The awareness of mental health is on the rise across all sectors - particularly within public sector catering - however as an industry, can we be doing more to support wellbeing across the board? Maria Bracken speaks to leading caterers and organisations to find out what the latest initiatives are on the scene.
One in five adults in England are living with a common mental health problem, according to figures from NHS England Digital. That’s up from one in six in 2014. This sharp rise highlights the significant challenges we face - not only as a nation, but also as an industry.
Contract catering is a demanding sector, there’s no doubt about it. With long hours and physical pressure, stress and poor mental health have long been associated with this industry. It doesn’t help that hospitality is one of the largest workforces on zero-hour contracts, a situation which, almost needless to say, can come with its own mental challenges.
However, things are changing. Although economic and other financial pressures continue to add strain, caterers are working hard to improve cultures, challenge stigma and build safer workplaces - with help from schemes including The Burnt Chef Project.
Since its launch in 2019, this non-profit social enterprise has become a lifeline to thousands of hospitality workers in crisis, offering them free, 24/7 mental health support and advice.
One contract caterer to fully embrace The Burnt Chef Project’s supportive systems is Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service management that holds long-term stadium deals with Wembley, and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium among others.
With the help from The Burnt Chef Project, it has gone on to create an internal wellbeing committee, taking a peer-led approach to health and wellbeing initiatives across all of its sites. Another caterer to make a significant effort in supporting mental wellbeing is Compass’s B&I brand Eurest, with its ‘YouMatter’ network.
This is an initiative which puts mental health at the centre of conversations. It focuses on fostering a culture of openness, offering resources, training and support for mental health, according to managing director David Kenny.
He says: “It’s about creating that ‘culture of support’ for colleagues so they can look after their mental health, both at work and at home.”
For Elior at Work, the workplace catering brand of Elior UK, the focus is on the food that is served to customers. It makes health information as accessible and simple as possible for consumers to help them identify exactly what it is they are eating through its Eatuitive programme.
This initiative aims to offer balanced, healthy meals that are nutritionally signposted to help employees make quick, yet conscious choices, without the need to decipher complicated labels.
Hannah Locket, head of nutrition at Elior at Work, explains: “This is a practical example of how removing barriers to understanding and enabling employees to build knowledge at their own pace can promote better nutritional habits.”
Diet and mood go hand in hand
For some caterers, it is less about the initiatives, and more about the food. CH&Co’s Gather + Gather brand, for example, sees food as part of the ‘solution’, says operations director Manish Shah.
He explains that food is very much ‘rooted in supporting wellbeing’ within the business. “Menus are designed using ‘beneficial ingredients’, including pulses and lentils to help boost fibre and protein levels,” he says.
BaxterStorey is another caterer that is trying to ignite a real passion for pulses across its business. It was the first foodservice company to sign the ‘Beans is How’ pledge, a global initiative aiming to double the consumption of beans, peas, lentils, and other pulses by 2028.
Orla Brown, sustainable nutritionist at BaxterStorey, explains: “Since the start of 2024, over 700 locations have embraced beans and pulses as staples, with a 19.6% increase in spend - all while sparking powerful conversations with clients about health, sustainability and what the future of food should look like.”
The link between gut health and our emotional wellbeing is highlighted by Deborah Batchelor, managing director of school catering company Stir Food, who says she has noticed a growing emphasis on gut-health-supported foods across the board.
“This reflects the increasing recognition of the link between diet and mood, alongside plant based options that deliver both nutritional and environmental benefits.”
Social eating is key
Whilst a consumer’s diet is absolutely fundamental in supporting wellbeing, there is growing evidence that the environment in which they eat also has a part to play, and caterers have been quick to pick up on this.
Workplace catering locations are evolving into something far more meaningful than just a place to eat. “For many,” explains Orla from BaxterStorey, “they offer a genuine moment of pause, a space to decompress, connect and reset. That responsibility matters.”
“Certainly, from a design perspective, staff dining areas are being configured to support psychological recovery,” says Julian Fris, founder and chief executive of Neller Davies, the catering and FM consultancy.
“There is good evidence showing that even short periods of rest in appropriate settings can improve cognitive performance and reduce stress levels during demanding shifts.”
Manish Shah from Gather + Gather explains how this works in practice: “In our university spaces, dining areas are intentionally designed to encourage interaction, reduce phone use and foster community.
“For students experiencing anxiety or loneliness, thoughtful food choices and space design can subtly but powerfully support wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, Elior at Work encourages connection through its ‘Cahoots’ coffee initiative, which enables employees to signal their openness in conversation using simple tabletop indicators.
Hannah Locket says: “Through subtle interventions, everyday workplace rituals like the coffee break – already natural opportunities for informal conversation, mentoring and stress relief – can become even more powerful.”
Orla Brown at BaxterStorey adds: “When people are given environments that encourage them to gather, talk and feel part of something, hospitality becomes a powerful extension of the workplace proposition, one that is designed with both human connection and wellbeing in mind.”
Is the industry doing enough?
All of this shows that there is some fantastic work going on to support mental health and, as an industry, the public sector has come a long way.
However, there is still so much more that can be done, according to Kris Hall, founder of The Burnt Chef Project, who believes the industry as a whole still treats mental health as a tick-box exercise rather than a cultural transformation.
He says: “Too many organisations offer an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) and think the job’s done,” he says. “But an EAP isn’t a strategy. It’s a safety net for when things have already gone wrong.
“We can, and must, do more. That means training managers to recognise early warning signs, creating psychologically safe environments where people can speak up without fear of judgment or career damage.
“It also involves embedding peer support networks so that help is accessible at the moment it’s needed, not three weeks later after someone’s booked an external counsellor.”
Specifically looking at healthcare catering, Julian Fris at Neller Davies Consultancy, believes the integration of catering into a broader, data-led wellbeing strategy will be the key.
“By combining EPOS and patient service data, consumption patterns and workforce insights, health outcomes, health providers can continuously refine their offer to better support staff performance, resilience and ultimately, patient outcomes.”
And Deborah Batchelor from Stir Food concludes. “Ultimately, the most successful caterers are those who recognise that food is not just a service, but a powerful tool for improving wellbeing, shaping habits and strengthening communities.”