The Royal Parks
Ongoing Management Support
The Client
The Royal Parks provide a tranquil oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of London life offering free access to 5,000 acres of historic parkland from Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Park in outer London to Hyde, St. James’s and Regents Park and Kensington Gardens in Central London. The eight parks boast in excess of 30 catering concessions; providing refreshments for millions of visiting Londoners and tourists and contributing a valuable income to The Royal Parks.
The Project
Boyd-Thorpe Associates has provided ongoing management support to the Royal Parks since 1994 and has effected widespread and significant changes during that time. Using their market knowledge and connections the BTA team has worked to raise the profile of the Royal Parks’ cafes and restaurants in the market place, thereby attracting the key concession caterers to the negotiating table.
Results Delivered
Over the last nineteen years BTA has helped improve the services offered by The Royal Parks, boosting many catering concessions from under-performing tea rooms to Time Out-listed cafes, bars and restaurants. Similarly, income to The Royal Parks has risen considerably. Between 2005 and 2013 turnover across all of the Parks’ catering concessions increased by 63% and concession income rose by over 65%.
Delivery Model
- Annual operational audits
- Annual financial audits
- Best-value review
- Benchmarking reports
- Feasibility study for Magazine building in Kensington Gardens
- Competitive tendering of all catering contracts and some leisure contracts
- Advice on PFI funding for the restaurant in St. James’s Park
- Design input into Regents Park Sports Hub café
- Kensington Garden Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground café improvement plans
- Ad hoc catering consultancy support
“Efficient and thorough, Boyd-Thorpe Associates has consistently delivered for The Royal Parks over the years. As a public sector organisation, best value is essential to us and BTA’s knowledge of the market and its trends has helped tremendously; whether tendering for new contracts or monitoring our incumbent partners’ performance.”
Head of Business Development, The Royal Parks
