Chartwells goes ‘beyond the kitchen’

Chartwells, the specialist provider of catering to the education sector, is introducing its dedicated health and wellbeing programme ‘Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen’ to help young people, teachers and communities tackle issues like childhood obesity, mental ill health and lack of exercise.

Launching in time for the new academic year, the initiative takes a holistic approach to nutrition, food and health education. Chartwells has separated the programme into three distinct sections: Healthier Food, Healthier Lives and Healthier Futures and has information tailored to various audiences such as primary or secondary school children.

Healthier Food takes a closer look at the use of fresh ingredients to create exciting and nutritious meals, while also focussing on the importance of encouraging young people to try global cuisines. Healthier Lives and Healthier Futures take participants outside the kitchen, demonstrating the positive impacts of a heathy lifestyle, a nourished mind and living in a sustainable way, covering topics from oral hygiene, exercise and environmental issues.

Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen sessions can be delivered by Chartwells’ team of nutritionists, chefs and food ambassadors via face to face workshops, which include interactive activities. Alternatively, people can access an online suite of collateral, which offers information and advice such as lesson plans and video tutorials.

Richard Taylor, Managing Director, Chartwells, commented: “With statistics showing that more than one in three children are obese or overweight by the time they leave primary school and the government’s drive to halve childhood obesity by 2030, now is the perfect time to introduce this programme[1]. We estimate we could reach a potential 500,000 individuals in the next year, which would really support the health and wellbeing of children and young people throughout the UK.”

The launch follows a six month trial, which reached an estimated 2,000 people across 19 organisations, including schools and colleges.

Sharon Hodgson MP, Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on School Food, said: “It is important that our children not only eat healthily, but also know how to prepare and eat healthy food too. That is why I support Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen, because it will equip children with the skills they need to learn about and engage with healthy foods, which will help them grow into healthy adults.”

[1] Prime Minister’s Foreword, Her Majesty’s Government’s Childhood obesity: a plan for action, Chapter 2, 25/06/2018