Nik Auty-Harmer and Host’s Operations Director South Paul Blacker, receive the Gold Healthy Eating Award from the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling
OJ’s-operated Café Zest at Larkfield Leisure Centre in Kent, has been awarded a prestigious Gold Healthy Eating Award by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council.
The Gold Award was presented to Café Zest catering manager Nik Auty-Harmer by Councillor Dave Davis, Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling.
Said Nik: “We are delighted to have been awarded this Award, it’s a real achievement and recognition of the work we have done in the café to improve the number of healthy dishes we serve.
“We now have more vegetarian dishes on our menu as well as alternatives to chips such as jacket potatoes or rice. All our meal options now come with salad or vegetables and pasta sauces have ‘hidden’ vegetables in them. We have also introduced low-fat or sugar-free versions of our popular cakes and salt levels in all our recipes have been reduced.”
OJ’s, part of national contract caterer Host Management, has operated the catering facilities at Larkfield Leisure Centre for eight years, providing snacks and meals seven days a week. The café, which is open 8am-9pm, serves 250-300 people a day.
The Award is part of the council’s scheme to help people make healthy lifestyle choices by encouraging food businesses to reduce the amount of salt, sugar and saturated fat in their dishes and increase availability and consumption of fruit and vegetables. The scheme helps promote healthier cooking methods, correct portions and serving sizes, and assists with the promotion of healthy food options.
Catering businesses are eligible to apply for the Healthy Eating Award provided they have achieved at least a hygiene rating of three in their most recent food hygiene inspection.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Host is an independent, nationally based, contract catering company founded in 2004. The company, headed up by former Aramark UK CEO Bill Toner, has contracts in Scotland, Wales and mainland England including business & industry, directors and partners dining rooms, conference facilities, independent (prep, senior and 6th form) schools, state schools, further and higher education, and the healthcare industry in care homes, hospices and hospitals. In July and September 2012 Host announced its first acquisitions, Couture and Juice for Life, trading as OJ’s.
The acquisitions, part of the company’s stated strategy for growth, take Host into new areas of business including leisure and heritage sites.