Industry expert: Feeding the forces

James Nottage, contract director for Project Allenby Connaught, part of Sodexo’s government business, outlines how the caterer works with military chefs across the defence estate, demonstrating the benefits that this partnership approach brings to the military and Sodexo...

Step inside a junior ranks diner, a sergeant and warrant officers or an officers mess at one of Sodexo’s government contracts and you will encounter a team of catering professionals focused on providing military personnel with high quality, nutritious and healthy meals designed to keep our forces fully energised.

There is nothing ground-breaking about this, yet take a closer look and there is an element to these kitchens that may surprise many in the contract catering world. Service catering personnel (SCP) from all military ranks work as one team alongside Sodexo’s catering team, and it’s a relationship that delivers benefits to both parties.

From a newly recruited private to a senior rank chef with years of experience, SCP are an integral part of Sodexo’s catering teams at a number of military locations across the UK, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.

Together, we deliver over 7m meals a year, including for functions and special events, covering anything from a garden barbeque or takeaway lunchboxes to fine dining for VIPs.

It is a partnership that thrives on mutual respect, and the expertise our military colleagues bring to daily operations cannot be underestimated. Catering for the military can bring complexities and challenges that we navigate more successfully with the unique knowledge that the SCP have. It is a fast paced, often unpredictable environment, and it requires a ‘whole force’ approach.  

From Sodexo’s perspective, supporting SCP is an intrinsic part of client relations. For young privates in particular, at the start of their military catering careers, we play an influential role in their development as chefs.

At every location, we liaise with a senior military contact, usually the regimental catering warrant officer or unit catering manager, to discuss the development plan and training needs of each individual. This is done so we can be certain that they are afforded all the opportunities required to move on in their military catering careers. Every individual works at a level equivalent to their rank, and we provide the same level of on-the-job support, training and development and feedback as our own colleagues.

Working on active service in field kitchens is a different experience to being in the majority of civilian kitchens, and the exposure our SCP colleagues get to a more commercial environment helps them to become better all-round catering professionals. From learning how to display food and use operating systems that support our business through to developing crucial compliance knowledge such as pre-packed for direct sales (PPDS) labelling and allergens, using our resource and expertise can impart that training and broaden skills sets.

In addition to providing knowledge of working within a commercial kitchen environment, we also support the further development of military chefs through our sponsorship of the Combined Services Culinary Arts Team. This helps them to build a solid foundation for a successful career after the military.

It is very much a two-way relationship and the value we gain from working alongside our SCP colleagues is invaluable. The level of insight they provide into the specific needs of the military is extremely valuable. Tastes and traditions can vary across regiments and military bases, and we develop this deep understanding of military culture thanks to SCP support.

Of course, as vital as SCP are to the day-to-day running of our catering services, we never lose sight of the fact that their first priority is always to their military careers. It is important that we flex to accommodate this, whether it is a last-minute call to release colleagues for meetings or, if we receive notice that a deployment is imminent – which can mean losing SCP colleagues for long periods – our teams will plan their resources accordingly. At every turn, communication must be exemplary, and teamwork is the linchpin that fuels the successful and smooth running of our catering service.

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