Edinburgh First Rises to the Challenge to Scoop Silver Award

Edinburgh First’s dedicated team of experienced staff has been recognised in The University Caterers Organisation Ltd (TUCO Ltd) Awards. Rebecca Roberts (23), conference and banqueting supervisor was awarded silver in the Food Service Challenge.

The TUCO Awards comprise a wide range of skills-based competitions for catering staff holding in-house positions in higher and further education establishments. This year’s competitions were held earlier this month in Blackpool.

The Food Service Challenge is open to all food service staff that provide front of house services in the university catering sector. Rebecca had to demonstrate that she consistently delivered a first-class dining experience thorough excellent customer care, product knowledge and teamwork amongst other key skills essential to working in food service.

Ian Macaulay, assistant director (catering) at The University of Edinburgh, commented: 

“This is a fantastic achievement for Rebecca and clearly illustrates the progress she has made since joining us in 2012.  Rebecca was recently promoted to Conference and Banqueting Supervisor and this award is another terrific way of recognising her hard work and achievements.

“Entering competitions and awards has become an integral part of staff training and development across the catering industry. It’s a great opportunity for our staff to hone their food service skills and measure themselves against others in the profession.”

Jennifer Hart (22) Edinburgh First’s conference and banqueting assistant also competed in the TUCO Awards this year for the first time and is looking forward to returning next year to hopefully follow in Rebecca’s footsteps.

TUCO Ltd is a membership organisation representing all in-house caterers operating within the higher and further education sectors.

Edinburgh First Celebrates Landmark Booking

Edinburgh’s leading one-stop-shop for all event, accommodation and catering needs is celebrating after welcoming its 200,000th booking.

With an impressive portfolio of both catered and self-catering accommodation options across the capital, it was a couple from Switzerland checking into the Richmond Place Apartments that were given a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion.

Chris Barnes, Assistant Director of Accommodation Services, at Edinburgh First, said: “This is a landmark number for us to achieve within such a short space of time. It demonstrates our growth in popularity as well as improved customer service levels, as it took us only three years from our rebrand to hit 200,000. 

“With so many different venues to choose from, Edinburgh First has a great selection of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets so we aim to continue this trend and reach 300,000 bookings within the next 18 months.”

The lucky guests, Andreas and Regika Kraushaar, were presented a bottle of champagne by Edinburgh First’s Stiofan McFadden. 

Andreas said: “We’ve been travelling around Scotland for three weeks and decided to stay in the Richmond Place Apartments whilst in Edinburgh so it was a wonderful surprise for us to receive the champagne.

“The location of the apartments was excellent – very central and convenient for getting around town. We loved the mezzanine-styled apartments and thought the staff were very friendly and, most importantly, the beds were very comfortable!” 

Edinburgh First offers event delivery, catering and accommodation at the University of Edinburgh and re-invests all its profits to support future generations of students. In addition to providing year-round accommodation, it can also plan all the essentials of your event.

Edinburgh First Launches Delegate Management Service

In July, more than 200 delegates from the UK Research Office (UKRO) used Edinburgh First’s Delegate Management service to organise its annual conference. 

With the event held in the John McIntyreConference Centre, UKRO booked this service to utilise the experience of Edinburgh First’s event managers and provide a professional service for its guests.

The conference was aimed primarily at European Liaison Officers, European Research Managers, research councils and policy makers. The conference provided an excellent forum for discussion and networking, including invited speakers from the European Commission, on a range of different EU funding programmes and policies.

Phil Holliday, from UKRO, said: “Using the delegate registration service made our job much easier as there was a dedicated website that delegates used to input all the relevant information. The planning and organisation was much easier with another party working on our behalf.

“The biggest benefit was Edinburgh First’s handling of all the registration and payments as well as answering delegates’ queries. In the lead up to the event I felt that the support was excellent, emails were responded to quickly and Edinburgh First was accommodating in all the changes that were required.

“I would recommend the service as it made my job much easier having a separate delegate registration service and there were no issues with the management of the delegates.”

Lyndsay Wilkie, Head of Conference and Events at Edinburgh First, said: “We launched this service to increase our flexible approach in assisting event organisers with every aspect of their event. Delegate Management not only gives more time to the organiser to look after their guests but also assists them in attracting more delegates.”

Edinburgh First Drums up Accommodation for the Military Tattoo

Edinburgh First is, once again, supporting one of the city’s most popular annual attractions at its Pollock Halls site.

More than 700 performers from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be looked after during the month of August by the accommodation specialists, who manage a portfolio of distinctive venues, catering and event services at the University of Edinburgh.

For the third year running, Pollock Halls will be full in the month of August and Edinburgh First will offer full-board accommodation for the visitors who provide entertainment at one of the world’s spectacular and iconic shows.

Chris Barnes of Edinburgh First, said: “The Military Tattoo is truly one of the highlights of Edinburgh’s calendar and we need to ensure all involved are taken care of to the highest level.

“It is a great privilege to host so many of the cast, who come from all corners of the world, and we want to make everyone feel at home, which is why we organise a huge welcome BBQ and support a range of other activities and social events for them.  After each performance, there is an after-show bar for the cast to relax and for younger members there is a film and games room. 

“We are more than happy to get involved as the show is not just important to Edinburgh, but to the whole of Scotland. It is great for the University to be able to demonstrate its support for the City and its major world-famous events.”

Edinburgh First offers event delivery, catering and accommodation at the University of Edinburgh and re-invests all its profits to support future generations of students. Not only does Edinburgh First provide year-round accommodation but it can also plan all the essentials of your event.

For more details call us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

New Head of Conference and Events for Edinburgh First

Edinburgh’s leading one-stop-shop for all event, accommodation and catering needs has appointed a new Head of Conference and Events to bolster its dedicated team.

Lyndsay Wilkie joins from Royal Bank of Scotland where she has 10 years’ experience in management and retail business. She has extensive experience in delivering conferences and events and ensured there were training and competences put in place so that a team of more than 100 delivered excellent customer service.

Chris Barnes, Assistant Director of Accommodation Services at Edinburgh First, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Lyndsay to Edinburgh First. She joins with a history of loyalty and success and I am sure she will fit well into the culture of Edinburgh First and our ethos of putting the client first.”

Commenting on her new role, Lyndsay said: “I enjoy working in a customer-focused and fast-paced environment so being part of the Edinburgh First team is the perfect fit. I look forward to delivering the range of unique venues to small intimate celebrations and conferences with over 100 delegates.”

“I’m looking forward to continually showcasing what Edinburgh First has on offer – from the fantastic meeting and events facilities, to the superb conference options – to both local and international audiences.”

Edinburgh First offers event delivery, catering and accommodation at the University of Edinburgh and re-invests all its profits to support future generations of students. Not only do does Edinburgh First provide year-round accommodation but it can also plan all the essentials of your event.