The appointment comes just two months after Wilson Vale was awarded a £1.5 million catering contract with the new conference centre which is due to open in October.
With over 30 years’ experience within the catering and hospitality industry, mainly working for Sutcliffe Catering and the Compass Group in managerial roles, Well’s most recent position was area manager with contract caterers, Edwards and Blake. She also brings experience of running a catering business as she was proprietor of The Kings Head Restaurant & Bar in Apethorpe in Lincolnshire, which she operated from 2007 to 2011.
In her new role at College Court, Wells is now responsible for all the catering requirements for the 123-bed conference centre, including the appointment and management of a team of 13 Wilson Vale staff who will commence a breakfast, lunch, dinner and hospitality service for delegates and visitors once the centre opens in early October. The conference centre’s main restaurant will cater for 200 covers and the team will also cater for weddings and other events. Julia will also manage an on-site bar.
She commented on her new position: “I first met Andrew Wilson back in the 1980's when I was a trainee manager delegate on a management development course with Sutcliffe Catering and he was the trainer. From there, I progressed to be group catering manager for the Alliance & Leicester Building Society in Oadby, which is just a mile away from the College Court site, so you could say I have come back to my roots!
“I see this new role as a very exciting challenge. It’s great to be involved from the very beginning, and to be able to hand-pick my own team is a fantastic opportunity.”
Andrew Wilson, co-founder and managing director of Wilson Vale, added: ”Julia always stood out and we have kept in touch over the last 20 years. It’s super to be working with her again after all this time and I know she will do a fabulous job for us.”