The accolade is the company’s fourth Royal honour, having previously won three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise (two for Innovation in 2005 and 2016 as well as one in 2019 for Sustainable Development).
This latest honour recognises Apetito’s commitment to conducting business in a way that impacts positively on the environment, society and economy. In particular, it celebrates Apetito’s pledge to reach net zero by 2040.
Central to its King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 win, was Apetito’s work in launching the world’s-first closed loop recycling scheme for plastic meal trays ‘Project Boomerang’. Apetito collects close to 50% of all trays compared to household recycling which collects just 39%.
To celebrate the occasion Apetito held a celebratory lunch inviting over 40 of its Long Service Heroes, members of team Apetito with more than 20 years’ dedicated service.
Paul Freeston, chief executive and chair of Apetito, said: “This award reflects the hard work, commitment and vision of everyone here at Apetito and Wiltshire Farm Foods. We are proud to be making a real difference in the area of ethics and sustainability and making significant strides on our journey to net zero by 2040. The continued success of our sustainability journey is the culmination of all the hard work and passion of everyone who works here.”