After over three decades working as a foodservice consultant, where for the last ten years he was owner/director at his own practice, the former FCSI UK and Ireland chair has been named as the new Specification Manager for Meiko Green, where from mid-April, he will lead Meiko UK’s food waste division.
"As climate change and food security continue to move up people's agendas and the realisation that the methane from food discarded into landfill can be up to 25 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, I am passionate about supporting the structured disposal and reuse of this valuable resource and joining Meiko Green was the obvious answer,” says Bentley.
Paul Anderson, Meiko UK Managing Director, added, “Meiko BioMaster food waste recycling is at the heart of Meiko Green. BioMaster is ahead of its time and has applications in building design, management, as well as catering. It is innovative, infinitely adaptable, and ideally suited to take the UK forward into recycling food waste for a sustainable return.
“As a well-known industry personality, David will bring a familiar face to the role and apply a wealth of cross-sector consultancy knowledge gained in management and design applications. In addition, David will draw on his practical operational background and problem-solving mindset to support Meiko UK's continued growth and propel the food waste division.”
PROFILE: David Bentley
Having spent the last 20 years as Director / Partner at The Russell Partnership, where he was responsible for strategic design & master planning, as well as operational design and brand development within the Partnership, David established Bentley Consulting (UK) Limited in October 2014.
During this time at The Russell Partnership, David was responsible for the delivery of commissions including the F&B strategic master planning for clients including English Heritage, Hewlett Packard (UK), University of Sheffield, SKY and most recently the new Waterside Campus development for the University of Northampton (a £330m development). Operational commissions include the design and project management delivery of outlets for Exeter University, Accenture, Birmingham University and Oxford Colleges including University College and Worcester College.
More recently, and under the Bentley Consulting (UK) Limited umbrella, commissions have included BoH / Kitchen design projects for the Luxury Hotel Management group, the Oxford & Cambridge Club (Pall Mall), Gordon Murray Design, Mercedes F1, Hilton & Radisson hotel groups and Oxford University. Strategic planning & operational review commission clients include Strathclyde University, Cambridge University, Storyhouse (formally Chester Performs), The Wool Exchange (Bradford) and Reading University.
David qualified in Hospitality Management at the University of Hertfordshire and having formally been trained in the kitchen, David previously worked in a variety of locations including the Food and Beverage Management teams at the Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall and Ashridge Management College.
In his early career David was involved with a major high street food offer where he established new restaurant sites throughout the UK, has worked in South East Asia where he was pivotal in the opening of and the creating of systems of work within food and beverage areas in new hotels, and P&O Princess Cruise Line where he was responsible for on board passenger food and beverage delivery.
David is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, a member of the Craft Guild of Chefs and the Réunion des Gastronomes, and an active supporter and Friend of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA), in addition to being a guest judge for various industry bodies and publications.
David held the position of Chairman of the FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International) UK & Ireland Chapter (2011- 2013) and executive board positions on both the EAME (Europe, Africa and Middle East) Executive Board (2009 – 2015) and the UK & Ireland Executive Committee (2005 – 2015).