“For crew, touring often means long days of constant work, so to have those same people see you in catering every day and be that ‘home away from home’, can make a real difference to health and well-being out on the road,” began Mary Shelley-Smith – long-time employee of the TPi Award-winning rock ’n’ roll catering company Eat to the Beat. She was speaking to TPi days after Eat to the Beat hosted a party to celebrate its 40th anniversary, which saw both clients and crew from over the years descend on the company’s HQ to reflect on the Eat to the Beat’s storied history while also paying homage to the late founder Tony Laurenson – one of those responsible for making touring catering such an important part of the live touring landscape.
Following a career in the Merchant Navy, Laurenson in the early ’80s had a chance conversation with a friend in the music industry where he found out that touring musicians and crew were spending a lot of money eating out each night due to the lack of catering at venues. This sparked an idea, which eventually saw the founding of Eat to the Beat, with the company heading out on the road with the likes of Joe Jackson and Iron Maiden.
The following years saw the company grow exponentially as new opportunities opened up leading to the formation of the Global Infusion Group – the umbrella organisation that oversees Eat to the Beat along with GIG, which works in the corporate and sporting market; e2b, which provides tailored event logistics and fulfilment solutions; and finally Bonnie May Food + Events, which focuses on creating world-class weddings, parties and corporate events. All four of the companies are situated in the same 95,000 sq ft warehouse in Aston Clinton, UK.
Bonnie May, Laurenson’s wife and now CEO of Global Infusion Group, spoke of how, like colleague Shelley-Smith, her journey into the world of Eat to the Beat started with a letter of interest after getting Laurenson’s contact details from a friend. “My first gig was a Comic Relief show, then I got a panicked call asking to go on tour with The Temptations,” she chuckled as she regaled how from these humble beginnings, she then found herself in some unimaginable situations such as knocking on the door of Number 10 Downing Street to set up for their summer event. “I think my proudest moment from over the years was when Tony and I visited Buckingham Palace when he was presented with the Queen’s Award. I’d never seen him looking so proud.”
From the wide range of stories, it’s clear how much the company has diversified from its touring origins of serving food to musicians and roadies. “Tony was always very entrepreneurial and getting us into all sorts of scrapes,” chuckled Shelley-Smith as she recalled the common occurrence of him bursting into the office and announcing, “I’ve got an idea”.
This pursuit of new areas of business has reaped its rewards and this year alone the company is once again heading out with Team GB for the Paris Olympics, further cementing the company’s long-standing relationship with the world of sport. “Our move into sport was interesting as we brought our ‘home-away-from-home’ mentality from touring and gave the athletes an experience I don’t think they’d had before,” reflected May.
Despite exploring new sectors, the heart of Eat to the Beat is still very much in live music and entertainment. In just the past few months, the company has been out with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and is currently on two tours with the Cirque du Soleil team. This led nicely into the conversation about what the team at Eat to the Beat saw as their role within the touring family. “I think it’s so important for crew to have a ‘home’ out on the road and small little things like having the same coffee machine that you know how to work with your mug can make a big difference to people’s day. Moreover, having someone to talk to who isn’t part of the main production can make a real difference.” It’s why despite catering becoming more complex in recent years with more dietary requirements as well as a greater leaning on sustainable measures, the main things that ETTB look for in new recruits is their personality. “You can be the best chef in the world but if you don’t fit into the team, it’s not going to work. You must have team players.”
On the note of sustainability, Shelly-Smith explained that although the topic was getting more attention recently, it’s something Eat to the Beat has had in their DNA for a long time. “We’ve always been very passionate about sustainability. With catering, it’s very easy to quantify the steps you’re taking. We really started looking at our sustainability practices when we did the Olympics back in 2012 and since then we’ve put it at the heart of everything we do.” This has led to Eat to the Beat taking steps such as using less red meat and even some more out-of-the-box methods such as putting vegan options at the top of the menu, resulting in more people opting for the more sustainable option. “Little tricks like that go a long way,” stated Shelly-Smith.
With such an illustrious career, it’s interesting to think where Eat to the Beat and the wider GIG family may go next. “Onwards and upwards,” stated Shelly-Smith confidently. “We’ll keep doing what we do well. The shape of things changes constantly, and you really don’t know what will happen next until that phone rings. We’re always known as the company that can turn things around very quickly. Just last week we were in rehearsals for a large act that we only got the call for two days prior. That last-minute call can change your whole week.”
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Eat to the Beat
