Alex Tranter

Q: Could you tell us about your educational
and work background?
A: I completed my engineering degree in Malta in
1988, and then pursued a Masters degree in Business
Management in the UK.

I joined the Vassallo Group in 1992, and since then have held various senior executive management and directorship roles within the Group, including  serving as the first CEO of CareMalta for 18 years. Currently, I am the CEO of CaterEssence, which is the food division of the Group that specialises in contract catering, food production, and retail foods.

Q: Why are you passionate about the F&B industry?
A: At CaterEssence, we are passionate about producing
nutritious and varied meals that cater for a range of
dietary needs. We supply these meals to hundreds of
older persons residing in care homes, and we also love
innovating and producing delicious pastry and savory
food items for numerous retail food outlets across Malta,
including our own branded The Cake Box locations.

Q: Could you describe yourself and your
work ethic in five words?
A: Innovative, analytical, adaptable, patient, and
team-player.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
A: In the next five years, I envision transitioning
CaterEssence to a work environment that places
increased emphasis and importance on technology to
increase operational efficiencies and quality controls in
our food production, food safety and distribution.

Rising customer expectations and increased demand for faster, more efficient and cost- effective delivery of F&B services will be the norm, and  CaterEssence is looking forward to embrace for these future growth opportunities in the sector.

Q: Could you share with us one of the most
rewarding experiences in your profession?
A: One of my most rewarding technical experiences was
the creation and implementation of a custom-built webbased
production planning solution called CaterWeb,
which brought significant operational efficiencies to
our supply chain activities linked to the production of
thousands of meals a day.

Another extremely rewarding experience was the creation and growth of our food retail branded outlets called The Cake Box, which allowed us to showcase and sell an exclusive range of delicious quality food products made by our dedicated team of innovative and highly talented chefs.

Q: What growth do you anticipate for the
hospitality industry in the next 20 years?
A: I believe the hospitality sector will experience a
significant shift in demand for more sustainable
F&B activities, promoting responsible food sourcing,
production, and packaging activities that will reduce
waste and carbon emissions.

There will also be growth opportunities for healthier food products and increased personalization of F&B services to accommodate dietary issues and personal preferences. At CaterEssence, we are planning for this next phase to ensure we provide a positive and lasting contribution to these future
growth opportunities.