Supplier Profile - High Weald Dairy, West Sussex

Alex, our Group Head Chef and Bruce our Procurement Manager took a trip out of the office last week to catch up with one of our cheese suppliers, the High Weald Dairy, on their farm in West Sussex.  The family run cheese dairy craft a delicious range of award winning British cheeses from organic cows' milk, organic sheeps' milk and more recently organic goats' milk. The cheese is made in a modern dairy just 20 metres from where the cows are milked. They are certified by the Soil Assocation and are members of the Specialist Cheese Association and A Taste of Sussex.  Have a look at their website http://www.highwealddairy.co.uk/.

Dulwich Picture Gallery Café - A Fantastic Event Space

A few shots of the the lovely refurbished café at Dulwich Picture Gallery.  A wonderful bright space for lunch or enjoying an afternoon tea overlooking the beautifully kept grounds.  The café is also a fantastic venue for private parties, dinners and receptions.  Take at look at the Gallery on our website!
http://creativetaste.co.uk/dulwich-picture-gallery

Meet Team Creative - Luke Barlow

Luke Barlow - affectionately known as 'tt' and therefore the 't' in our creative shoot last year is Creative's Group Beverage Procurement Manager.  He is renowned for his perplexing spreadsheets and of course very popular when the wine tastings come around!

Name...  Luke Barlow

Job Title... Group Beverage Procurement Manager

Venue... Central

Favourite Drink... Good red wine

Favourite Meal... Argentinian asado

I started working for Creative... 
Well my first ever shift was as a bartender in November 2000 at the Newbury Gold Cup.  I worked on a casual basis all through university. Then in 2005, after a year out following my degree, I joined the company full time just as we were beginning our contracts at Earls Court and Olympia Exhibition Centres. 

In a nutshell my role is... 
Deciding what drinks we stock across the business, where we buy them from, how much we pay for them and what we sell them for.  During the summer months a large amount of my time is spent planning the stock logistics of our outdoor festivals and events and managing the relationships between drinks sponsors, Creativevents and the event organisers. 

On an average day...  
It depends what time of year it is.  In the summer it could involve sourcing an ale supplier local to the boutique festival we are working at, or booking eight tankers full of lager for a heavy metal concert.  In the winter it could involve meeting a potential new drink sponsor, reconciling monthly accounts or developing the company wine list.

My most rewarding moment...  
Successfully managing the liquor planning and operation of the Big Chill festival.  The event had 17 different bars most of which were offering completely bespoke drinks menus which meant it was far more challenging than any other festival we had worked at.

My most challenging moment...  
The summer of 2012.  Making sure my areas of responsibility for our regular business continued to run smoothly whilst basing myself at the Olympics to control the drink stock levels of two London venues.

I can't be doing with... 
People who moan and complain without doing anything to change what they have a problem with.

I couldn’t cope without... 
My ipod when I am concentrating on figures.

Best piece of advice...  
It is not the mistakes you make but what you do to put them right.  Always have a contingency plan.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show - On Film!

It was another fantastic year at RHS Cheslea Flower Show, even if the weather wasn't as kind as last year!  Well done to all the team on site and we hope you enjoy our video demonstrating a little of what was on offer...

Our Citroën Van Opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Meet our new Citroën Van - fondly known as 'Bernadette' who is up and running for the school holidays at The Gallery.  She will be open from 10.00am to 5.00pm Tuesday to Sunday and offers a great range of family friendly refreshments including sandwiches, salads, kids' picnic boxes and hot and cold drinks.  With lots of outdoor furniture, space for picnic rugs (and an ice cream trike!) why not pop down and enjoy the beautiful Gallery gardens?!

Meet Team Creative - Lyndsay Smith

In a new feature on the Creative Taste blog we are going to introduce you to some of the team that work so hard to make it all happen.  From the kitchen to staffing, logistics to business development we will cover it all!  They will all be answering a few questions to give you an idea about them,  their Creative world and what goes on behind the scenes.  Today we start with Lyndsay Smith our Special Events Manager...

Name...   Lyndsay Smith
Job Title...   Events Manager
Venue...   Special Events
Favourite Drink...   Wine (any variety)
Favourite Meal...   Anything Italian



I started working for Creative..   
January 2008 (which makes me feel old). As a fresh faced 22 year old I joined the company during Creative’s major growth spurt. Having won 3 new major festivals for that summer (Big Chill, Cornbury and Bloodstock) I had to hit the ground running and was thrown in at the deep end. 5 years on, I have learnt a huge amount, aged somewhat, climbed the career ladder and enjoyed every step.

In a nutshell my role is...
Plan plan plan. From the initial meeting to the execution and load out. One thing you can’t plan for is the weather!

On an average day...
There is no average day which is the reason why I got into events.  Every day is different, faced with diverse projects and challenges.

My most rewarding moment...
Too many to name, each season becomes more rewarding as we take on more and grow. From completing just a handful of events 5 years ago in a season to over 65 events this summer, seeing the team do well, winning new contracts and retaining old contracts.

My most challenging moment...
A few to name, but the biggest challenge to date has to be Summer 2012 with the Olympics. There was a noticeable shortfall in a lot of equipment, meaning that prices increased due to demand. I had to negotiate with suppliers and plan even further ahead than normal – often very tricky in events! It was also logistically significantly harder operating in and out of London as we had to move our whole HQ to a new base as our existing warehouse and office was an Olympic venue! That said, it was fantastic for part of the business to have been involved in a once in a lifetime event and it being right on our doorstep.

I can't be doing with...
Inability to react to change. The events industry is forever changing and events will forever change last minute. You must be prepared to roll with it and be adaptable.

I couldn’t cope without...
Coffee, wine and hand sanitiser.

Best piece of advice...
Always have a plan B and you are only as good as the people around you, invest in them.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Events

The weather could not have been kinder to us at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park where Creative are operating a number of areas for Live Nation including VIP hospitality Pods, the Sponsors Area and Guest Area Bar, Cocktail Bar and BBQ. With Hard Rock Calling and Mumford and Sons being a huge success our team are now preparing for Wireless and Electric Daisy Carnival with lots to keep them busy... Will it top the Mumford and Sons backstage after party we catered for though?!