About Us
Who we are
In 2004, Frank Bothwell and his wife, Emma Bothwell, established the contract catering company, with a difference.
What we do
We create an innovative and seasonal approach to food, using only fresh ingredients and cooking from scratch for all our clients, every single day.
Why it works
We are unique in inspiring our teams to run their services as their very own. We remain industry leading, providing cutting edge creativity and a passion for excellence.
Our approach
Food & Nutrition
Food is at the heart of what we do. We source with care and cook with passion, anticipating forthcoming culinary trends and supporting small and local producers and suppliers.
We believe in an innovative and seasonal approach to food, using fresh ingredients and cooking from scratch for all of our clients every single day.
We strive to ensure our customers enjoy freshly prepared, tasty and nutritious food every day. Our menus are aligned to go above and beyond the government’s food standards which ensure our meals are of the highest quality and meet the nutritional needs of our customers.
Sustainability
The impact that we are making on our environment is at the forefront of our agenda – and we are dedicated to working responsibly with our clients, suppliers and employees to make positive changes.
• ISO14001 accredited
• Carbon neutral by 2025
• 100% good waste composted by 2023
• 50% paperless throughout whole company by 2022
Suppliers
We hand-pick local, family-owned regional suppliers to bring us the best of each season’s produce. It is important to us to support the communities in which we operate and to reduce our carbon footprint and food miles.
We invest in our relationships with our suppliers which is in turn rewarded with their dedication and loyalty; many of them are
How we’ve grown
Our story
Thomas Franks (UK) Ltd was founded in 2004. Following sustainable growth, Thomas Franks Portugal was launched in 2020 further establishing its European presence. In the first year, we have enjoyed the privilege of working with renowned international schools; St. Julian’s and TASIS along with care homes Domus Vida Parede and Junqueira, and the British Retirement Home in Parede. We are proud to announce 3 further partnerships with leading international schools in 2021 – The British School of Lisbon, International Sharing School Taguspark and St. Peter’s International School in Palmela.
Our values
What drives us to be different
TF Portugal, and all Thomas Franks companies are passionate about working with the most delicious fresh and local ingredients, and creating the most beautiful dishes and snacks, every day, for every meal.
Our Chefs know our local suppliers, and with time their families. We believe in the simplicity of a smaller-scale family business, where we are more agile, and are creating genuine, close relationships within our teams and our chosen suppliers. Our mutual trust with our diverse suppliers has resulted in Thomas Franks creating bespoke off-site experiences with them, learning about their processes, picking produce with them and enjoying tasting sessions.
Most of our team members are Portuguese nationals and Portuguese-speaking; those in leadership have gained knowledge through international experiences.
All of this contributes to TF Portugal’s amazing meals, and why our clients recommend us for new partnerships.
“After an exhaustive search, TASIS has decided to partner with Thomas Franks as our dining service provider. We became convinced through the process that Thomas Franks has a superior approach to food and menu production, ingredient sourcing, and social consciousness. They understand our market and the importance of high-quality food to growing minds.”
Keith Chicquen, Head of TASIS Portugal
“We are proud to be the inaugural school for Thomas Franks Portugal, a partnership born through shared values, a joint passion for healthy food and a strong commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. We’ve been impressed by the range of healthy food produced from fresh and locally sourced ingredients and the team’s commitment to minimising food waste and promoting sustainable practices – an area that we really want to focus on.”
Nicola Mason, former Head of St. Julian’s School
Team Members
Meet Our Team
Frank Bothwell
Founder
Lorraine Wilson
Finance Director
Jon Grima
European Managing Director
Claire Long
Business Development Director
