Professor David Foskett OBE

Catering vs Hospitality - Helping your staff understand their value

Recruitment and retention of staff is a major challenge across the UK.  Professor Foskett, who has worked for many years with catering students in colleges and consulted with a number of top industry companies and organisations, believes that a lot of the problems we face are down to the people who work in the sector recognising and understanding their value and importance.  He will share his views and ideas of ways you can help them value themselves more.

Previously Dean and Head of the London School of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of West London.

Professor Foskett is a member of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Craft Guild of Chefs, and a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality.

He sits on various committees advising on higher and further education specialising in hospitality education and training and has conducted extensive research and consultancy in the hospitality and food industry for large corporate organisations, small businesses, Private households, Hotels and Restaurants, Royal Palaces, Colleges and Universities. He has helped to raise well over a million pounds for education projects and charitable causes especially the Clink Charity which helps to educate offenders before their release to help prevent them reoffending.

He is co-author of Practical Cookery Levels 1, 2 and 3, Theory of Hospitality and Catering, Food and Beverage Management, and Hospitality Supervision These books have sold over 2 million copies and are used in 140 countries, He has won many national and international awards over the past 45 years, including a Queens Anniversary Award for outstanding hospitality education and training. The British Hospitality Centenary Award also for exemplary hospitality education and training.

In 2012 along with Palace officials set up the first Butler training course at Buckingham Palace accredited by City and Guilds In 2016 he was appointed the Chair of the International Olympiad and The International Hospitality Council in London and India. He is on the management committee of the Craft Guild of Chefs, The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and has served on the supervisory board of The Insitute of Hospitality. Member of the Education Board AT Sunrise Global Chef Academy Singapore, and The Hotel Futures board, has sat on the advisory board of Bromley College, the education board of Westminster Kingsway college and the City and Guilds of London Institute. In 2002 he started the Junior Chefs Academy for Secondary school Children on Saturdays to educate them in healthy eating. In 2019 along with General Practitioners from the Royal College helped to establish the first culinary medicine centre at Westminster Kingsway College where fifth year medical students from UCL medical School attend classes in culinary medicine.

He has also been voted one of the most influential people in the hospitality public sector. He has led a number of inspections achieving excellent and outstanding recognition for the further and higher education and in 2013 an outstanding in all areas by OFSTED. In 2005 he was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen and in 2007 he became a French Knight receiving a Chevalier dans l’ordre du Merite Agricole from the President of France.

In 2015 he was named the hospitality hero by the craft guild of chefs and made Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Cooks, and a Freeman in the City of London. He is currently a consultant on Hospitality Services, Hospitality Education and Training, Restaurant Management. He is a recognised external examiner in number of Universities and Colleges, a visiting Professor in Hong Kong, Advisor on hospitality higher education for government quality assurance agency in Lithuania. Recently appointed. Executive Director in Residence at Sheffield Hallam University

In 2022 he received the Bond Street award for inspiring Italian students in hospitality.

For over 15 years he has supported the Asian Restaurant Industry with training and development, focus to integrate this industry into the wider hospitality industry He is regularly a guest on the channel S Asian restaurant programme and is enthusiastic about integration, equality and harmony.

. During Lockdown he voluntary gave lectures online to over eight hundred Students in India and Bangladesh, supporting them giving them hope and skills for the future. In 2020 won the Bond Street award for Inspiring Italians in the hospitality sector.

In the 2024 New Year’s honours he was awarded an OBE .