The iconic London conference and events venue, which houses Wesley’s Café, received the award for its in-house hospitality and retail which met strict criteria to ensure it maintains a strong standard of provenance and traceability to guarantee that meals served are prepared using environmentally sustainable and seasonal ingredients.
Foodservice provider KUDOS, part of the Crown Partnership, is its exclusive in-house catering partner, and some of the criteria that Wesley’s had to meet included no trans fats or additives used in food, 75% of dishes created from scratch, guaranteeing catering staff are trained in fresh food preparation, ensuring fish from the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) ‘fish to avoid’ list is not served, and sourcing eggs from cage-free hens.
KUDOS amended the venue’s supply chain to align with the company’s ethos of supporting local suppliers, by sourcing all produce from Essex and surrounding counties as well as ensuring all meat is purchased from a Red Tractor certified butcher who is also audited by The Soil Association, which guarantees traceability, good animal welfare, food safety, hygiene and environmental protection.
Commenting on Central Hall’s success, Gareth Wilson, director of catering at KUDOS, said: “We’re extremely proud to receive this prestigious award from the Soil Association.
“This was a natural fit for us, as we approach food sourcing with our own very high standards and aim to ensure that traceability and provenance is at the top of our priorities, so our clients can experience the highest level of catering possible.”