The partnership between Nuffield Health and Sodexo spans 17 years, during which Sodexo has delivered patient and staff dining across all 37 Nuffield Health hospitals. Sustainability is central to the partnership between Sodexo and Nuffield Health.
Sodexo's dedication to providing nutritious dishes is reflected in its bronze accreditation from the Soil Association’s Food for Life Served Here Award, achieved across all 37 of Nuffield Health’s hospitals.
With an annual contract value of £19 million, this renewal reinforces Sodexo's commitment to delivering tasty, nutritious meals and supporting Nuffield Health's mission to build a healthier, stronger nation.
Philip Leigh, chief executive of healthcare at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “We are proud to extend our long-standing partnership with Nuffield Health, continuing to support their mission of building a healthier, fitter nation.
“This renewal reflects our shared commitment to sustainability and delivering tasty, nutritious meals that truly make a difference for patients, staff, and visitors. We look forward to bringing further innovations to enhance the experience.”
Both organisations are committed to helping patients and staff develop healthy eating habits and lifestyles with minimal environmental impact. The Autumn/Winter menu prioritises sustainable eating and plant-based options. Changes to the menu include:
- Replacing meats that are high in fat and cholesterol with leaner meats in the mains and grill sections.
- Increasing the availability of high-quality, plant-based protein, including in blended dishes like beef and lentil lasagne.
- Moving vegan and vegetarian dishes to the top of the menu to encourage and expand patient choices.
Sodexo and Nuffield Health are partnering with not-for-profit Greener by Default to launch a pilot study across all 37 hospitals. This pilot aims to encourage patients and staff to make more sustainable food choices while maintaining freedom of choice.
David Beresford, chief commercial officer at Nuffield Health, added: “We are very pleased to renew our partnership with Sodexo, a trusted provider that has been integral to delivering exceptional catering services for our patients, visitors and staff.
“Over the past 17 years, Sodexo has been a highly valued partner, and our collaboration continues to thrive thanks to our shared commitment to not only ensuring our patients have meals that are high in nutrition, but also doing things in a more environmentally conscious way.
“From incorporating more sustainable ingredients and plant-based alternatives, to reducing food waste by using every part of our ingredients, Sodexo has been an enthusiastic partner on our sustainability journey. Together, we are taking significant steps to advance our shared vision of creating a healthier nation.”
Since implementing Sodexo’s food waste reduction programme WasteWatch, across Nuffield Health’s hospitals in 2020, Sodexo has reduced food waste by 36% preventing over 51,945kg of waste. This effort has saved 362 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of 1.2 million bathtubs of water and over 95,000 meals.
Sodexo is calculating the carbon footprint of dishes and in collaboration with Eaternity, plans are in place to introduce carbon scoring for menus by the end of 2025, which will help Nuffield Health to achieve their carbon reduction targets and further support their sustainability goals.