Member Article

Catering for a growing business community

A CATERING business certainly found all the ingredients for success at Darlington business park Lingfield Point.

Alexander and Jeanette MacMurray started working from the site in 2010 with a handful of staff. The business has grown year on year and the enterprise now employs an impressive 16 people.

The pair run the onsite café ‘canteen’, as well as a second eatery in the Student Loans building, a coffee cart in Lingfield House and a trolley service.

Jeanette said: “We have gradually built up the business and are really pleased it has turned into such a success. We now employ a manager as well as plenty of catering staff.”

The couple met when they were both working at Headlam Hall - Jeanette as manager and Alexander as head chef. They have been married for 17 years and have two children, Charlotte, 13, and Dylan, 12.

Both have worked in the food industry since they trained in catering management.

Eddie Humphries, estate manager, said: “The MacMurrays are part of the Lingfield Point family. They provide catering for meetings on site and keep the 3,000 plus staff at the companies based here fed and watered.

“We want all of our companies to grow and succeed and are delighted they have been able to make such a fantastic job of doing just that.

“Lingfield Point is quite self-contained, we also have a childcare nursery and have regular visits from other companies, for example selling specialised candies.

“Many of our companies grow and move into bigger premises and Jeanette and Alexander have expanded their offer to meet the ever growing demand.”

Jeanette says refreshing their offer, whether that be menu choice or new ideas, such as a deli fridge, has helped keep their customers coming back.

“We’ve just introduced a PlayStation 1 and it’s proved a real hit with customers who enjoy playing the retro games. There’s a ‘game of the week’ and a sort of challenge league which is very popular.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lingfield Point .