Gary Bates, 48, is managing director of Heathcotes Outside, which he co-founded with Paul Heathcote. It is the in-house caterer for ACC Liverpool and Lancashire CCC
6.45am: Up early to beat the girls to the bathroom and get the radio on in time to listen to Chris Evans en route to my first meeting.
Each day is different and my schedule is dictated by appointments with clients, which are dotted around the region. We have offices in Liverpool and Preston, but I spend much of my time travelling.
8.30am: In Liverpool to catch up with the general manager at the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre. We recently catered for the Mamma Mia! tour, which was the biggest show to have run at the Echo Arena. We served more than 45,000 people over 20 days.
We can have a bit of fun at the Arena because of the strong themes of the shows, so for Mamma Mia! we ran a special Mediterranean menu, complete with an olive bar.
When Walking with Dinosaurs was in Liverpool, we created dinosaur burgers using specially-made bread rolls large enough to hold a 4lb burger, which we cut into wedges to serve.
10am: On the way to Lancashire County Cricket Club, I call my PA, Lisa. Today we had a request to cater for 500 at a British Grand Prix event. I have to be able to put together a quote while I’m away from the office and come up with innovative ideas which capture our client's imagination.
11am: Meeting to finalise the menu for the opening of The Point, at Lancashire County Cricket Club, a new conference and event facility which caters for up to 1,000 people.
It’s an exceptional venue and we have been working with the in-house team in preparation for the opening last month when Andrew Flintoff cut the ribbon at the England v Australia one-day international.
12.45pm: I travel to Scarisbrick Hall, near Southport, where we are doing a tasting lunch. I’m a chef by trade, so dress in my “whites” for a change.
After training at Huddersfield Technical College, I worked at the Sharrow Bay Hotel, on Ullswater, in the Lake District, which is where I met Paul Heathcote. I meet my team, prepare lunch for eight trustees and discover the plans for the venue.
3pm: Drive to a client’s house in Hale. We are catering a wedding for 170, and meet to discuss the menu. We cater for events with the number of guests ranging from tens to tens of thousands at Heathcotes Outside, but what we always aim to do is provide a tailored service to each client.
You can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach with catering if you want your event to stand out. Word-of-mouth reputation can make or break a caterer, so it is important that our clients get exactly what they want.
8.30pm: Home, finally. I get to spend some time with the kids before their bedtime.
My daughter, Megan, is taking her GCSEs a year early, so she’s a bit stressed at the moment.
My wife works part-time as a radiographer, but is understanding of the long hours I work.
