Grazing Events strengthens senior management team

Grazing Events, the premium event catering and party planning specialist, has today announced the appointment of Ben McEwen as head of business development.

As part of a newly created role, McEwen will be responsible for developing the company’s sales and marketing activity, as well as leading on relationship management and offer development. He joins from OfficeServe, where he was previously sales director.

Grazing Events, which is part of the Grazing group, was established in 2007 and caters for events across London. The company is a preferred supplier at prestigious venues such as The View from the Shard, Old Billingsgate and Glaziers Hall.

The new role forms part of the company’s overall growth strategy, which recently included a £400,000 investment in new central London kitchen facilities, as well as the appointment of Blake Henderson to the role of group head of operations.

McEwen, who has worked across the food and hospitality industry for the past 12 years, will also head up all business development activity across Grazing Catering and Grazing Delivered, Grazing Event’s sister companies.

He has previously worked for BaxterStorey in various operations and sales roles, including providing hospitality and event services at the London Olympics. He is also chair of the Bacchus Society of the Oxford School of Hospitality Management at Oxford Brookes University and is a former Acorn winner.

He will report directly to Sam Hurst, CEO of Grazing Events.

Hurst said: “I couldn’t be more excited to have Ben join our team to head up our business development function. Not only is Ben a hugely experienced business development professional, his background in operations gives him a great understanding of our products and services and most of all, he’s a pleasure to be around and work with.”

McEwen added: “I am thrilled to be joining Grazing at what is an exciting time for the business. The company is incredibly ambitious and has invested a great deal in its people and systems so I am delighted to be part of the team.”