The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Hospitality chief holds onto power in top 100
Rankings: UK catering trade keeps Alastair Storey as number one in list
North-east entrepreneur Alastair Storey has topped a list of the most powerful people in the UK hospitality industry for a second time.
Mr Storey, who hails from Fyve in Aberdeenshire, is chief executive, chairman and co-founder of Berkshirebased Westbury Street Holdings (WSH), which owns a string of catering and hospitality businesses.
WSH is the parent of firms including BaxterStorey, Benugo, Holroyd Howe, Caterlink, Portico, Hix, Mere, Searcys and The Woodspen, turning over more than £820million.
The group has a workforce of more than 8,500 people across Europe.
Mr Storey, 65, previously clinched top spot in the UK catering trade’s 100 most powerful people in hospitality list in late 2012, which was the last time it was compiled.
The revived accolade recognises key people whose actions have the greatest impact on the industry, and ranks candidates on criteria ranging from leadership, financial success and innovation to future potential and their wider influence across the sector.
Mr Storey, who is also president of the Institute of Hospitality, beat JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin and global restaurateur and TV personality Gordon Ramsay to the No 1 spot.
He said: “It is a tremendous honour to be recognised by one’s peers but I am indebted to the teams around me at WSH, as well the organisations that I work with on a broader scale and the great work that they do day in, day out.”
“Looking at the list, there are lots of household names and companies represented that offer fantastic training and development programmes. The power list sends a strong message to people, and especially mums and dads, that this is a solid and vibrant industry that’s worth joining.”