Passion for inspiration

A great kitchen is one that inspires the people who work in it, as much as it delights the people who eat from it. A place to create, innovate and excite at every level, from experienced chef to budding apprentice. Nobody knows this more than Derek, and he’s making sure his culinary colleagues in Ireland know it too.

His craft forums allow chefs to share ideas and collaborate. Day trips to meet suppliers give his chefs a more holistic understanding of the food they prepare. He even has a job swap initiative, giving chefs the opportunity to temporarily swap positions and learn new skills in kitchens around the country. Derek’s passion to motivate has not gone unnoticed. We’re proud to say he recently won the highly coveted 2010 Contract Catering Award from the Craft Guild of Chefs. Derek Reilly is Executive Head Chef for Sodexo Prestige Republic of Ireland

A holistic approach to nutrition

If there's one person that embodies our no-nonsense approach to nutrition in Ireland, it's Maria. She manages the Tipperary convent, where our 'seed to plate' ethos is exemplified.

Maria’s gardeners sow, grow and harvest the freshest organic fruit and vegetables – all from the convent’s garden. Her chefs then transform it into wonderful seasonal dishes. It doesn’t get more wholesome than that. We love Maria’s natural, sustainable way of creating great food from the roots up. It epitomises our ‘sow, grow, create, serve’ philosophy and proves, once again, that the best food is just that. Natural. Maria Lyons is the Account Manager at the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Cahir, Co. Tipperary

A true commitment to nutrition

At Sodexo Prestige, we’re always looking for new ways to keep our customers and their appetites healthy. Since we employed Wan to take control of the nutritional elements in our menus, she’s added an exciting ingredient to the mix.

Take your average business lunch. She’ll work side by side with our chefs to ensure the food is not only delicious, but nutritionally balanced – fuelling a productive workforce right around the clock. Wan’s pioneering presence in food isn’t just recognised in our company. We’re proud to say her nutritional expertise is now influencing the whole industry, as she works closely with the government on health and wellbeing initiatives too. Wan Mak is our Head of Nutrition and Dietetics

A leader in sustainability

We understand that sustainability is not just about helping the environment. It’s about the food we eat and the people that grow it. When we asked Tamsin to set the benchmark for our sustainability standards it was a decision we knew, would make a change for the better.

As well as considering price and quality when buying food we've asked Tamsin to source our produce based on its sustainability credentials. Now she’s free to find suppliers on a regional basis. Her hard work is paying off, too – Sodexo was the first corporate member of the independent food assurance scheme, 'Red Tractor'. Tamsin Gane is our Sustainable Procurement Manager

Inspiration is contagious

Creating great food begins with inspiration, and it doesn’t get more inspiring than the kitchen of celebrity chef, Derry Clarke. That’s why we’re delighted to give our chefs the chance to hone their skills with him.

His restaurant creates an innovative Irish-meets-French style of cuisine – using locally sourced, seasonal produce to keep his menu fresh and surprising. As for Derry, the passion he’s famous for on TV comes out in his kitchen too, which in turn comes out in our chefs after they’ve worked with him. It’s just like a great recipe being passed on from one person to the next. What better way to inspire our people. Derry Clarke is a consultant and a training partner for our chefs

Waste not, want not

Everyone who works with us knows how important it is to look after the environment. Paul is helping us implement our policy on sustainability and the environment to achieve real changes on the ground.

A great example is when he worked with 11 of our clients' sites in Dublin to install Environmental Management Systems. They measure the frequency of deliveries to each site, and how many blue paper towels are being used in our kitchens. After seven months, Paul used the data collected to give each site their own personal waste reduction targets. Now we've reduced deliveries by 10% and blue paper towel usage by 26%. Results that don’t just benefit us and the environment, they benefit our clients too. Paul Bracegirdle is the Environment Manager for Sodexo Prestige

Keeping food deliciously local

Growing up the daughter of a farmer, Margot's passion for food is directly connected to knowing where it comes from and what goes into producing it. That’s why she encourages her team to get up-close to the food they create every day, by encouraging them to visit markets like Moore St in Dublin.

Keeping ingredients local is something Margot is passionate about. So much so that today over 60% of all Prestige Ireland’s food, from freshly harvested cockles to newly picked peas, comes from Ireland. She knows, as we do, that keeping food miles to the minimum is not just better for the food, it’s better for everyone. Margot Slattery is Operations Director for Sodexo Prestige Ireland

Thinking global, acting local

The power of an international company with the values of a local one. It’s what every business strives for. Ask Jeremy and he’ll tell you it’s exactly the reason why he joined us. He loves the spirit of entrepreneurship that is encouraged throughout the business and the fact that nobody says “we can’t do this”.

As a man who has worked in the industry for 26 years, ethics are very important to Jeremy. He believes that big organisations should use their power to protect and work with local communities. We couldn’t agree more. It’s this kind of attitude that makes us all proud to work for our company, and our clients proud to work with us. Jeremy Dicks is the Managing Director of Sodexo Prestige Ireland

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