The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has launched Nourish Event Catering, a new Scotland-based catering business designed to deliver creative, locally sourced and more sustainable food experiences for events, businesses and private occasions across Edinburgh.
The new catering venture combines the culinary expertise of Levy with EICC’s nearly three decades of experience in hosting conferences, exhibitions and major events. Nourish Event Catering will serve a wide range of occasions, including corporate conferences, exhibitions, gala dinners, award ceremonies, weddings, meetings, workplace catering and private celebrations.
EICC Launches Nourish Event Catering in Edinburgh
Based in Edinburgh’s Exchange District, Nourish Event Catering has been created around a simple approach: putting people, the occasion and the quality of the food at the centre of every catering experience.
The business aims to offer organisers greater choice and creativity while also providing more transparency around the sourcing of ingredients and the environmental impact of food. Its menus will draw heavily on Scottish produce and seasonal ingredients, giving the catering operation a strong local identity.
The launch brings together EICC’s knowledge of Edinburgh’s events industry and Levy’s experience in hospitality and large-scale event catering. The partnership is intended to create a catering service capable of managing everything from intimate meetings to major conferences and large corporate functions.
Amanda Wrathall, CEO of EICC, said the new venture builds on the organisation’s experience of delivering events in Edinburgh while combining its local supplier relationships and understanding of client expectations with Levy’s hospitality expertise.
According to EICC, the objective is to create a catering business that is rooted in Edinburgh and capable of delivering memorable experiences for a wide range of events.
Scottish Produce at the Heart of Nourish Event Catering
A key feature of Nourish Event Catering is its focus on local sourcing. The business intends to prioritise Scottish suppliers and source ingredients as close to Edinburgh as possible.
Its approach includes a ban on air-freighted fruit and vegetables, which is designed to help reduce the carbon impact associated with ingredients while supporting Scottish producers.
The catering operation will make use of a broad range of local produce, including Scottish venison, seafood, artisan products and Scottish rapeseed oil. Seasonal ingredients will form the foundation for menus, with chefs encouraged to use local produce creatively rather than relying on conventional catering formulas.
This philosophy could result in familiar dishes being redesigned around ingredients that are more readily available locally. For example, Nourish Event Catering may use peas instead of avocados in guacamole or Scottish venison as an alternative to beef.
The business says sustainability is intended to influence practical food choices rather than become a marketing exercise. Its approach is focused on combining responsible sourcing with food that remains appealing and memorable for guests.
Culinary Team Led by Paul Hood
The culinary operation at Nourish Event Catering will be led by Levy Executive Head Chef Paul Hood, who brings more than 20 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality sector.
Hood has previously held senior positions at Edinburgh hospitality establishments including Prestonfield House and The Dunstane Hotel in West Coates. He was also awarded the HIT Scotland Legacy Scholarship in 2026.
He will work alongside a team of chefs and sous chefs with experience across hotels and restaurants in Scotland.
The day-to-day operation will be managed by General Manager Caroline Bacigalupo, who will work closely with Hood and the wider culinary team to coordinate catering operations and maintain service standards.
The leadership structure combines culinary expertise with operational experience, an important requirement for managing large-scale conferences, exhibitions and corporate events where menus and schedules can change quickly.
Catering Designed Around the Event
Rather than offering a fixed menu for every occasion, Nourish Event Catering says its food and beverage proposition will start with the requirements of each individual event.
This approach is intended to consider the type of occasion, the people attending, the location and the operational requirements before developing a catering solution.
Paul Hood said the objective was to develop a food and beverage service that starts with the event rather than a standardised menu. He highlighted Scotland’s seasonal seafood, game and artisan produce as opportunities for chefs to create distinctive dishes.
The company also aims to combine culinary creativity with the operational capabilities required for large-scale hospitality.
For event organisers, this could be particularly relevant for conferences and exhibitions where catering requirements can vary throughout the day, from breakfast and coffee breaks to lunches, receptions, networking sessions and formal dinners.
Sustainability Integrated Into Event Catering
Sustainability is one of the central elements of Nourish Event Catering. Alongside its local sourcing policy and restriction on air-freighted fruit and vegetables, the company will provide climate information across its menus.
Detailed climate information is intended to give organisers greater visibility into the environmental impact associated with different dishes.
The business also says its menus are being designed to accommodate different dietary requirements while avoiding unnecessary duplication and food waste.
This approach reflects growing interest among event organisers in understanding how catering choices can contribute to wider sustainability objectives.
By combining seasonal ingredients, local sourcing and climate information, Nourish Event Catering aims to make sustainability part of everyday catering decisions.
Nourish Event Catering to Serve Conferences and Private Events
The new business has been created to serve a broad range of event formats.
Its target occasions include conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings, gala dinners, award ceremonies, weddings and private celebrations. The service is also intended for workplace catering and other business gatherings.
For the conference and exhibition sector, the offering could support organisers looking for catering solutions that can be adapted to different event formats and audience requirements.
For private occasions, the focus on Scottish produce and seasonal menus provides an opportunity to create food experiences tailored to individual celebrations.
The company’s emphasis on flexibility means that organisers can work with the culinary team to develop menus around the requirements of their event.
Dedicated Tasting Kitchen Opens in Edinburgh
As part of its Edinburgh operation, Nourish Event Catering has established a dedicated tasting kitchen in the Exchange District.
The facility can accommodate up to 16 people and includes a live cooking station. It will be available for client menu tastings, allowing organisers to experience and discuss proposed menus before their events.
Menu tastings can play an important role in event planning, particularly for conferences, corporate hospitality and formal occasions where organisers need to ensure that food quality, presentation and dietary requirements align with the overall event experience.
The dedicated facility gives Nourish Event Catering a space where clients can engage directly with its culinary team during the menu development process.
Drop-and-Go Catering Service for Local Businesses
Alongside larger event catering operations, Nourish Event Catering will offer a drop-and-go delivery service for organisations located within 10 minutes of its Edinburgh base.
The service will provide freshly prepared sandwiches, sweet treats and individual bento boxes for meetings, presentations and office gatherings.
The offering provides a more convenient option for organisations that need catering for smaller business meetings without requiring a full event catering setup.
By combining large-scale event services with a local delivery operation, Nourish Event Catering is positioning itself to serve businesses with different catering requirements.
Levy Supports Nourish Event Catering Launch
The new venture brings Levy’s hospitality expertise together with EICC’s experience in the Edinburgh events market.
Matthew Lewis, CEO of Levy UK&I, said the launch represents an opportunity to create new hospitality experiences across Scotland while focusing on local produce, provenance and creativity.
The company has highlighted the role of Caroline Bacigalupo, Paul Hood and the wider Nourish Event Catering team in delivering the new concept.
For Levy, the Edinburgh launch adds a locally focused catering operation that places Scottish ingredients and event-specific menu development at the centre of its proposition.
A New Catering Proposition for Edinburgh Events
The launch of Nourish Event Catering adds another catering option for the Edinburgh events market, with its proposition built around Scottish produce, seasonal food, sustainability and tailored hospitality.
Its connection with EICC provides the business with direct experience of the requirements of the conference and events sector, while Levy brings additional culinary and operational expertise.
From major exhibitions and corporate conferences to weddings, award ceremonies, workplace meetings and private celebrations, the company is designed to provide catering that can adapt to different occasions.
With climate information attached to menus, local sourcing at the centre of procurement and a dedicated kitchen for menu tastings, Nourish Event Catering is also seeking to give organisers greater visibility into both the food they serve and the environmental considerations behind it.
As Edinburgh continues to host conferences, exhibitions and business events, the new catering business is positioning itself around a combination of local Scottish produce, culinary creativity and operational delivery. The launch marks a new chapter in EICC’s hospitality offering while creating a dedicated catering brand focused on events and businesses across the city.
