NEWS RELEASE
PR 1691
For Immediate
Release
2 April 2004
Pump Room catering contract awarded
BATH & North East Somerset Council
has awarded the new contract for restaurant and functions catering
in the Pump Room to Searcy Tansley Limited, a privately-run company
whose current contracts include The National Portrait Gallery and
the Royal Opera House in London.
The announcement came after an
exhaustive ten-month contract tendering process which attracted bids
from all over the country from specialist companies with experience
of providing high quality catering services in historic venues. The
contract was won against the stiffest of competition.
Since 1982 the catering at the Pump
Room has been provided by Milburns who won the present contract in
1998 and has provided excellent service.
Cllr Nicole O’Flaherty, Executive
Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, said:“Milburns have done a
fantastic job over the past five years. The Pump Room in Bath is
one of the most prestigious venues in the country for any caterer in
this field, so the competition was intense.
“This contract has been awarded on a
50 percent quality 50 percent price basis and we are confident that
Searcy’s offer will provide best value for Bath & North East
Somerset Council and its customers over the full term of the
contract.”
Searcy’s proposals included quality
menus that suit the Pump Room well and a strong commitment to local
employment and sustainable sourcing. They proved sensitive to
customer needs and had a sound business plan that develops the
business in a steady but not over-ambitious manner.
The new contract begins on Monday,
June 7 and runs for five years and eight months.
Improvements that visitors will
notice include changes in menus, in uniforms and in food displays in
the Pump Room. There will also be an innovative choice of food for
evening functions and drinks parties by torchlight beside the Great
Bath.
It is hoped that there will not be
many changes in staff, because the current staff will transfer to
the new caterer.
The Decision to appoint Searcy’s was
made by the Executive Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture
following formal evaluation of tenders by a panel including the
Executive Member and officers with specialist knowledge of the
contract.
The panel were advised throughout
this process by an independent expert in the field, John Downman of
Tricon Foodservice Consultants. He said: “The tendering process has
been thorough and fair and the Evaluation Panel has come to the
correct decision for this contract.
“The net result will be catering
services of which local people can be proud and which give best
value for money for the Council.”
For more information on Searcy
Tansley Limited log on to www.searcys.co.uk
For more information, contact:
Stephen Bird, Head of Heritage
Services, on Tel: 01225 477750 (work) home or 01225 425955 (home) or
e-mail stephen_bird@bathnes.gov.uk
Patricia Dunlop, Commercial Manager
- Heritage Services on Tel: 01225 477759 (work) or 01225 330218
(home) or e-mail patricia_dunlop@bathnes.gov.uk
Richard Tear, Chief Executive,
Searcy Tansley Limited, on Tel: 0207 585 0505 (after Monday, April
5)
For comment, contact:
Cllr Nicole O’Flaherty, Executive
Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, on Tel: 01225 310341 or
e-mail nicole_oflaherty@bathnes.gov.uk
Issued by: Bath & North East
Somerset Press Office, tel 01225 477827 or 477283, email:
pressoffice@bathnes.gov.uk |
