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White Oaks, the senior living sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has landed a new three-year partnership with not-for-profit housing association, Town & Country Housing.
The contract will see White Oaks provide resident catering services at four assisted living developments in Kent, comprising 242 self-contained apartments in Maidstone, Gravesend, Tonbridge and Larkfield.
The 18-strong team will provide a 365-day lunch service, meeting all dietary and cultural requirements, with an emphasis on using fresh produce, authentic recipes, and the freshest available ingredients. Core to the offering is establishing a strong sense of community and working closely with residents, while continuously evolving and innovating the service to meet their changing needs.
With residents’ satisfaction crucial to the success of the partnership, the procurement process included residents as part of the decision-making process. They will continue to monitor the catering as the relationship develops, encouraging engagement and feedback.
Laura Tighe, Business Director at White Oaks said: “At White Oaks, we really understand that it’s the small things that make the difference between living and lifestyle. We’re committed to creating an exceptional dining experience for residents, along with strengthening the community feel and enhancing social interaction amongst residents to tackle isolation.
“Safety and wellbeing is always our top priority, so we’ll be ensuring that every person has their specific needs catered for and that we deliver the best possible service. We loved interacting with the residents as part of the procurement process, and this contract win feels extra special knowing that we were chosen based on resident engagement.”
Denise Brend, Head of Housing at Town & Country said: “This tender was the perfect opportunity to not only review the current catering services but raise the bar by lifting the offering to new levels. Residents and staff have high expectations of standards, particularly lunch, as it is seen as the highlight of the day – a chance to eat, socialise and enjoy a strong sense of community. We were looking for a partner that would rise to this challenge, while providing added social value and shared ethos, delivered by an experienced catering and support staff and management team.
“We’re excited to be working with White Oaks and are confident they’ll be able to deliver. They’ve been very attentive and have residents at the heart of what they do. They have given us a seamless service since day one of the contract at all schemes. We have had a very good first three months and I look forward to developing our relationship further.”
