The quality of food and drinks served up by Nottingham City Council’s catering service has landed a prestigious award.
Nottingham Catering walked off with Local Authority Caterer of the Year at the EDUCatering Excellence Awards, held at the Royal Garden Hotel in London.
The service is the largest school meal provider in Nottingham, serving around 12,500 meals every day to 60 schools.
Nottingham Catering’s commercial arm also operates the Eat Culture restaurant and Bean Culture coffee bar at the Council’s Loxley House headquarters, as well as cafes at Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Nottingham Tennis Centre, Bulwell Riverside and Mary Potter LIFT centres, and Woodthorpe Park pavilion.
Additionally, the Bus Stop Café is run in partnership with Nottingham City Homes at its Harvey Road base, while Café 1899 at Gedling Country Park is a joint partnership with Gedling Borough Council.
Councillor Graham Chapman, Deputy Leader at Nottingham City Council, said: “I’m delighted and very proud that we’ve received this national award highlighting excellence in catering. Getting it right in catering is a hard thing to do.
“It is testament to the dedication and commitment of everyone in the department who works so hard to ensure that the food and drink we serve is of the highest standard.
“We were also recognised for the professional training for all of our 400 catering staff and specialist menus tailored to each school.”
Nottingham Catering is also working with schools to promote the upcoming National School Meals Week, which runs from 12-16 November. Pupils across the country will be focussing on the nutritional value that a healthy and freshly-cooked meal provides and will be taking part in events and activities throughout the week. A key date is the National Roast Dinner Day, which Nottingham Catering will be serving on Wednesday 14 November.
Councillor Chapman added: “It would be fantastic to encourage as many children as possible to take up a meal on this day, as this is a great opportunity to showcase the high quality of meals and service that the school and catering team provide”.
Nottingham Catering is marking its 20th anniversary this year as the main provider of school meals in the city, with a celebratory event at Loxley House on Wednesday 14 November.
Winners of a recent competition in schools, where children were asked to nominate their cook for an award by saying why they are the best, will be invited join us in the celebrations, along with the Lord Mayor, councillors and directors. The catering management team will serve a nostalgic school meals-themed menu on the day.