Green pioneers
Caterers don't usually spend time learning how to turn food-waste into pig fodder, or work with butchers on how to provide reusable meat packaging. But when Nelson Hind won the contract to cater for Wessex Water Services' new £22.5m regional headquarters in Bath, it became part of a pioneering move to be environmentally sustainable.
In other words, Nelson Hind committed itself to operating systems that are sensitive to the maintenance of the environment, such as recycling rainwater, conserving energy - and creating reusable packaging.
The company, which was acquired by Elior UK in May, was chosen to tender along with Eurest, Sutcliffe and Sodexho, and won the contract because it was already practising some of the principles espoused by Wessex Water, such as energy conservation and the use of organic produce.
"All companies have an environmental policy, but it's often more of a wish list," says Peter Smale, managing director of the Turpin Smale Consultancy which managed the catering tender for Wessex Water. "Here, the client has an environmental strategy and actively promotes sustainability."
According to Phil Tyas, Nelson Hind's general manager responsible for the development of environmental sustainability systems at Wessex, winning the three-year £500,000 cost-plus contract shows not only that Nelson Hind is concerned about public health and the environment, but that this philosophy is a unique selling point. "The corresponding approaches of the two companies will allow us to work towards a common goal," he adds.
Smale confirms this: "The other contractors were willing to make concessions but the philosophy was not part of their strategy, and we felt it was important to go with a company where the thinking was already in place. The client had specific objectives over and above the normal catering objectives."
Nevertheless, Nelson Hind has had few opportunities to use its unique selling point, as Wessex Water is one of the first companies in the UK to take such a stance. It took its position seriously enough to seek the advice of Jonathon Porritt, managing director of Natural Step, part of the sustainable charity Forum for the Future, and an advisor to the prime minister on environmental issues.
Learning curve
Wessex's facilities manager, Chris Green, admits that there is a learning curve to climb. "We may not get it right first time," he says, "but the important thing is that we are taking steps to live the philosophy rather than pay lip service to it. The key factor is that this comes from board level. You have to have commitment for the whole business - it can't be just latched on, it has to be integral."
He adds: "We expect our suppliers to take an environmental approach in all their services, and comply with our policies while also responding to the ‘environmental spirit' of the development."
The building, erected on a brownfield site overlooking Bath, opened in August and houses 550 employees who formerly worked at several other Wessex sites in the area. There is no air-conditioning other than in the kitchen and dining room, where it is necessary to disperse food smells. Solar shading protects from summer sun, and energy use is kept to a minimum by automatically switching off lighting in areas where no people are working. Roof rainwater is used for flushing toilets and road rainwater goes for irrigation.
But environmental sustainability does not come at any price, as Smale explains. "The client wants us to be cost-effective and work with him and his employees to give them what they want - develop something personal to the site," he says. "For instance, we want to introduce as much organic produce as possible but, while it might fit the strategy, people may not be prepared to pay 15% more for an organic apple."
A question of taste
Quality also matters, and he cites the example of wanting to serve a fair trade coffee brand but, when the tasting panel gave it the lowest rating, it was not used.
Nelson Hind has a policy of using local suppliers and is working with them to source products with minimum use of pesticides, and it is looking at sustainable ways of packaging. It now has a butcher and a grocer packaging products in reusable containers. Suppliers are also being encouraged to deliver all goods in one vehicle, to cut down on pollution.
Contrary to popular perception, recycling is not always the most sensitive process. Paper cups for vending were discarded in favour of china mugs, thought to be more energy efficient as they are washed and reused each day.
Cleaning chemicals are monitored and controlled. Waste is kept to a minimum and Nelson Hind liaised closely with the cleaning contractors to install a water extractor to process the food waste into pellets for a local pig farmer.
Nelson Hind holds weekly meetings with its 15 on-site catering staff to check that the sustainable philosophy is working - for example, breaking the habit of switching on all equipment the moment the kitchen opens instead of just before service.
Cooking trends also come under scrutiny. "The market is moving towards convenience and cook-chill food," says Smale, "but because of the energy used in pre-preparation, this is the wrong direction for sustainability. The ideal method is cooking to order on the counter."
The catering facilities consist of a coffee bar and a restaurant.
The coffee bar, open from 7.30am to 3.30pm, is sited in the foyer named the Street, as people pass through it to their offices. It serves speciality coffees and pastries, and employees are being encouraged to use it as a meeting place. Average spend is 50-90p and takings reach £135 some days.
The 150-seat restaurant serves breakfast and lunch and has an average spend of 75p-£2. The tariff remains the same as it was in the other Wessex buildings, with a main meal costing about £1.35, sandwiches £1.30 and salad items ranging from 40p to 90p. Budgeted take-up was 60% but is reaching 75%.
The presence of the chairman and chief executive on site, plus the inevitable attention the environmentally friendly building is expected to receive, mean that event and corporate hospitality are expected to play a large part in the contract, and Nelson Hind already has an executive chef in place.
