Restaurant Associates Venues and its teams have joined Company of Cooks, bringing together two established names in British venue hospitality under a single specialist brand focused on cultural destinations, heritage venues and visitor attractions.
The move combines the expertise of both businesses in delivering food, drink and event hospitality, with an emphasis on developing services tailored to the character and requirements of individual venues.
The integration comes as Company of Cooks celebrates its 30th anniversary, having established its operations in London in 1996.
The combined business will focus on strengthening operational expertise, culinary innovation and event sales capabilities, alongside investment in staff development and client relationships.
Plans include establishing centres of excellence where specialists from across the business can share knowledge, develop best practice and explore new approaches to hospitality delivery.
The initiative is also intended to support professional development, with training and career progression forming part of the group’s approach to retaining and developing hospitality talent.
Dirk Talsma, Managing Director of Company of Cooks, said:
“I am incredibly excited about this next chapter. Company of Cooks’ 30-year heritage is built on integrity and the belief that brilliant hospitality starts with brilliant people. Bringing our teams together is a natural evolution, strengthening our operational expertise, culinary innovation and event sales capability, alongside greater investment in our people and client locations.
“Our ambition is to become the UK’s most admired hospitality partner for cultural destinations, heritage event venues and visitor attractions. We are structured to give clients, guests and venues outstanding support while investing meaningfully in our teams. That means great training, genuine career opportunities and a supportive culture where people feel valued. When we care for our people, they bring creativity, confidence and craft to every guest experience.”
The move brings together established experience across the UK’s cultural and leisure hospitality sectors.
Restaurant Associates Venues has developed partnerships with major visitor attractions and heritage organisations, including the Imperial War Museums, RAF Museum London and RHS Garden Wisley.
Company of Cooks also operates within the cultural and heritage sector, with partnerships including the Royal Opera House, Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh and Apothecaries’ Hall in London.
Bringing the two operations together under the Company of Cooks brand is intended to strengthen the resources and expertise available to venue clients while maintaining an approach that reflects the individual characteristics of each location.
The development forms part of Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Workplace + Leisure sector, which encompasses a portfolio of specialist hospitality brands.
Matt Thomas, CEO, Workplace + Leisure, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said:
“We have long admired Company of Cooks and what it stands for. As our market evolves, we need to keep developing our people and challenging our thinking, so we continue to earn the trust of the clients and customers we serve today and those we will welcome tomorrow. Company of Cooks has an important place within the Workplace + Leisure sector, alongside distinctive, thoughtful brands that can share expertise while staying true to their own identities. My job is to give this leadership team the resources, investment and talented people they need to uphold the highest standards and deliver on our promises. That is what matters: backing our people to do what they do best, and making sure our clients and customers see the difference.”
The integration represents a further development in Company of Cooks’ operations as the business marks three decades in hospitality.
By bringing together its teams and those of Restaurant Associates Venues, the company aims to strengthen its position within the UK venue hospitality market while developing its service offering across cultural, heritage and leisure destinations.