Royal Voluntary Service teams taste success at healthyliving awards

The commitment of Royal Voluntary Service in supporting healthier eating across NHS Scotland premises over the last 12 months was recently celebrated at the healthyliving awards event.

The healthyliving award is a national award for the foodservice sector in Scotland and is supported by the Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland. It rewards those businesses who ensure at least 50% of their menu contains healthier options.

Approximately 80 catering businesses, organisations and outlets from all sectors across Scotland gathered to celebrate receiving their award on 21 March 2018 at The Merchants House of Glasgow.

23 Royal Voluntary Service outlets were presented with a higher level award, the healthyliving award (HLA) plus, for demonstrating a greater commitment to supporting healthier eating including having held the standard healthyliving award for the last two years.

The annual award ceremony was hosted by NHS Health Scotland; chaired by Fergus Chambers, Chairman of Braehead Foods, with speakers including Gary MacLean, Scotland’s recently appointed National Chef and winner of MasterChef: The Professionals 2016, and Robin Gourlay who works on the implementation of the National Food and Drink Policy within the Scottish Government, Scotland Food and Drink, and serves the Scottish Food Commission.

"Royal Voluntary Service is committed to improving and increasing the range of healthier food and drink choices available in hospitals across the country. Through our Healthier Choices Programme, we are taking a lead on NHS workforce health and wellbeing, transforming our hospitals cafés, shops and trolley services into hubs for healthy eating.

"Following the roll-out of exciting new menus and healthy, nutritious options across our hospital locations we are delighted 23 of our catering services across Scotland received the HLA plus award. We would like to thank all the staff and dedicated volunteers working in our cafés, who as well as preparing and serving food and drinks, also provide a friendly face and listening ear to patients, staff and visitors."

Andrew Roberts, Business Enterprise Manager at Royal Voluntary Service

"I am delighted to be celebrating the success and hard work of these caterers. I commend the commitment shown from these chefs, cooks and managers who have made it their priority to embrace healthier catering and ensure that their customers are able to choose something healthier to eat.

"We all have a part to play in making Scotland healthier and I am proud to see caters from all different types of establishments achieving the healthyliving award.

"The healthyliving award provides caterers with a framework to work to and a way of being formally recognised for making these important changes to embrace healthier catering."

National Chef of Scotland, Gary MacLean

"The healthyliving award continues to set the national standard for the provision of healthier food in Scotland. Royal Voluntary Service are among those leading by example in producing healthy food and meeting the national standard which all food outlets should strive to attain.”

"Award holders are helping their customers to make healthy choices by making these options widely available and taking steps to alter the food environment; they are playing their part in improving the diet of people across Scotland."

Anne Lee, Organisational Lead for Health and Work Award Programmes at NHS Health Scotland

The healthyliving ward is free and open to most food-serving outlets in Scotland – but specifically places where people go to buy food regularly, such as hospital canteens, cafés, sandwich shops, workplace restaurants, further education refectories, and restaurants. It forms an integral part of the route map to prevent overweight and obesity, and is part of a drive to reduce health inequalities.

The charity is one of the UK’s largest hospital retailers with 230 volunteer-run shops, cafés and trolley services providing tea and company to patients, hospital staff and visitors.

Altogether 23 Royal Voluntary Service Cafés achieved healthyliving awards at the following hospitals:

Aberdeen, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital and Woodend Hospital (all HLA plus).
Airdrie, Monklands District Hospital (HLA plus)
Alloa, Clackmannanshire Community Healthcare Centre (HLA plus)
Cupar, Stratheden Hospital (HLA plus)
Dunfermline, Queen Margaret Hospital (HLA plus)
Edinburgh, Western General Hospital - Oncology Tea Bar and Out Patients Department, Astley Ainslie Hospital, Liberton Hospital and Royal Hospital For Sick Children (all HLA plus)
Elgin, Dr Gray's Hospital (HLA)
Falkirk Community Hospital (HLA plus1)
Glasgow, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital - Maternity and West of Scotland Mobility and Rehabilitation Centre (HLA plus)
Greenock, Inverclyde Royal Hospital (HLA plus)
Kirkcaldy, Victoria Hospital (HLA plus)
Larbert, Forth Valley Royal Hospital (HLA plus1)
Livingston, St John's Hospital (HLA plus)
Oban, Lorn and Islands Hospital (HLA plus).
Paisley, Royal Alexandra Hospital (HLA plus)
Perth Royal Infirmary (HLA plus)
Stirling Community Hospital (HLA plus)

For further information