How Steve Sidd Went From Working at His Father’s Restaurant to Building a Catering Empire

After nearly three decades in hospitality, Steve Sidd has a clear vision for his team: “We’re not just striving to be the best in food and hospitality; we’re building future champions for the industry.”

From humble beginnings working in his father’s restaurant, Sidd now leads a group with 26 dining concepts, more than 40 event spaces and 350 staff as founder and managing director of Catering HQ. He credits much of his business growth to two key elements: community and learning.

“Some of my best venue managers started by clearing tables,” he says. “We’ve helped people grow their skill set by creating a supportive path for professional development and treating our team like family. That’s why we don’t struggle with staffing like others do – we’ve made people our priority.”

Now preparing to expand nationally, Sidd has launched the Catering HQ Network, a franchise-style model that offers small and regional venues access to his team’s tech, training and distribution. “This isn’t about churning out cookie-cutter franchises,” he explains. “It’s a way for us to support smaller venues wanting to make a start in the industry by sharing real, operational solutions that have worked for us.”

This sense of connection and cooperation fuels Sidd’s longstanding attendance at Fine Food Australia, the country’s largest trade event for the food service and hospitality industry, which returns to Sydney from September 8 to 11.

“It’s so much more than new tech and trends, although having all that in one spot does make things convenient. It’s where the hospitality family reconnects,” Sidd explains. “You bump into chefs, suppliers, operators. We can talk openly about what’s working and what’s not, with the community that we love. There are no secrets in hospo.”

Sidd’s business has evolved rapidly and trade shows help him keep up with industry change. He highlights innovations sourced directly from the show floor, including game-changing systems that now streamline operations across Catering HQ. “We can process all invoices across the business in 40 minutes now,” he shares. “That gives our team time back to be where they want to be: in the kitchens and on the floor.”

Beyond tech, Fine Food Australia has also helped him forge pivotal supplier relationships. Sidd points to long-term partners like Farm Frites, one of many connections he has made at the event over the years. “We see our suppliers as partners. It’s about trust, quality, and being able to pick up the phone when something goes wrong.”

In addition to regularly attending Fine Food Australia, Sidd is also a speaker this year – he’ll be joining a panel on technology and taste trends and predictions for 2026 with ARCA CEO Wes Lambert on September 8, as well as chatting about how dining out is changing across regions and cities on the 10th.

His advice for emerging operators? Stay curious. “I’ve been in hospitality 28 years and I still learn every day. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you start to fall behind.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Fine Food Australia. Discover more than 900 suppliers, new tech, live demos and expert insights, all under one roof – register for free online to attend Fine Food Australia 2025 at ICC Sydney, September 8–11. Entry is trade-only. On-site registration costs $45.