Overview

An experienced catering professional with an International background gained through his culinary business development role within Unilever UK and Ireland and his logistic supply roles for the United Nations in Cyprus.

Ray’s strengths are in building up and managing functional food development operations as with Unilever in the UK and providing technical auditing of catering. An additional strength is his Continuous Professional Development (CPD) background both as a Lecturer in Food for the Army School of Catering and more recently with customers of Unilever, in particular with Hotels, Colleges and Business and Industry catering operations.

Ray has a strong academic and practical background in International Culinary Arts and has recent experience in building and delivering nutritionally designed healthy food & diet recipe and menu management programmes, and food concepts for internal and external customers. Additionally Ray is an accredited tutor with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and his company is and accredited centre for delivering Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in Healthy Diet & Nutrition, Food Safety and HACCP.

More recently Ray has added research to his portfolio by obtaining a post graduate research certificate and diploma from the Graduate School at the University of West London. This has led directly to research into Staff Feeding for the Marriott Hotel Group UK & Ireland

Career Synopsis

What they say...

“I would like to commend Ray Lorimer to you as someone to consider in providing specialist consultancy advice in support of your food operation. Ray is a professional chef and caterer with many years’ experience in both cooking, developing and managing chef teams and catering operations both globally and across the UK & Ireland food industry. In recent years I have had the great pleasure of working with him in developing the world famous KNORR Brand with Unilever in their modern and unique development kitchens and directly to our customers in a series of Master Classes and Industry Presentations.

A passionate believer in Chefmanship, Ray not only has great knowledge and experience of his craft but also has a great industry network of experienced chefs and caterers that he can call on for additional advice and support. I am delighted to recommend Ray and his company for any area of food development or training that you and your chefs may be looking for to ”
Marco Pierre White Celebrity Chef & Entrepreneur

December 2011 Article Extract, Catering in Scotland
“It was with great excitement that we heard on the grapevine of a well-known Scottish development chef coming home to roost. After 45 years of developing products and recipes, and improving the skills and prospects of thousands of trainee chefs around the world, Ray Lorimer, a native of Cumnock, has announced he’s moving back to Scotland to set up a culinary consultancy from his new base in West Calder.

Armed with his recently acquired first class honours degree in international culinary arts, the renowned chef-mentor is hoping to shake up the world of food education north of the Border, and to inspire both trainee and qualified chefs to change their outlook on nutrition. His new venture - Catering at Your Convenience - aims to assist chefs with recipe concepts and menu development, and to further their knowledge of healthy food and diet:

An ardent fan of traditional apprenticeships - which he would love to see reintroduced - Ray is mindful of the problems and challenges currently facing Scottish hospitality. However, using his qualifications in continuous professional development and as a member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, he intends to address these issues just as soon as arrives back in Scotland.

In the meantime, one thing is certain: the sector has a long way to go before it can relax in its quest for new talent. Hopefully, though, with the arrival back on the scene of one of the industry’s best names in mentoring, the skills-shortage gap will start to narrow enough to facilitate the raising of standards across the entire industry.
Welcome home, Ray “
Alex Buchanan, Editor