Chris Terry joined the University of Kent in 2002 working as a summer temp alongside the housekeeping team in Park Wood.
With much success, Chris transitioned to the catering team in 2003, taking on the role of Catering Assistant for Origins. Working as a porter and bar supervisor, Chris’ responsibilities escalated as he made his way up to become the Food and Beverage Manager of Darwin College in 2011, overseeing the running of Origins and the (then named) hospitality services.
Chris now oversees a large team of 35, including students and staff members, hosting events for internal and external clients throughout the University. Chris’ team provides food and beverages in several locations across the campus and produces a range of in-house Grab and Go produce stocked throughout the Canterbury campus catering outlets.
“Thank you so much for your wonderful organisation and help on Wednesday… Please pass on our thanks to the catering staff and all the staff who helped with the arrangements, they were all brilliant. We are very grateful. Everything went really smoothly.” – Global Hangout Event – Wednesday 24 January 2024
“Every single instruction for my event was followed closely and not a single detail was missed. The event space was perfect and the food was plentiful and to a very high standard. Would not hesitate to recommend for anyone thinking of holding an event at Darwin College.” – Travel Gossip Roadshow – Wednesday 21 February 2024
With much of Chris’ work taking place behind the scenes, we caught up with him to get to know him a little better.
What’s your favourite thing to do in your spare time?
I’m quite a hands-on person so I like to build and be creative. My happy place is in my shed in my back garden, working on carpentry projects.
What do you consider to be your biggest achievement?
In 2016, I rode my bike from Manchester to Exeter and raised money for charity, having never undertaken anything of this scale before. I raised over £750, and it was a charity close to my heart. It was a challenge, but extremely satisfying.
What’s your favourite thing about working in the Darwin Conference Suite/Darwin College?
Darwin is a great place to work because I get to liaise with many different teams, departments, and schools across campus. I also really enjoy running events for clients – each event is different, which offers a new challenge for myself and my team.
Do you have a favourite event you’ve helped organise or attended at Darwin?
The Lambeth Conference in 2022 is the biggest event I’ve been a part of since working for Kent. For this event specifically, we relocated to the newly-built Kent Indoor Tennis and Events Arena to run a daily breakfast and lunch service for over 500 guests.
What makes Darwin the best place to hold an event?
The Darwin Conference Suite, coupled with a well-equipped kitchen, allows us to offer all manner of events and services for our customers. With our own dedicated team of caterers in the kitchen and front-of-house staff, we can provide almost any type of event, from a BBQ on the lawn in the summer to a Christmassy winter party or classy wedding reception.
We’d like to give a big thank you to Chris and his team for all their hard work and for making the Darwin Conference Suite such a professional and inclusive space to hold an event. We can’t wait to see how Chris continues to develop his team, their offering and his own career.