Taste for success

Entering the catering business with no formal qualifications and an inability to cook anything but microwave dinners may seem a recipe for disaster. But Ms Fran Murrin, founder and managing director of Taste Banqueting Services, found that with good organisational skills and a flair for marketing she did not have to be a cordon bleu chef to get to the top.

Taste Banqueting Services, a specialist corporate and event catering company has grown from a core of four people in 1985 to a full-time staff of 70, and casual panel of 200, in 15 years.

Ms Murrin expects to prepare upwards of 200,000 meals for clients this year and generate a turnover of some £3 million. Her business is in such demand at present, she will turn down more jobs than she takes on this year.

So what is the key to succeeding in the competitive world of culinary entertainment?

Entrepreneurial flair and energy are important, according to Ms Murrin. "I always had part-time jobs and was very restless and this restlessness only abated when I got stuck into the business."

Quality fresh ingredients, good presentation and talented chefs to cook are prerequisites: after all, Ms Murrin's client list includes many of the Republic's top businesses and she was recently appointed corporate caterer for the Royal Dublin Society.

"I always had an awareness of a quality product, that came from my mother and her respect for food," says Ms Murrin.

Innovation is also a factor. The company is studying how to incorporate organic food on its menu and considering the controversial issue of food safety. This is all the more important because of the sheer scale of the business.

Taste Banqueting Services claims to hold the Irish record for the greatest number of people entertained at one single corporate event and must keep abreast of the latest trends or technology.

In 1993 the company organised a reception for 4,500 and a dinner for 5,000 and this year the company is planning another 5,000-plus event. Organising entertainment on this scale is as complex an operation as feeding an army yet the standard must be maintained, and this requires precision catering, according to Ms Murrin.

"It's a different logistical challenge. Maybe the fact I came to the industry as an outsider means I probably brought an element of thinking outside the box to it," she says. "Most people would be terrified of providing dinner for 5,000 but if you break it down to 10 functions of 500 people each they are much easier to deal with, so the trick is you split them up."

Talking to the client and planning the event from top to bottom is important, says Ms Murrin. The company introduced a 24-hour "feedback report" to find out exactly how an event goes and how they can do it better next time.

Continually keeping up with the competition and maintaining the position as industry leader requires constant re-evaluation, explains Ms Murrin.

"One of the challenges for us is to continue to give the personal attention to our clients that was there when we were a smaller business."

A booming economy has driven up demand, but also changed the relationship between Ms Murrin and her clients.

"Our clients are changing, they have less time to get events together so they see us as a one-stop shop. They speak to me or a colleague and they know it's going to happen and it will happen at their standard because we've built a relationship with them."

Building relationships and networking are essential for Ms Murrin, who considers herself the "consummate networker". Around the same time as she set up her business she joined Network Ireland, a business and social group for women, which changed her life. "For many years I had total tunnel vision, I defined tunnel vision. I couldn't think, sleep or talk about anything else except my business," says Ms Murrin.

But by getting involved in Network she gained a social outlet through meeting new people, participating in events while also providing business training seminars. Ms Murrin has no doubts that it helped her both as a person and in business.

"In taking time away from the business I became more objective and was working more strategically and all the time enjoying my time there," she says.

The organisation has played an increasingly important role in her life and last month she was elected its president. She will oversee the group's transition from a purely voluntary organisation to a more professional body, as Bank of Ireland has come on board with sponsorship. And does she feel that women have achieved an equal playing in business? "The glass ceiling still exists but it is changing, and the Celtic Tiger is changing that," she says.

The labour shortage and a growing awareness among businesses that a good mix of people is important for productivity is gradually breaking down barriers, Ms Murrin believes.

"It's an exciting time for women to be in business," she says. "It's a challenging time, the statistics are changing, there is still resistance at certain levels, some of that is to do with the environment not supporting women in higher levels as yet."

A more supportive environment with more flexible working hours, childcare and innovation is required to support women in business, she argues.

Relationship building is an important facet in creating a dynamic and efficient team and Ms Murrin prides herself on retaining staff in what is traditionally a high turnover business. She describes her motto as "Do unto others as they would do unto you."

"I worked for 15 or 16 years and had been treated very well, so I set out to treat people the same way and share experience with them along the way and be open about what was happening and that brought people with us."

When not concentrating on her own business, Ms Murrin is eager to promote business on a wider scale. As co-founder and council member of the chamber of commerce in Ballyfermot, she is keen to promote the area where her business is located, an area which she believes has picked up a bad reputation unfairly. She is also a member of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and several other trade bodies.

However, Ms Murrin is not concerned with emulating Denis O'Brien's millions. Her strategy for the next five years is to consolidate the business and to stay at the top as industry leader. This will involve initiating research, developing training, and designing marketing strategies. But now is the time to enjoy the success of the past 15 years, she says.

"As a group we're all looking to have a better lifestyle, more holidays, more time off, more family-friendly and better environment - it can be a challenging industry and it's important that we have a down-time."