It is the second time the Buckinghamshire-based caterer has received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which recognises businesses achieving success and recognition in international trade.
GIG won its first award in 2014 for international performance. Since then, it has grown overseas sales from events catering, food & beverage project management and brand support by almost 50%.
Global Infusion Group is the umbrella name of three main trading divisions: production catering Eat to the Beat, corporate hospitality as GIG, brand support and logistics as e2B
The company caters major music festivals such as Glastonbury and the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, The Proms, The V Festivals both here in the UK and in America and high-profile TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, 60 Minute Makeover, The Chase plus amongst other film business.
Founder and chief executive of GIG, Tony Laurenson, said: “As a local lad, I’m extremely proud of my Buckinghamshire roots. And it has been an exciting journey from when I launched ‘Eat to the Beat’, over 30 years ago from my mum & dad's garage, to where we are now, a global enterprise.
“We’ve supported some of the biggest names in the entertainment world including Iron Maiden, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Barbara Streisand, Jay-Z, the late Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, James Brown, David Bowie, and more recently Justin Bieber, Coldplay, UB40, Take That and Status Quo.
“In fact, a few years ago we realised that we have catered for 48 of the top 50 selling singles artists and many more besides.
“The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade reflects the global growth of our business. Over the years the business that we started here in the UK has evolved world-wide.
“We have venues on the east coast of America for the US market; Partners in Qatar for the Middle East; and 60 employees in Shanghai, China – catering across Asia and the Far East. In fact last year that office worked in 52 cities in China and seven other countries in the region, including Korea, Malaysia and Singapore."
GIG was one of 176 recipients to be given the award across the UK from 476 entries.