Meet the Team

Kate Bendall

JOINT MD

I love what I do! This job is so diverse!

Louise Laver

JOINT MD

I enjoy the challenges of working in this busy role.

Jane Griffiths

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Catering has been my career for over 30 years.

Liz Mbaziira

PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

I enjoy sampling the delicious dishes prepared on our sites.

Kate Bendall

JOINT MD

I love what I do! This job is so diverse! One minute I am visiting our sites and catching up with all the really lovely people that work for us! The next I am trying some freshly cooked cake or savoury! The next moment I am proof reading documents and budgets and going to any number of presentations! There is just so much to do, however, with Louise, the Head Office Team and the dedicated employees who make time just whizz by.


I’m just a foodie and love what we do and love food! I love to try different foods, experience new flavours and see what I can experiment with next! My favourite food is different every day! Today I would love: Thai pad noodles, to Chow Mein, to duck pancakes, to mango chicken in filo pastry, to freshly made chocolate torte and finish the day with banoffee pie!


When at home I have two young boys wanting my attention, and our Tilly who is just a fabulous family dog. My husband supports me and the boys whilst juggling his own business and we like nothing better than to take a boat out down the river all together, all taking turns on the oars!


Kate Bendall

JOINT MD

I love what I do! This job is so diverse! One minute I am visiting our sites and catching up with all the really lovely people that work for us! The next I am trying some freshly cooked cake or savoury! The next moment I am proof reading documents and budgets and going to any number of presentations! There is just so much to do, however, with Louise, the Head Office Team and the dedicated employees who make time just whizz by.


I’m just a foodie and love what we do and love food! I love to try different foods, experience new flavours and see what I can experiment with next! My favourite food is different every day! Today I would love: Thai pad noodles, to Chow Mein, to duck pancakes, to mango chicken in filo pastry, to freshly made chocolate torte and finish the day with banoffee pie!


When at home I have two young boys wanting my attention, and our Tilly who is just a fabulous family dog. My husband supports me and the boys whilst juggling his own business and we like nothing better than to take a boat out down the river all together, all taking turns on the oars!


Louise Laver

JOINT MD

I enjoy the challenges of working in this busy, creative and highly rewarding role. Each day, Kate and I catch up with each other’s news and views of recent events. We find communicating is the best solution to resolving any issues and gathering new exciting ideas to keep Connect at the forefront of the contract catering industry.

We both grew up with a love of food; our parents are trained chefs and as a family we enjoy talking about, and sampling, new and interesting ways to prepare ingredients and develop ideas. New food trends are discussed at our monthly meetings and when visiting our teams at site.


My home life is quieter these days with my two children in their twenties, my husband and I are starting to get life back to just the two of us and enjoy long walks and pub lunches at the weekend.


My favourite food is my husband’s speciality dish of hot chicken salad.


Jane Griffiths

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Catering has been my career for over 30 years, training at Westminster College, my first job was on the beautiful island of Tresco off the Cornwall coast, and so my catering adventure began. Working in hotels and restaurants, I finally took the plunge and opened my own wine bar in Cheshire, a fabulous experience.


Moving back to Hertfordshire I thought I would give myself a break and move into contract catering, Monday to Friday 9-5 – so I joined Connect. Twenty years later, working my way up through the ranks, the Monday to Friday, 9-5 did not quite work out, but my passion for catering, the food, the service, the teamwork is still at my core – I love what I do, I am proud of the Connect Team and I still love getting back to the floor.


My favourite food – I am famous for my love of freshly made coleslaw, but a real traditional roast with loads of fresh veg followed by rhubarb crumble and custard will tick the box every time!


Jane Griffiths

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Catering has been my career for over 30 years, training at Westminster College, my first job was on the beautiful island of Tresco off the Cornwall coast, and so my catering adventure began. Working in hotels and restaurants, I finally took the plunge and opened my own wine bar in Cheshire, a fabulous experience.


Moving back to Hertfordshire I thought I would give myself a break and move into contract catering, Monday to Friday 9-5 – so I joined Connect. Twenty years later, working my way up through the ranks, the Monday to Friday, 9-5 did not quite work out, but my passion for catering, the food, the service, the teamwork is still at my core – I love what I do, I am proud of the Connect Team and I still love getting back to the floor.


My favourite food – I am famous for my love of freshly made coleslaw, but a real traditional roast with loads of fresh veg followed by rhubarb crumble and custard will tick the box every time!


Liz Mbaziira

PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

I may not be an expert with a saucepan; however, I enjoy sampling the delicious dishes prepared on our sites – I indulge in the fabulous food at every opportunity!

Having worked in the insurance sector before joining Connect, I gained great insight into people! Listening, understanding, showing empathy, finding solutions and resolving claims provide a great base for human relations.


My role with Connect is so varied: meeting different people, hearing interesting stories and ensuring our managers and teams have the support they deserve. The diverse teams within Connect work hard to ensure they deliver great fresh food and create a friendly, professional environment. We have a big focus on training at Connect and I have made great use of my PGCE to help employees develop and grow.


I love learning new skills and just lately I have taken up the clarinet and I am currently improving my German. Whilst cooking is not my forte, I love it when my sisters create anything sweet for me, especially as I am dairy and gluten free – thank goodness Kate likes a challenge and the cakes she makes to accommodate my dietary requirements really do make my day.


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Over 100 years of collective expertise in delivering fresh, bespoke food with fabulous service

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