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Marking a quarter-century of unwavering dedication, leading Healthcare meals provider, apetito, is proudly celebrating 25 years of supporting patient recovery nationwide.

This week, the meal provider welcomed its long-term partners and industry professionals to its main manufacturing site in Trowbridge, Wiltshire to share celebrations of this milestone and thank those who continue to support and shape its journey.

During the event, attendees looked back at apetito’s journey through the sector that started back in 2000 with their first partner Derriford hospital, to now servicing over 600 sites, and its achievements that have paved the way toward a higher standard of hospital catering.

This journey has seen the business drive forward a leading proposition, with continued innovation resulting in the introduction of its CarteChoix plated meal system and a unique Training and Operations function supporting customers on the ground. Its world-leading range of Specialist Nutrition has also transformed the landscape of dysphagia dining for patients – work that was recognised at the highest level through winning its second Royal honour in 2016, a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Following this came two further prestigious Royal accolades, with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development awarded in 2019, and a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2024.

Relating to its work in sustainable business practice, apetito also revealed the latest milestone for its world first closed-loop recycling scheme during the event, having now recycled over 2 million trays from NHS customers alone – demonstrating the significant impact of this initiative in reducing single-use plastic, and supporting carbon reduction targets, across the NHS.

And whilst much has been achieved during the 25 years, it doesn’t stop there.

Looking ahead, apetito has announced an exciting evolution of its Healthcare division, reinforcing its commitment to exceptional service and catering excellence across hospitals and social care settings. A key change is the amalgamation with its Local Authority division, creating a single, integrated unit designed to unlock new opportunities and better serve both customer groups, as well as helping to tackle the ongoing challenge of bed blocking within the NHS through ensuring good nutrition reaches people in their own homes.

As part of this transformation, Neil Hargreaves has been appointed General Manager of the division, bringing a wealth of knowledge and clear vision from his 13 years with the business. He will be supported by Louise Carter in her new role as Deputy General Manager, where she will lead on continuous innovation and foster apetito’s NHS partnerships.

Future investment plans were also detailed including the build of its brand-new manufacturing facility in Trowbridge, Kitchen West, that aims to be one of the most sustainable food manufacturing facilities in the UK and provide additional capacity to meet the increasing demand for its meals.

Alongside this, new product innovations and concepts were showcased to attendees by the meal provider aiming to keep expanding and enhancing its offering in step with market trends.

Neil Hargreaves of apetito spoke about the celebratory event, saying:
“It’s been a privilege to gather everyone together and celebrate 25 brilliant years of serving nutritious meals to patients.
“This special event was a moment to reflect how far we’ve come to become a trusted partner in the sector, as well as share our vision for the future and the innovation we’re deploying to enhance our offering even further. As a business, we’re more determined than ever to support excellence in hospital catering as well as the NHS’ journey to Net Zero – alongside our own.
“None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication of our team and the trust of all our partnering sites. To everyone who’s been part of this story – thank you, and we’re looking forward to the years ahead.”