July Customer Newsletter – Food

We are excited to offer you a great range of promotions for July from Nestlé UK and Walkers.​

We are busy talking to our suppliers and negotiating new offers, so more exciting promotions will be coming soon.

See our Useful Links section for more information on these new promotions.

For the month of July we are zeroing in on our Multi Temperature Distribution (MTD) framework. The MTD framework is designed to provide a tailored range of multi temperature food products to trusts and is delivered directly from one supplier to NHS sites on one lorry.

The framework comprises of chilled, ambient and frozen products, and all with the added benefit of offering one price for all trusts within England (National Pricing) and delivering great value for all customers. 

On 9 August the new Multi Temperature Food Solutions (MTFS) framework launches, bringing with it enticing new products, suppliers and key benefits and great savings for trusts.

Watch this space for more information coming to you from August onwards. The framework brings an extensive range of multi temperature food products, delivered directly to NHS trust sites from a wide range of local and national suppliers.

Our new MTFS framework will offer a wider range of products from a wider range of suppliers, whereas our Multi Temperature Distribution (MTD) framework has a smaller range but guarantees a stable national price. By making both available we can meet your varied needs.  

We we will be releasing a sequel to More Please! – our children’s concept recipe book.

In this exciting new addition, we will be focusing on high street food favourites that children love, with our own individual twist, such as a katsu curry burger.

The Culinary and Dietetic Team are counting down the days until the new Children’s Concept Recipe Book is launched, due to be released at the end of August.

Watch this space for more news on the book soon.

See our Useful Links section to read our latest editorial in the June issue of Public Sector Catering which gives a preview of the new book with some exciting insights into its content.

After a recent interview with our Culinary Specialist Michael Sharp, Stir it up magazine has featured the Skills Academy in their latest June issue out now.  

See our Useful Links section to check out the article where Michael discusses the great work being done with trusts to upskill and excite their Catering Assistants.  

Our Fresh Food Category Buyer Anna Gibson is currently recommending trusts to switch their milk purchases, from a pint to a two litre format. This helps reduce plastic waste, supporting trusts Green Plans, and presents a large savings opportunity.

By replacing milk pints with larger formats it’s an easy win for trusts. They will significantly reduce waste sustainably, improve their carbon footprint and unlock immediate financial benefits.

Tim Radcliffe, Net Zero Food Programme Manager, NHS England

This month we are showing support for the those in need of mental health support.

The Samaritans are running a Talk to Us awareness event throughout the month of July to let people know that they can talk to the Samaritans for support free of charge day or night, 24/7.

Samaritans are here to listen to anyone who’s struggling to cope, and provide support services for people working in healthcare.

Frontline is a round-the-clock one-to-one support service dedicated to those working in healthcare, including emergency and key workers.

Call 116 123 anywhere, anytime, to talk to a trained volunteer.  

Look out for our posts on LinkedIn around 24 July for Samaritans Awareness Day as part of the 24/7 campaign centred around this day.   

Recipe ingredients	Quantity
Onion	100g
Aubergines	250g
Water	100ml
Rapeseed oil	20ml
Cinnamon stick	1
Red chilli	1
Vegetable stock cube	1
Garlic	15g
Chickpeas	150g
Chopped tomatoes	300g
Coriander	10g

Try our delicious Lebanese aubergine, pepper and chickpea stew.  

Method:  

• Preheat the oven to 190°C. Halve the aubergines lengthways then dice into 3cm pieces.
• Dress with half of the rapeseed oil and place into the preheated oven and cook until caramelised (approx. 20-25 minutes).
• Remove and set aside. 
• Peel and finely dice the onions.
• Peel and finely slice the garlic.
• Halve the chilli and finely slice (retaining the seeds for heat).
• Finely slice the coriander stalk and roughly chop the leaves. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 
• Place the remaining oil in a suitable size pan and place over a medium heat.
• Add the cinnamon stick and the sliced garlic.
• Cook until the garlic begins to caramelise.
• Add the diced onions coriander stalk and fresh chilli.
• Cook over a medium heat until the onions begin to caramelise.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable stock and aubergine.
• Cook over a low heat until reduced and the aubergines are very tender.
• Fold through the fresh coriander. 

This recipe is free from the main allergens.  

Chef’s tip:

If you have leftover stew, it makes a great jacket potato filling or simply fill in a wrap with some rice for a tasty burrito.

Store:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

Reheat on stove or in microwave, thinning out with some water if needed.