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We are pleased to welcome Restaurant Associates to the Landsec | Aspire family as our new Service Partner for catering and hospitality. See pages 014-036
One Magazine
David Wickens
Cover: Adenike (Nikki) Oshobukola - Restaurant Associates.
Head of Workplace Operations & Chair of Landsec | Aspire
IIn our main feature this month we introduce Restaurant Associates, our new Service Partner for catering and hospitality.
Restaurant Associates is a sister company to Rapport within the Compass Group, so there are already some established relationships and there have been some synergies during the mobilisation. As well as operating our LANDING restaurants at 80-100 Victoria Street and One New Change, Restaurant Associates are responsible for providing hospitality for events and booked lunches for all our Landsec and MYO sites in London. We extend a very warm welcome to the Landsec | Aspire family to all our new colleagues.
Also in this issue, you can find out the Q3 results for our Quality League Table. As we approach the end of the contract year, excitement is mounting as to which property will win the coveted Building Of Excellence Award at our annual Aspire Awards on 16 April. In next month’s edition of the
magazine, we’ll list the nominations for all the awards and you will have the opportunity to vote for the four awards that reflect our purposes: Customer Service, Excellence, Integrity and Respect.
This edition includes an update on the Deliberate Disruption Lab, which we launched last year as a place for brainstorming ideas for changing the way our frontline teams work. Amy Tregidgo, Aspire’s Learning & Engagement Manager, is interviewed about what’s been happening in the lab sessions and during her site visits. It’s great to see the impact of even small changes and to hear that Aspire members have been so actively engaged with the programme.
Finally, in our ‘5 minutes with’ column this month we get to meet Charlie Elliott, Operations Support Manager for Restaurant Associates.
David Wickens One Editor-in-Chief david.wickens@landsec.com
Alison Currell One Editor & Aspire Service Delivery Director alison.currell@landsec.com
Marlene Aguilar One Assistant Editor marlene.aguilar@landsec.com
Martin French One Design & Photography martin@tigerbaydesign.co.uk
Heidi Scott One Copywriter heidi@tigerbaydesign.co.uk
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DELIBERATE DISRUPTION LAB
Small changes can make a big difference
The Deliberate Disruption Lab, launched by Landsec | Aspire last year as a forum for ideas and innovation, is already making an impression on the way our frontline teams work and, crucially, how they think about the impact they can make.
The programme is being devised and delivered by Amy Tregidgo, Aspire’s Learning & Engagement Manager, and aims to include representatives from all Service Partners. “The idea of the Deliberate Disruption Lab is to provide a safe space for brainstorming and discussion,” explains Amy. “We’ve been encouraging those taking part to use the one-hour lab sessions to ‘fix what bugs them’ in their daily work, and they have come up with some fantastic ideas.”
The first lab session was held in September at 123 Victoria Street, followed by a second one at One New Change in November. The third session will take place on 3 February, back at 123 Victoria Street, and a fourth one is planned for mid-April at One New Change.
Following the November lab, Amy has been visiting teams on the ground across the Workplace portfolio. “We needed to have a couple of lab sessions before we began the site visits,” says Amy, “so that we could build relationships with and between lab members, make sure they understood what it means to be curious and give them the tools to think outside of the box.”
The lab sessions and site visits have been focused on making incremental change. “There will be small, medium and large changes,” says Amy. “Some things need investment and cannot be done quickly. We can’t fix everything, so there’s a need to manage expectations.”
The ideas for change – whatever their size – are being collated in a report that Amy is preparing for the Aspire Steering Board. The ideas for change will be reviewed at leadership level, with next steps shaped collaboratively and aligned with wider Service Partner activity to ensure a co-ordinated approach.
“This drive for improvement reflects two of the five Landsec DNA statements,” explains Amy. “These include ‘We’re never the finished article’ and ‘There will always be a way’, both of which encourage Aspire members to keep finding ways to enhance the customer experience.”
Reframing challenges
The November lab was about ‘reframing’, or thinking differently about problems. Callum Mayor, Site Manager for Jaguar Building Services, co-hosted the session with Amy.
“Callum is an active member of the Deliberate Disruption Lab and a real advocate for it,” says Amy. “He has attended every session so far and gets involved in conversations and initiatives in between.”
Amy and Callum presented the topic of reframing around the scenario of a lift working slowly. “In this fictional case,” says Amy, “investment to fix the lift was planned, but lab members were tasked with brainstorming what could be done in the meantime to improve the customer experience.”
Site visits
Amy has completed five visits to engage with Aspire teams in properties across London so far, with more planned.
“What has happened is exactly what I was hoping for,” she says, “because each visit has been different in terms of the team members taking part and the topics they’ve raised.”
The visits have followed a similar format, with Amy meeting with one or two frontline team members for a brief chat, before being given a tour by them. This has been followed by a discussion about what is going on at the site, the desired changes and where the priorities lie.
Meet the team
“Bringing people together to encourage alternative modes of thought is an excellent precursor to innovation. It’s about breaking down that cognitive dissonance and replacing it with new and exciting concepts, problem-solving methodologies and, most importantly, individuality! The human component is something we all have, so why not use it to our advantage? Look at a challenge in a different light, a different room; call it something other than a challenge. Whatever helps you collaborate, innovate and celebrate. That’s what this lab is all about.”
Callum Mayor - Site Manager for Jaguar and member of the Deliberate Disruption Lab
“What’s exciting to me is that people have been keen to talk,” says Amy. “It’s been a positive and fluid conversation.” Amy has captured a wide range of insights, from requests for additional security cameras to uniform concerns raised by engineering teams. She particularly enjoyed visiting one cleaning team, where she had the opportunity to try a prototype exoskeleton designed to reduce muscle strain for window cleaners using pole-fed systems.
“I want to empower the frontline teams, and let them know that I can support them,” says Amy. She believes the lab and engagement sessions have already boosted the confidence of teams on the ground. “For example, the Rapport team took the lead in liaising with the representative of the new Bluepoint system over teething problems when it was rolled out recently,” she says.
“I want all Aspire members to feel confident in trusting their instincts.”
Helping out
The lab taking place on 3 February –which will be co-hosted by Lawrence Merry, Estate Security Manager for Bidvest Noonan – will be on the topic of ‘Stepping in to help out’. “The idea
Amy Tregidgo, Aspire’s Learning & Engagement Manager.
is that if you notice something that needs doing, you shouldn’t just notify the Service Partner responsible, but do something to help out in the meantime,” explains Amy. “For example, if there’s a spillage, you should let the cleaning team know but also cordon off the area. Customers should be able to see that we’re acting straight away.”
Training
Earlier this year, Amy distributed a poster to Aspire Service Partners, requesting ideas for the training topics that teams would find most useful. The responses are helping to form the Aspire training programme. Amy has already delivered some training this year with the Aspire Assist helpdesk team – a communication workshop, with a follow-up session featuring scenarios also planned. With the Aspire Assist Agents generally needing more details on tickets in order to be sure that the customer is satisfied and the ticket can be closed, there will also be training for Service Partners on providing more information. “For example,” says Amy, “engineers can add helpful detail when closing a ticket. Rather than noting that a heating issue has been resolved, they might
say, ‘The temperature was raised to 20 degrees and I spoke with Sarah Smith to confirm everything was working as expected.’ This added context supports the helpdesk team in confidently closing tickets and ensures everyone has clear visibility of the outcome.”
There is a lot of synergy between Amy’s role and that of Ross Wiles, Aspire Systems & Quality Manager, and the two often collaborate on initiatives. Ross is currently working on a dashboard for the Aspire Academy, in order to be able to track completion of training modules and demonstrate each Service Partner’s contribution to Aspire Academy workshops. “We already track mandatory training,” explains Amy, “but we aim to be able to track all topics for both attendance and engagement in the future.”
Want to be involved?
Amy wants to broaden the reach of the Deliberate Disruption Lab and get more frontline Aspire members involved.
“There’s no limit on the numbers participating,” she says. “It’s just a question of arranging cover for your role. Feel free to reach out and get involved, either directly to me or through your lab representative.”
Building of Excellence Quality League Table
Update from Ross Wiles Aspire Systems
& Quality Manager
The Q3 results for the Quality League Table are in – and there’s been a change at the top!
2025/26
Q3 WINNER
Dashwood
The winner of the annual Landsec | Aspire Building Of Excellence Award is decided by the final scores in our Quality League Table, with the top property being revealed at the Annual Aspire Awards in April.
As you know, each quarter, the Quality League Table is updated to show the cumulative scores recorded during my unannounced spot checks. When I visit every building each quarter, I’m checking that the basics are being done brilliantly. This involves putting myself in the customer’s shoes and experiencing the standard of the facilities and customer service as he or she would.
The table to the right shows the running totals for 2025/26 at the end of December. Many congratulations to the team at Dashwood, who have taken the lead, moving up from fourteenth in Q1 and fourth in Q2. The Zig Zag Building has slipped to second place but the team there have shown consistently high standards this year, having been in pole position in both Q1 and Q2. Meanwhile the teams at 20 and 30 Eastbourne Terrace have upped their game, moving up from joint eighth in Q2 to third place this quarter. We still have one quarter left and anything could happen, so watch this space and good luck to everyone!
Special mentions
On my travels during Q3, I met a few people who I think deserve a special mention:
Ali Agip from Zig Zag and 123 Victoria Street needs a shout-out. He’s always willing to help and genuinely wants to supersede our expectations and basic standards. He is always a gentleman, acting with the utmost professionalism. Thanks for genuinely caring, Ali! Also, Francisca Cumbicus needs a mention for her dedication and eye for detail. She is always happy to accompany me when I attend the sites she looks after. Because of her passion and dedication, her sites – especially Eastbourne Terrace – are pretty much immaculate and are way above the basic standards we want to see. Well done, Francisca!
Francisca and Ali show a willingness to assist with anything and a work ethic that are something else. I have had feedback from their coworkers that sings their praises in terms of how well they treat others and it’s lovely to hear this.
Summary of the top three
Dashwood – The team really pulled out the stops this quarter. Compliance, cleaning and paperwork were all spot on. Every Service Partner I spoke to on my visit showed fantastic enthusiasm and a willingness to go the extra mile. Zig Zag – Whilst trailing ever so slightly, this site once again did extremely well. I find it difficult to fault Zig Zag; the only reason for them slipping into second place was because of the compliance scores on RiskWise. A fantastic audit, nonetheless.
20 & 30 EBT – What can I say? The team here are great. From the minute you walk in and are greeted by security to when you leave, the experience is second to none. Everyone works so well together and it’s worth mentioning that Gani Gjeta, Security Manager, is a real gem and will go out of his way to help anyone. A great achievement, everyone!
As you can see from the table, there really isn’t a great deal of difference in the scores – it’s so close and the shift in positions from Q1 to Q3 shows that anything is possible and that each point really counts. Everyone should be extremely proud of themselves, as I am proud of you all. Well done to all our Aspire Service Partners and Landsec Workplace teams – keep smashing it, and roll on Q4!
Both
Award for concierge team
This month at MYO
January can feel like a long month! It can help to draw inspiration from looking both backwards and forwards. Looking back, we achieved a great deal in 2025: MYO King’s Cross was launched, 107,530 sq ft of deals were completed, 193 member events were hosted, 51 pop-ups were welcomed and 14 charity events were supported. Looking forward, we have an exciting year ahead as we fulfil the potential of King’s Cross, especially in terms of corporate events at The Stables. As ever, the dedication of our MYO and Service Partner teams will be vital to success at all our locations.
Becca Munroe
Workplace Operations & Experience Director
Congratulations to the MYO concierge team, who recently won the ‘United’ award at the annual awards of Acuity, our Service Partner for guest services. “This award celebrates collaboration and teamwork in driving our vision forward,” explains Billy Jarvis, Reception Manager for Acuity, “which the team have consistently demonstrated over the past eight months.” The MYO team are pictured with the accolade at the awards event, which was held on 23 January at Savage Garden in Pepys Street.
The lounge areas at MYO Victoria Street have been given a sophisticated refresh. With stylish and comfortable soft furnishings in calming colours, the shared spaces help to boost wellbeing and collaboration for members. Special thanks to the Principle team, led by Alana Vieira de Souza (Supervisor) and Ricardo Sousa (Account Manager), who helped to make this happen in a seamless way.
Refresh at MYO Victoria Street
ASPIRE HIGHER
High
New welfare space at Cardinal Place
The Aspire team at Cardinal Place are enjoying their brand-new welfare space. Opened on 16 January, the new space is located on level -2 and features sofas, a TV, dining table, fridge and microwave. To celebrate its launch, the Service Partner teams at Cardinal Place enjoyed a complimentary breakfast provided by Restaurant Associates.
Lissania Charlton (Assistant Workplace Manager) and Dorcas Muyumba (Workplace Support Assistant) were responsible for making the welfare area concept become a reality.
“Before, the security and cleaning teams had separate, small rooms,” explains Lissania. “The provision of this additional space means that all Service Partners have a space where they can relax during their breaks and meet together.”
The welfare room has taken shape over a number of weeks. “The Jaguar team have played a key role,” says Lissania. “They undertook various tasks – including painting the walls and building or moving the furniture –when they could find time in their busy
schedule. A special shout-out to Paul Stevens of Jaguar, Kristina Jakaityte of Principle Cleaning and Marcus Henry of Bidvest Noonan, who were all really helpful throughout the process.”
The new facilities have been well received. “Everyone is happy with the space,” says Lissania. “As big as the building is, the teams have only ever had quite tiny rooms before.”
Well done to Lissania, Dorcas, the Jaguar Building Services team, the Principle Cleaning team and everyone who helped to make this happen!
Andrei Maniata - Restaurant Associates.
Meet the team
Aspire’s new recipe for SUCCESS
With flavour-packed meal ideas using seasonal ingredients, Restaurant Associates – our new Service Partner for catering and hospitality – is delivering a fresh and tasty food offer for Landsec properties across London.
It’s well known that nutritious food fuels activity and boosts wellbeing. So, having the right food and drink offer in our workplaces can have a huge impact on productivity in the world of business.
Operating our LANDING restaurants at 80-100 Victoria Street and One New Change, as well as taking care of hospitality for booked lunches and events at all Landsec and MYO sites in London, Restaurant Associates is an award-winning catering company and – along with sister company, Rapport –part of the Compass Group.
“We are delighted to introduce Restaurant Associates as our new Service Partner for catering and hospitality,” says Alison Currell, Aspire Service Delivery Director (Soft Services). “Just a few months into the contract, it is already clear that the team has fresh ideas and takes real pride in serving delicious and sustainable food.”
Bruno TavaresHospitality Manager.
Brand-new menu
Since taking over the contract in October, the Restaurant Associates team have introduced new food and beverages in the LANDING cafés, as well as the company’s own coffee brand, Blend 53. The new menu features hot and cold choices for breakfast and lunch, as well as a selection of snacks.
“It was clear that Landsec wanted to elevate the food offer,” explains Craig Marchant, Operations Director for Restaurant Associates. “It’s really important that we listen to what the client is asking for and we’ve responded by enhancing the breakfast, lunch and hospitality offer.”
The retail range in the LANDING venues has also been updated. “With a new provider, the supply chain changes,” says Craig Marchant, “so there will naturally be products from different suppliers.” For example, Restaurant Associates partners with Pure for its sandwiches so those are now available, along with new lines of confectionery and drinks. At 80100 Victoria Street, salads have been incorporated in the self-serve deli counter, which is proving popular.
The response from customers has been very positive, according to Charlie Elliott, Restaurant Associates’ Operations Support Manager. “The feedback is that the standards of
food and service are up,” he says. In particular, he thinks the Blend 53 coffee has been well received. “Customers are saying that the coffee is smoother than before,” he says. The coffee blend was selected by Landsec staff at a coffee-tasting event held in The Hive, the social space at Landsec’s head office.
Craig Marchant agrees that the response from customers has been positive: “We’ve had feedback that the produce quality has improved, especially the pastries and sausages; we find that people can be very passionate about the quality of sausages!”
Now that the team has settled in, Craig is keen to refine the menu further. “We can now start engaging with customers a lot more and drive our offer to what they want,” he says. “We know what the highstreet trends are but we want to look at what Landsec customers really want, such as more street food or maybe home comforts. We’re going to analyse our sales data and gain more feedback – potentially through focus groups or drop-in sessions –to understand the demand better. Whether customers want sit-down food or grab-and-go items dictates how we build your menus and our supply chain.”
Tech upgrade
The Restaurant Associates team have changed the technology at the cafés to Compass’ own point-of-sale (POS) system, Time2Eat. This enables the use of QR codes for self-scanning, helping to speed up service at busy times. The system also enables the handling of subsidy schemes, where a customer gives its employees a given sum to spend in the café each day or week. The employee simply pays any amount over the limit, and Restaurant Associates sends the company a monthly invoice for the rest.
The POS system is being integrated with the Landsec Experience app to bring even more benefits for customers. “Soon people will be able to pre-order food and drink using the app to avoid queuing,” explains Craig. As well as enhancing customer satisfaction, this will facilitate food planning and ultimately result in less food waste. There will also be a ‘click & collect’ feature and loyalty schemes in the app, such as a free coffee after a set number of purchases. “We need to do some testing and training,” says Craig, “but we expect it to go live in the very near future.”
“Soon people will be able to pre-order food and drink using the app to avoid queuing.”
Craig Marchant, Operations Director for Restaurant Associates.
Rapid mobilisation
The new contract began on 6 October, with both LANDING restaurants going live on that day. To achieve this, the Restaurant Associates team completed the mobilisation in just six weeks. “Many mobilisations are three or even six months,” says Charlie Elliott. “There are always challenges in a mobilisation – it’s about how you overcome them. We are lucky to have a lot of experienced people in the business, so this was not their first rodeo!”
The fact that Restaurant Associates and Rapport are both part of the Compass Group played a part in facilitating the mobilisation. “Having Rapport on site certainly helped,” says Charlie, “as we could lean on them for operational advice, such as how to get into the loading bays.”
Craig Marchant thinks that the link via Rapport was instrumental in Restaurant Associates winning the contract. “Ultimately the conversations with Landsec began because of the great job our colleagues in Rapport do,” he says. “They’ve had a strong relationship for many years and that paved the way for us to have those discussions.”
Lack of time was the biggest challenge in the mobilisation, according to Craig. “There wasn’t much time to learn what was working well already and what wasn’t,” he says. “Usually we have a mobilisation plan that allows us to focus on the changes that need to be done quickly and other things can wait a little longer. The key challenge on this contract was trying to understand what we needed to change quickly. Our supply chain is fantastic, so there were no issues there, but it was a question of making sure that all colleagues on site had access to what they needed.”
For Craig, being able to mobilise successfully in such a short time frame was a highlight. “It was really important that the end customers had a seamless transition,” he says, “and we achieved that – our full offer was available from day one.”
The highlight for Charlie was the sense of collaboration. “It was seeing the teamwork,” he says, “and knowing you were never left to fend for yourself – people in our company genuinely care and are committed to pulling through as a team.”
“Since our inception in the early 1950s, Restaurant Associates has had collaboration at the heart of everything we do. Our founders brought culinary expertise in from our own set of Manhattan’s most famous landmarks including ‘Brasserie’ (the first 24-hour restaurant) and the ‘Four Seasons’ (infamous home of the business power lunch).”
restaurantassociates.co.uk
Nuria Feijoo-RequejoGeneral Manager.
Embracing Aspire
What do Charlie and Craig make of Aspire? “It’s a completely new concept to me,” says Charlie. “The Aspire community has been very welcoming and definitely made the mobilisation easier. The Jaguar team really helped us; they were incredibly reactive and got lots of things done. On day one, they helped us move all the equipment out of the storeroom and repainted the floor. They also fixed locks and mended pipework – they all got breakfast as a thank you! Aspire is a very good network and something we’re proud to be a part of.”
Craig is keen to develop the collaboration further. “Having had such a short lead time, we’ve had to learn the network on our feet,” he says, “but now that we’re post-mobilisation, it’s really important that we start to embed ourselves and get to know the other Aspire members.”
“It’s a completely new concept to me. The Aspire community has been very welcoming and definitely made the mobilisation easier.”
Charlie Elliott, Operations Support Manager.
Bruno Tavares embracing Aspire’s Seasonal Celebration at Ballie Ballerson.
New faces
Restaurant Associates is providing an 18-strong culinary and front-of-house team across the London Workplace portfolio. There are nine staff at 80-100 Victoria Street and eight at One New Change, with a General Manager to cover both sites. Head Chef at 80-100 Victoria Street is Tamas Szakal, with Diana Marcela heading up the kitchen at One New Change. Both have been with Restaurant Associates for a long time and are highly experienced chefs. Nuria Feijoo-Requejo is doing a sterling job as acting General Manager until new recruit, Edward Sunderland, takes over the role in early February.
Just four employees from the previous Service Partner made a TUPE transfer across to Restaurant Associates. “For a variety of reasons, most decided to stay with their employer,” says Craig. “Those who joined us have been really good – they were a mix of front-ofhouse and culinary team members, and they had valuable knowledge of the sites and customer habits. We went on a fast recruitment drive both internally and externally. One of the benefits of being part of the Compass group is that we have a really big network of
resources available. For example, some of our coffee trainers stood in as baristas while we found the right team members.”
As well as its food, employees are a key strength of Restaurant Associates, according to Charlie Elliott. “We have some fantastic people in our business that make great things happen. We have the best customer service and fantastic training programmes. This is what enables us to win great clients, such as Landsec.”
Training at Restaurant Associates includes the company’s SHINE programme. This is designed to educate staff on all aspects of customer service to deliver the best possible guest experience. “It makes people think about giving five-star service in whatever they are doing,” says Charlie. “From the smile on their face, to good posture and clean uniform, everything matters.”
The two LANDING café managers completed the SHINE Ambassadors course earlier this month and are using what they have learned to train their teams. Other team members will attend the SHINE Academy in Bermondsey in due course.
Catering/ Hospitality
Sustainability and social value
Sustainability is a major theme for Restaurant Associates and the company has been awarded a 3-star rating, the highest accolade, by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. “Demonstrating that we can deliver a sustainable offer with the fantastic partners in our supply chain was key to winning the Landsec contract,” says Craig Marchant.
Restaurant Associates strives to offer seasonal ingredients to reduce food miles and works with suppliers with strong sustainability credentials. For example, the company sources some of its meat from Lake District Farmers, a supplier dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and enhancing biodiversity. The Restaurant Associates team also recently collaborated with Q&S to use pumpkins grown in the greenhouse at Cardinal Place to make spiced pumpkin soup for the cafés.
All the company’s disposable food service packaging is either recyclable or fibre-based compostable. “We’re also looking at reducing our use of disposables in the cafés this year,” says
“A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the Hospitality Showcase such a success…from security and front of house, to cleaning and general support, thank you for your hard work, professionalism and teamwork. Everything ran smoothly because of your efforts, and it did not go unnoticed.”
Bruno Tavares - Hospitality Manager, Restaurant Associates
Charlie Elliott, “by making more use of china cups and looking at the viability of a reusable cup scheme.”
Many of Restaurant Associates’ suppliers are B Corp-certified, demonstrating that they make a positive environmental and social impact. Restaurant Associates also partners with a number of social enterprises itself. These include Foodinate, an organisation that combats food poverty and homelessness; for every Foodinatebranded meal purchased by a customer, a meal is donated to a person in need through local charities.
Future plans
The Restaurant Associates team are keen to develop the contract with Landsec. “We’re looking to grow the business,” says Charlie, “through both sales in the restaurants and the hospitality side. We’re also actively promoting the subsidy scheme.”
Hospitality services at Landsec properties will be delivered by the on-site teams, while those at MYO sites will be delivered by Grazing, Restaurant Associates’ sister business. Grazing offers an extensive range of options that can be ordered online, with delivery by zero-emission cargo bikes rather than vans whenever possible. “Developing hospitality is a big focus,” says Craig. “We have completely reviewed the hospitality menu and put the Restaurant Associates stamp on it.”
The Restaurant Associates team recently held exclusive Hospitality Showcase events at both One New Change and 80 Victoria Street for customers selected by Landsec (see next month’s magazine for more details and photos). The events included some of Restaurant Associates’ key suppliers, and customers got a sneak preview of Restaurant Associates’ brand-new hospitality booking platform.
Catering/ Hospitality
Meet the team
Craig Marchant Operations Director
Beginning his career in privatemember health clubs, Craig then worked in facilities management before joining the Compass group about eleven years ago. He worked in consolidated support services (where one provider delivers multiple service streams) before moving to the Restaurant Associates team in March last year. He enjoys spending time with his two young sons and watching motorsport (in which he used to compete). He also has a passion for cooking, especially BBQ food.
Charlie Elliott Operations Support Manager
A trained chef, Charlie has been in the catering industry for 15 years. He has been with Restaurant Associates for more than five years. Before that, he worked in restaurants and hotels, initially in the kitchen and then in events management. Outside of work, he enjoys playing football, a round of golf and spending time with his family – find out more in our ‘5 minutes with’ article in this issue.
5 minutes with…
Charlie Elliott
Operations Support Manager, Restaurant Associates
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy watching and playing football. I don’t play competitively any more but I co-manage a team in a local league. We meet to play every Wednesday, although I was injured for a lot of last year. I also like to play a round of golf occasionally, but I don’t manage this as much since having had kids. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with my family. What’s on your bucket list?
To do an African safari. I was fortunate to travel a bit when I was younger – I toured Southeast Asia for four months, which was good fun. Are you a fan of anything or anyone?
I’m a big Chelsea fan. I’m not a season ticket holder, unfortunately (I’d love to be one) but I follow them on TV.
Do you have any mantras in business or in life?
Never ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. I believe in leading by example. What would you say is your greatest achievement?
My children. I have a son aged two and a half, and a daughter aged 10 months.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?
Lots of things, really. I wish I’d had the life experience I have now when I was younger, so I could have made better decisions. In particular, I wish I’d understood the world of business as I do now – it might even have led me down a different career path. I also wish I’d been more switched on and perhaps had a bit more of a life plan.
Do you have any regrets?
No – despite what I’ve just said about wishing I’d known more when I was younger, I wouldn’t change anything. Do you have any pets?
We have a Cocker Spaniel named Barney. Well, actually, we share him with my partner’s parents, who live nearby. He comes to us for a few nights and then goes back to them. We do a swap – the kids for the dog! I’ve grown up with dogs and my parents currently have five Cocker Spaniels!
What’s your all-time favourite movie?
I can’t pick just one. I’d have to say Snatch, Law Abiding Citizen and The Gentlemen.
What was your first ever job?
I trained as a chef and my first proper job was working in a Michelin-starred restaurant under Steve Drake, who had himself trained under Marco Pierre White. Before all that, my Saturday job as a teenager was working as a football coach and referee for younger kids.
What would you say is your best skill in business?
My people skills are pretty good. I’d say, managing people and understanding that everyone has different needs and wants.
What’s your favourite part of your working day or week?
Interacting with the great people we have within our business and seeing the fantastic food that our teams produce.
And your least favourite?
I can’t think of anything that I really don’t like about my job, to be honest.
Aspire | Events
Future events
The Aspire team is always looking for exciting new ways to integrate our members and bring our community TogetherAsOne. As we look to arrange our events calendar for 2026, we’d love to hear your suggestions for events you would like to attend.
Please email your suggestions to aspire@ landsec.com today!
We recognise & reward
Landsec | Aspire is always looking for your feedback to help us give praise where it’s due. Whether you’re a team member or a Landsec customer, let us have your Player of the Month votes and winners will be featured in One Magazine.
What are the Aspire Awards?
Every month a ‘Player/Team of the Month’ is voted on by you and your Aspire colleagues from nominations by Aspire team members and Landsec customers. Winners receive a certificate and some well-deserved prizes.
It is a credit to everyone that each month lots of nominations are received, illustrating just how good the Aspire team is and how team members are held in such high regard by the people they work with.
How do your workmates reflect the Aspire purposes?
— Customer Service
— Excellence
— Integrity
— Respect
Marcus Geddes - Workplace Managing Director, at the Landsec | Aspire Annual Awards.
Each month we salute the people recognised by you for exceptional performance or for simply being a great team member. Nominations can now be made by emailing aspireplayerofthemonth@landsec.com or directly via WhatsApp on 07702 908921
lonela steps in and excels
WWell done to lonela Filisan, Service Support Manager for Regular Cleaning, who has been voted by the Aspire network as Player of the Month for December.
lonela was nominated for the accolade by Ryley Stevenson, Contract Manager for Regular Cleaning, after he received fantastic feedback from several Aspire colleagues about her exceptional efforts to support the wreath-making events in the run-up to Christmas.
“lonela and her team not only supported with setting up the activity for our customers and moving the setup across all three sites, but also ensured the reception areas were quickly restored to business as usual,” wrote Dean Friary Hall, Receptionist with Rapport.
Despite stepping in at the last minute, lonela demonstrated exemplary leadership and teamwork, and ensured that the activities ran smoothly from start to finish. “I really appreciate the effort that went into making the events a success at short notice,” wrote Martyn Pharo, Senior Workplace Manager, “and for ensuring everything was seamlessly restored afterwards.” Congratulations, lonela!
Voting Opens Friday 20 February Awards Ceremony Thursday 16 April (Invitation only)