IF Lesley Williamson had a motto, it would be Progress through Passion.

The director of operations at Durham County Cricket Club in Chester-le-Street believes that you have to be passionate about your work to succeed - whatever you do.

And passionate she is. The dynamic 40-year-old has had a remarkable career since graduating from Telford College, Edinburgh, with a diploma in hotel catering and institutional management in the early 1980s.

She has been driven by a passion and commitment to her work that is all too often rare in her industry. These attributes have led to a string of successes which began when she turned around a number of catering departments in Scottish hotels and continued when she joined Middlesbrough Football Club in 1995.

There, she implemented changes to the menu and improved the quality of the food ten-fold. Spending went from 40 pence a head to £1.80 a head by the time she left in December 1997.

Before joining Middlesbrough she had held demanding posts at Darlington Rugby Football Club and Newcastle United Football Club, once again improving the quality and image of these organisations' catering facilities.

When she moved to Durham County Cricket Club at the beginning of 1998 the challenge was enormous - but she was ready. The club had decided to move from contracted catering services to an in-house catering, conference and banqueting operation. Involved from day one, Lesley has helped create a top organisation with a national reputation for tasty food, first-class service, and value for money.

In fact, members of the English Cricket Board claim that Durham produces the best food on the circuit. This is no easy task when, despite fads and trends, a sportsman's diet generally consists of high carbohydrates, some meat, and lots of fresh fruit.

"The key is to be tasty and provide variety," she said. "You've got to find innovative ways of dressing up pasta and chicken and we do that."

Word has spread quickly. Lesley's ability to outshine the competition means that she has earned a reputation for being one of the best in her field. Most recently she has been working with Robert Reed Associates, helping to advise Wembley Stadium on its catering operations.

Closer to home, Durham is preparing for a flood-lit cricket match between the Durham Dynamos and the Hampshire Hawks, and corporate hospitality will be a big part of the game.

On September 16, gregarious opera star Lesley Garrett will appear at the club's Riverside grounds and, once again, corporate hospitality will be a big part of the event.

But Lesley is quick to insist that her success hasn't been achieved alone. She has the help and support of a 15-strong team, including seven kitchen staff.

"My team is great," she said. "But I must admit that it is hard to convince young people in the North to look at catering as a career. In the South it's seen as sexy, while up here people just see long hours and low pay.

"It is changing and it's a very rewarding field to go into."

Lesley says that the third and final ingredient to success is customer service.

"I'm passionate about focusing on what the customer wants. At the end of the day we all want to enjoy what we eat and have good quality with value for money. I'm able to put myself in the customer's shoes.

"I think 'What would I want in that situation?' and 'How would the customer feel about this or that?'," she explained. "I do believe that if you can see things from a customer's point of and if you're passionate, then you will be successful.