Laurent Lucas-Dufour appointed chair of the Association of Catering Excellence

Laurent Lucas-Dufour has been named chair of the Association of Catering Excellence (ACE).

The sector director at Company of Cooks was appointed vice-chair of ACE last year and now takes over from predecessor Francois Gautreaux, managing director at Bespoke food group.

Lucas-Dafour has also been a board member of ACE since 2022.

He will be supported by new vice-chair Natalie Mainwaring, brand experience director at BaxterStorey, as well as new board members including Emma Williams, chief operating officer at Green & Fortune, Rebecca Hawkes, director of sales and events at Searcys, Angela Ward, venues director at Graysons, and Alice Barrett, head of HR for Restaurant Associates Venues.

Lucas-Dufour said: “My fellow board members and I are focused on driving ACE to be ready for the next generation coming into the industry, and building on the brilliant foundations established by our former chairs.

“Having hosted previous events in amazing locations such as 93 Feet East, Skylight and the House of Lords, we’ve got some brilliant venues already lined up for our upcoming events to continue providing exciting industry recognition opportunities including our beloved competitions, the ACE Robyns and Ready Steady Cook!”

ACE is a networking organisation for foodservice professionals offering culinary competitions, awards dinners, industry events and charity evenings.