Our catering colleagues were delighted open our hospital doors to NHS England in a visit that showcased our services and shared best practice.

The Royal Free London is one of only 20 trusts nationally to have joined the NHS exemplary trusts programme and hospital food network.

Philip Shelley, chairman of the NHS Independent review of hospital food, spoke with our catering team and colleagues in nursing, dietetics, speech and language, and estates. Reflecting on the tour of the Royal Free Hospital, Phillip said: “It’s a privilege to be here and learn more about your services. We want to share what you do so well.”

Catering colleagues were also praised by Louise Hatwell, net zero programme manager at NHS England, for their “desire and ambition to continually improve”.

As an exemplar site, we are determined to maintain our high food and nutrition standards and set out to reduce our environmental impact as part of the NHS net zero campaign.

Larry Rosenthal, catering manager at the Royal Free Hospital, said: "The diversity of choice we offer for our patients and visitors is something we're most proud of. We look forward to continuing to learn and share ideas with other hospital catering teams."

Colleagues at NHS England were also introduced to the Project Choice team – a specialist college helping young adults enter the world of work. Since September, eight Project Choice students have worked alongside our catering staff as key members of the team. Equipped with confidence and new skills from their internships, they have all gone on to secure full-time jobs or are set to enter further education.

Follow the Royal Free Hospital catering team on Twitter for the latest updates and daily menus.

 

Pictured above are colleagues from NHS England with Larry Rosenthal, catering manager at the Royal Free Hospital, Jeunai Williams, speech and language therapist, Steve Packer, head of facilities, and Dov Gerber, patient governor at the trust.