Sodexo Prestige appoints catering services director at Blenheim Palace

Bates will be responsible for visitor catering, conferences and banqueting at Blenheim Palace, home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The Palace offers a wide range of hospitality services from weddings, conferences and marquee events to reception and gala dinners. Bates has extensive experience in the catering and hospitality industry and, most recently, she managed the development and delivery of catering and hospitality services at the Eden Project in Cornwall. She spent 10 years developing the services at the Project, which has one million visitors annually. Previous to this, Bates held the role of banqueting manager at the National Film Theatre on London's Southbank. Bates said: "I am really delighted to be the new catering services director for Blenheim Hospitality and I'm very much looking forward to taking on this exciting and challenging role."