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A leader in sustainable contract catering

We understand that sustainable contract catering is not just about helping the environment. It’s about the food we eat and the people that grow it. When we asked Tamsin to set the benchmark for our sustainable catering standards it was a decision we knew, would make a change for the better.

As well as considering price and quality when buying food we've asked Tamsin to source our produce based on its sustainability credentials. Now she’s free to find suppliers on a regional basis. Her hard work is paying off, too – Sodexo was the first corporate member of the independent food assurance scheme, 'Red Tractor'. Tamsin Gane is our Sustainable Procurement Manager

Making a clean sweep of things

Catering services is just one part of what Sodexo Prestige does and behind every café, kitchen and office building is one of the most important teams of all – Team Clean. Van heads up such a team at the HSBC Group Head Office, one of the most prestigious cleaning contracts in central London.

Managing 96 full time staff, Van and his team are responsible for a 24hr cleaning operation that services over one million square feet of office space every day. With over 30 years’ experience in the commercial cleaning industry, Van understands more than most the logistical organisation, and intricate skill required to clean a vast and varied area. Not only are Van and his team one of the best in the industry with a low employee turnover rate and a high level of continuity but they, with Sodexo’s encouragement, are at the forefront of environmentally friendly cleaning, pursuing policies of reduced packaging and non-chemical cleaning products. Van Richards is Head of Housekeeping

A true commitment to nutritional contract catering

At Sodexo Prestige, we’re always looking for new ways to keep our customers and their appetites healthy. Since we employed Wan to take control of the nutritional elements in our menus, she’s added an exciting ingredient to the mix.

Take your average business lunch. She’ll work side by side with our chefs to ensure the food is not only delicious, but nutritionally balanced – fuelling a productive workforce right around the clock. Wan’s pioneering presence in food isn’t just recognised in our company. We’re proud to say her nutritional expertise is now influencing the whole industry, as she works closely with the government on health and wellbeing initiatives too. Wan Mak is our Head of Nutrition and Dietetics

Crafting the contract catering craft

Most of us have things we do at work and things we do outside work. Not David. Cultivating culinary crafts in catering is something David lives and breathes every minute of every day.

As well as working for us, he’s the vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs and a Director at the Hoxton Apprentice. Little wonder then that David has been pivotal in our training. We believe anyone who wants to improve their craft skills should have the opportunity to do so. Whether it’s a kitchen-hand wanting to become a chef or an award-winning executive chef wanting to master the latest techniques in slow-cooking, David makes it happen. After all, the better our people are, the better we are. And training is the seed from which great skills grow. David Mulcahy is our Craft and Food Development Director

A menu shared is a menu solved

The relatively small size of The West Wing at Ickworth means its employees all know one another and will happily help in other areas if necessary. However, when Ian was asked to prepare a grazing menu – consisting of around 20 intricate and individual little dishes – he went further afield for assistance.

Thanks to our amazing pool of talent and expertise, we can encourage coaching, mentoring and collaboration between teams. Ian was delighted when Executive Head Chef, Malcolm Emery, offered to work with him to map out the logistics and the best way of delivering this complex menu. We believe that sharing knowledge and ideas across the business creates better food for everyone. Looking at the success of Ian's grazing menu, that’s something our clients and our customers would agree with too. Ian Howell is the Head Chef at The West Wing at Ickworth

Keeping food deliciously local

Growing up the daughter of a farmer, Margot's passion for catering is directly connected to knowing where food comes from and what goes into producing it.

That’s why she encourages her team to get up-close to the food they create every day, by encouraging them to visit markets like Moore St in Dublin. Keeping ingredients local is something Margot is passionate about. So much so that today over 60% of all Prestige Ireland’s food, from freshly harvested cockles to newly picked peas, comes from Ireland. She knows, as we do, that keeping food miles to the minimum is not just better for the food, it’s better for everyone. Margot Slattery is MD for Sodexo Prestige Ireland

An ear to the ground on sustainable contract catering

We’re always looking for ways to improve how we treat the environment, and that’s why Paul’s role is hugely important in driving our company ethos.

Working with suppliers, Paul recently set up an initiative to reduce packaging volumes associated with over 7,000 line items being passed through our business. As a result, one of our core suppliers redesigned one single line item to reduce plastic waste by 9% and paper waste by 11%. That’s already one tonne of materials every year that we’ve managed to save thanks to Paul. Paul Bracegirdle is the Environment Manager for Sodexo

A strategy for success

Teamwork is important in any business. However, it’s important that you always partner with the very best people. It’s the best way to guarantee innovative solutions that work for your clients. It’s also the reason why Chris chose to team up with the Mike Burton Group when we pitched for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.

With our expertise in fine food, beverage service and events management and the Mike Burton Group’s proven record in ticketing sales and travel programmes, we were an unbeatable force. As well as winning the 2007 business, we’ve also secured the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup contracts too. Chris John is the Managing Director of Sodexo Prestige UK and Ireland

We believe the love, care and attention we put into our food and all of our services should extend into the way we treat our people and our clients. That's why everything we do is in line with what we stand for with four simple words. "Sow, grow, create, serve."

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