CHARTWELLS HAS signed a new £25 million contract with Oxford Brookes. The five-year deal will extend the partnership to a total of 25 years.
In the past two decades Oxford Brookes has become a leading university for ethical sourcing and sustainability, working closely with Chartwells, the education business for Compass Group, to promote the importance of creating a sustainable environment to staff and students. Oxford Brookes was the first Fairtrade university in the world, as well as the first UK university to gain Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification. Chartwells and the University have also worked hard to encourage students and staff to grow their own fruit and vegetables through a “Kitchen Garden” programme and introduced waste reduction initiatives to reduce the University’s environmental impact. Recycling stations have been installed across all of the University’s campuses, with all food waste monitored through Compass Group’s Trim Tax system, encouraging the catering team to reduce wastage when producing meals. In addition to this, the packaging for the university’s freshly made sandwiches is 100% biodegradable.
This sustainability drive also has to be combined with student satisfaction, so Chartwells will focus on bringing street food and small plate dining to the table.
“Sustainability is central to the ethos of Oxford Brookes University so it is vital that we share its long-term vision,” said Chartwells MD Robin Mills. “Across campus there is now a genuine interest in food provenance and sustainable sourcing.”