Our history
In 45 years, we’ve reached more than a few famous milestones. Here are just a few of our proudest achievements.
NEC construction start
NEC Group Catering
NEC Arena
Neil Ashton
The ICC and NIA
Scottish Open
High-street outlets
NEC Group Catering
Amadeus rebrand
Olympic and Paralympic Games
Vox Conference Centre
£50m turnover
Our Awards
Awards recognise the talent and facilities of our business. They set us apart from the rest and place us at the forefront of the live events industry. Here are some of our most recent awards.
Foodservice Cateys 2023
General Manager of the Year
Craig Hancox, Amadeus General Manager, ICC Birmingham
Craig continues to utilise his experience in new concepts and innovation to drive a successful financial performance for Amadeus.
The team hit revenue records like no other at the 2022 Conservative Party Conference, catering for over 12,000 delegates and 456 fringe meetings over three days with a unique catering order at each event. He led the team to achieve the highest catering revenue recorded at any Amadeus venue ever in one week.
Foodservice Cateys 2023
Rising Star
Valentine Rey, Catering Manager, NEC
Valentine was one of Amadeus’ University College Birmingham hospitality students taken on initially for a 12-month placement between years two and three of her university course. It was evident from the start, that Valentine would soon be team-leading, thanks to her calm, confident manner in dealing with colleagues and customers.
She was hungry to be developed to support all the Amadeus management functions and processes. She quickly became a very reliable and flexible team member, displaying accountability and control of her areas of responsibility.
Foodservice Cateys 2023
Trainee Chef of the Year
John Rushton-Jones, Commis Chef
At only 25, John is still at the beginning stages of his career and enjoys working closely with his team, absorbing skills and learning from Executive Chef at The Vox Aaron Johnson-Waters, and Head Chef Michael Jeyes.
John has succeeded in key achievements on his apprentice journey this year, including mastering his basic culinary skills, including ingredient preparation and cooking techniques. This has led to an increase in responsibilities in the kitchen, such as food preparation and expert plating.
Given his progress, it’s no surprise John is keen to maximise on his ambition, already assessing his career path to his next step of chef de partie, senior chef, then Head Chef.
MIDAS Awards 2023
Street Food Inspired
The Amadeus' food development team picked up the award in the ‘Street Food Inspired’ category at the MIDAS Awards. Focused on menu innovation and development, winners are treated to a place on an Insight Tour of Miami in May.
Foodservice Cateys 2022
Rising Star
Jess Savva, Retail Manager at Resorts World Arena, scooped the Rising Star Award at the Foodservice Cateys awards, which celebrates the individuals, teams and businesses shaping the foodservice industry.
Judges said Jess showed 'significant promise' early on in her career, praising Mystery Shopper scores that jump off the page, as well as an increased spend-per-head and her lead role in solving staffing concerns at her venue post-COVID.
MIDAS Awards 2020
Sustainability
Amadeus was recognised for a second consecutive year, for its work around local sourcing and developing menus with local provenance across its venue portfolio.
Institute of Directors 2020
Midland Director of the Year
Kevin Watson was awarded IoD Midland Director of the Year – Social Value and Sustainability Impact for leading Amadeus’s commitment to reducing food waste. This has saved more than 50,000 meals going to landfill through using innovative technology and giving surplus food to local families in need.
The Cateys 2020
Foodservice Caterer of the Year
Kevin Watson was commended by judges for his determination, drive and passion, with an ‘unwavering focus’ on sustainability, technology and a first-class customer experience at the venues Amadeus caters for.
Foodservice Cateys 2018
The Foodservice Cateys celebrate contract catering employees across the UK. They recognise and reward those individuals and teams that work tirelessly to make sure their business delivers an exceptional service day in, day out. The focus of this winning submission was the leadership Amadeus have shown in retail and leisure F&B space.