Initial UK - Specialists in washroom, cleaning, facilities, and clinical waste services

Eden achieves twenty percent increase in Bristol

14/02/2008

Eden Foodservice, part of Initial Catering Services, has been recognised for contributing to a 20 per cent increase in the take-up of school dinners at two schools in Bristol. Highridge Infants and Bishopsworth Junior Schools have experienced the highest rise in the number of children eating school meals in the area over the past 12 months. Pupils and catering staff are to be rewarded with a celebratory dinner attended by the local Lord Mayor.

Eden Foodservice was awarded an eight-year contract in October 2007 to handle catering for 132 schools in the Bristol area, representing 30,000 children. This work was previously handled by Bristol Council’s Contract Service Team and the decision was taken to outsource it to achieve increased efficiency and drive innovation.

At the start of the contract Eden Foodservice held a five-day training course for the dinner ladies to introduce them to on-site food preparation. As a result over 90% of meals are prepared from fresh food onsite whereas previously over 90% was pre-prepared or frozen. The meals have been marketed as part of the Million Meals initiative, a national campaign spearheaded by the School Food Trust, and leaflets and menus sent to all parents informing them of the change.                                                                                        

Simon James, Managing Director for Eden Foodservice, said: "At Eden, it is our priority to offer and promote healthy eating for children and young people with a range of tasty menus. We take this responsibility very seriously and employ a Registered Nutritionist who analyses all of our menus and ensures that the meals we provide are packed full of essential nutrients. We also have an ongoing programme of recipe development that ensures our meals meet all of the most recent Government Nutritional Standards. We are delighted that our commitment has resulted in such a dramatic increase in Bristol.”

Liz Fox, Senior Health Promotion Specialist at Bristol NHS Primary Care Trust, said: "To learn effectively and achieve their potential it's particularly important for pupils to have good quality meals that they enjoy. Pupils need to be able to concentrate and to concentrate fully they need to eat well. We are delighted to support this campaign to increase the number of pupils eating healthy school food and would encourage all children to give school meals a try."

ends

News RHS image