turnover in 2005 to £4.5m in 2006, and an expected £10m this year.

"We are constantly recruiting," says Mr Cannon. "People hear about what we do, and we have grown by recommendation.

"We say that we will always deliver exactly what we promise."

About 55 per cent of clients are in education, including Tameside College and Eccles College. Other clients include Royal London Insurance Group in Wilmslow, Rydal Hall in Cumbria and Stroud District Council. Tweet