Feed People Well: Eden Caterers

Eden Caterers is a business built on sustainability. “It guides every decision we make,” says Nick Mead, Managing Director. “Whether it's strategic planning or our day-to-day operations, every single choice is based on our unwavering commitment to balancing our company's economic success with the health of our planet and communities.”

With Eden scoring consistently high in the FMG Standard, we ask what the team finds most challenging about running a successful sustainable operation. “The regulatory environment for sustainability is always changing,” says Nick, “with new laws, rules and standards being implemented at the local, national and global levels.” Navigating this complicated landscape and maintaining compliance is an ongoing endeavour.

He observes that finding reliable suppliers and the right sustainable resources can also be difficult. “Significant manufacturers are still lagging well behind smaller ‘niche’ suppliers, so this can be frustrating – especially when we’re attempting to overcome long-standing sustainability difficulties surrounding specific ingredients.” While these challenges may be ongoing, the team at Eden Caterers is still proudly dishing up healthy and sustainable meals for their customers every day.

How Eden Caterers creates healthy, sustainable menus

As Nick points out, catering companies are in an unusual position when it comes to ensuring the nutritiousness of the food they provide. “Our food isn't usually ordered by the people who consume it,” he says “so we have a strong sense of responsibility to feed people well.” This unique dynamic means a high level of accountability for Eden Caterers, who understand the need to make health-conscious decisions on behalf of those who eat their food. “Our dedication to serving nutritional and tasty food ensures that everyone we serve experiences the benefit of wholesome and fulfilling dishes. This not only improves the wellbeing of our customers, but also promotes a further sense of responsibility and commitment towards our wider community.”

“With three distinct seasonal menus, our food is created to be both nourishing and appetising, using the freshest seasonal ingredients,” Nick explains. In previous years, Eden menus featured an equal number of vegetarian, meat and fish options. However, with more people choosing to eat less meat, they’ve evolved to meet the changing demand; today, at least 70% of the items on their menus are now vegetarian or vegan, and this is a major consideration for the team when designing menus and making food choices for their clients. “It’s been received very well – in fact, we seldom receive feedback expressing a desire for more meat or fish.”

Having the support of the Food Made Good Standard has helped them to excel in creating dishes that don’t just taste great, but are also good for both people and planet. “It’s encouraged us to dive further into the composition of our food, emphasising the importance of striking a balance between appealing flavours and nutritional content in developing our recipes.”

Food Made Good at Eden

Having completed the Standard twice in the years before covid-19 (and been awarded three stars both times), it was only natural that Eden Caterers return to Food Made Good after the pandemic had subsided. “The Standard is regarded as an industry benchmark for where hospitality organisations stand in terms of sustainability,” says Nick. “Because we had gone through it before, we knew what to anticipate, and the Food Made Good team's post-evaluation checking is incredibly comprehensive.” 

Returning to the Standard in early 2024 encouraged the Eden team to refocus and reassess their overall sustainable impact. “The journey towards sustainability is never-ending and the Food Made Good Standard constantly challenges you to do better.”

Pushing the sustainability agenda 

Sustainability is an effective unique selling point for Eden Caterers, and something they’re proud to shout about. “Our clients trust us and continue to work with us because we offer delicious food while remaining environmentally conscientious and committed to the wider sustainability issues.” They make sure to communicate their hard work and commitment to their customers, with their annual Sustainable Development Policy and details of any new sustainable initiatives always available on their website.

The people at Eden Caterers even plant trees themselves as a ‘thank you’ to their clients for buying from them. “Yes, we get muddy!” says Nick. “Since launching the project a little over two years ago, we have planted 3,000 trees in the home counties; our goal is to have planted 20,000 by 2032.”

When it comes to feeding people well, they’re not resting on their laurels: they’re constantly working to improve their recipes. “We look at every ingredient with the mindset, ‘Is this the best we can serve?’ or ‘Can we do better?’ Whether it's sourcing better welfare meat or adding more plant-based alternatives to the menu, we want to keep pushing the sustainability agenda.” 

At The SRA, we’re excited to see what comes next for this exceptional company. 

Learn more about Eden Caterers at their website. Interested in how the Food Made Good Standard can support your business on its sustainability journey? Read about the process here or drop us a line at standard@thesra.org with any questions.