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CATERING | NEWS | 33


Three stars for Brookwood


The Brookwood Partnership has become the first schools’ caterer to receive three stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) – an accreditation that The Sunday Times has likened to the “Michelin stars of sustainability”. Assessing


Brookwood’s sustainable and social activities, the SRA gave the caterer a total score of 70 percent, having scored 100 percent in healthy eating, 99 percent in community involvement and 90 percent in waste management. Marked across three elements of sustainability, Brookwood was given 97 percent in ‘society’, 67 percent in ‘environment’ and 57 percent in ‘sourcing’. Areas that helped Brookwood achieve the top level rating included their commitment to reducing plate waste. Mark Linehan, SRA managing director,


said: “Enabling schoolchildren to eat healthy, well-sourced food sets a standard


ABOVE: Brookwood specialise in healthy, well-sourced food for schoolchildren


which we believe will set them up for the rest of their lives. So we applaud The Brookwood Partnership for seting an example for all school caterers.” Kate Martin, Brookwood managing


partner, said: “Producing the number of fresh meals we provide each school day is no mean feat and we continually look at ways to reduce any negative effect our work has on the environment. It is with great pride that we have been awarded this accreditation and in being the first schools’ caterer.”


Sodexo commits to animal welfare


Sodexo is the first food service provider to sign up for Freedom Foods for independent schools. The company now sources all the pork and eggs used in its menus for its portfolio of more than 70 independent schools from


Freedom Food-approved farms. “We are proud of our commitment


to provide ethically sourced products and this latest step reinforces this,” says Sodexo’s Jeremy Alderton. “We are now looking at extending our partnership with the scheme with the addition of chicken and other products onto our menus.” Freedom Food is the RSPCA’s farm


ABOVE: RSPCA Freedom Food assessor


assurance and food labelling scheme dedicated to farm animal welfare. Farms offering Freedom Food-assured products are assessed annually to check they meet all the relevant RSPCA welfare standards. Jeremy Cooper, Freedom Food’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with Sodexo to expand the number of Freedom Food products in their menus. Sodexo has demonstrated its commitment to sourcing ethically and we are looking forward to helping them further.”


SMILES ALL ROUND


Harrison Catering Services has introduced ‘The Harrison Smile’, a new customer care training programme for its staff. The programme has been awarded a quality mark by People 1st, in association with the Hospitality Guild – the second quality mark the company has received for its training and development. All Harrison staff receive the customer care training, which focuses on the principles of service excellence and how individuals can make a difference, as well as the importance of a ‘can-do’ atitude and approaching work with energy and enthusiasm. An independent evaluation


of the training programme conducted by People 1st demonstrated that it delivers measurable results, with a 424 percent return on investment. The evaluation also helped to highlight changes that had taken place after the training, including indirect benefits such as improved sales and people working more effectively as a team. “Ensuring customers of all


ages have a great experience every time they visit their dining facility is a must,” says Harrison chairman Geoffrey Harrison. “Our training programme supports every employee, from kitchen porter to manager, in providing excellent customer service by developing their skills and demonstrating how they as individuals can make a difference.”


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