A Burton-based chef who set up his catering service two years ago and has had the backing of a county council business support programme has seen rapid expansion and industry recognition.
Lucas Toborek launched Chef Lucas Catering Services Ltd, with his wife, Magdalena joining the team after the first year and now employs a team of nine full-time chefs at their premises in High Street.
Lucas accessed Staffordshire County Council’s Get Started and Grow business support programme, which provides free expert advice to businesses up to five years old in areas such as legal, PR and marketing, digital and finance. He also benefited from the Start-up Mentoring service.
The business was recently recognised by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce at its business awards 2026 in the Start-Up & Step-Up category.
Lucas said:
We moved to Staffordshire from Poland and it has turned out to be a huge benefit for our business.
We are in the middle of the country, which is ideal because we are catering for events all over the UK from Loch Ness to Exeter and the business environment here has been fantastic.
We’ve had support from Staffordshire County Council and we’re part of the wider business network including the Chambers of Commerce and everyone that surrounds us. We’ve had support that has been super helpful.”
Chef Lucas Catering Services Ltd provides mobile catering for family occasions and events, from pop-up street food and grazing tables to fine dining and buffets.
Watch: Lucas explains how the county council supported his business.
Lucas added:
We have grown so rapidly that we now need to relocate to bigger premises.
We’re actively searching for a new site in Staffordshire because it just makes sense for our business.
The county council has lots of different support available and it is a good idea for people to reach out and see what can work for them.”
Entrepreneurs across Staffordshire can access a range of programmes including Gets Started and Grow and Start-up Mentoring support.
Robin Hall, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said:
It is excellent to see a Staffordshire business growing so quickly and creating nine full-time skilled jobs.
Chef Lucas is a great example of what can happen when hard work and ambition are matched with the right practical support. Lucas and Magdalena have built an impressive business in just two years, and their Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce award is thoroughly deserved.
We want Staffordshire to be a place where people can start a business, grow it and create good local jobs. Their success shows that our support programmes are making a real difference.”
People can find out more about Staffordshire County Council’s business support programme on its website.
More information on the business is available on the Chef Lucas website.
