Former Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award passes away at the age of 91

It is with sadness that we have to report that Peter Sayer passed away last Thursday, he was 91.

 

Peter was well known to many in the industry and remained involved as a regular attendee at Hotelympia and at the CESA Patron's lunches. Peter had also been a strong supporter when we produced the history of CESA a few years ago, to celebrate the 75th anniversary. He will be sadly missed.

  

Following service as a pilot in the RAF during the second World War, Peter joined Benham & Sons Ltd in February 1947 as a trainee sales representative at their Bournemouth branch office.

 

Benhams was a founder member of CEMA and a leading manufacturer of prime cooking appliances and ancillary kitchen equipment during the post war years. Their speciality was the complete kitchen project and in those pre-CAD days they employed some 40 skilled draughtsmen in their London head office designing commercial kitchens.

 

Peter became Bournemouth Branch Manager, responsible for the sales activities in all Benhams eight branch offices throughout the UK and Southern Ireland. In 1980 when Benhams merged with Stotts of Oldham to form Stott-Benham, [now Electrolux], Peter occupied a new position as National Sales Manager responsible for complete kitchen schemes.

 

He retired from Stott-Benham in 1990 when he was awarded the OBE for his services to the catering equipment industry.

 

Shortly afterwards he joined Fellows as their sales consultant and he has remained with them until now.

 

In 2002 he received the CESA/Caterer & Hotelkeeper Lifetime Achievement Award.