Karl Atkins, Foodbuy’s managing director – © Foodbuy
Food and beverage service provider Foodbuy has refreshed its contract with NHS Supply Chain as its central resource for food procurement across the service.
The new deal, which starts in July, was awarded to Foodbuy as part of the NHS Supply Chain ‘Operating Model implementation’ programme, which sets out the design of a revised supply chain service as it looks to deliver greater value for the NHS.
Since 2018, Foodbuy has been responsible as a Category Tower Provider of food for the NHS Supply Chain with a dedicated team operating under the NHS Supply Chain: Food. Over this period it has optimised its supply base and leveraged the scale and purchasing power of the NHS to deliver high-quality products and added services, saving the public service over £10 million.
In 2020, the Chef’s Academy was established by the firm’s culinary experts Nick Vadis and Stephen England, on behalf of NHS Supply Chain: Food after recognising a gap in training and resources for NHS chefs. The Chef’s Academy has since helped to develop the skills and culinary knowledge of chefs, attracting and retaining staff through continued professional development.
Karl Atkins, Foodbuy’s managing director (pictured), said: “This is a significant retention for us, and we are proud of what we have delivered during our first five-year term. The contract was won based on our passion for healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food in the NHS and our ambition to build on the strong base we have developed so far ensuring that patients, visitors, and staff remain at the heart of all our decisions.
“We are excited to continue the award-winning Chef’s Academy programme, offering training to develop skills and culinary knowledge which, to date, has seen 200 chefs take part. We are looking forward to supporting the NHS Supply Chain as they implement their new operating model.”
