Notting Hill Housing enlists Catering Academy’s expertise

National independent contract catering company, Catering Academy, has scooped a contract win with Notting Hill Housing (NHH) to cater for eight existing Extra Care services across London, and one new service in Lewisham, which was officially opened last month.

Catering Academy won following a competitive pitch after the team demonstrated a similar company ethos to NHH.

Communication and involvement from the residents regarding changes and processes was also a key driver for the team at NHH. Understanding that many tenants across Extra Care facilities may need to communicate in different ways, Catering Academy engaged with each resident before designing its bespoke menus, to ensure dietary requirements were being met along with variety, design and value for money.

Team Academy has also invested in appropriate methods of both visual and sensory communication training to ease the transition for residents across the nine sites. Working closely with AGE UK, Catering Academy created a three hour ‘Sense of Ageing’ workshop for all team members involved in the healthcare side of the business. The workshops gave the team the unique opportunity to experience what it’s like to be an older person, with the most powerful part of the session involving a three course lunch where attendees were asked to wear equipment that simulated a number of ailments, including impaired vision, limited movement and deafness.

Catering Academy’s Founder Director, Louise Wymer, commented: “Healthcare is a growth market for Catering Academy, and our recent success demonstrates how we’re evolving our service to win client confidence within the sector. The need to support independent living is crucial in Extra Care facilities and we’ve worked closely with Notting Hill Housing to ensure our offering is flexible, nutritious and commercially viable.”