Neil Hargreaves has been appointed general manager of the division, bringing his knowledge and expertise gained from 13 years of experience with the business.
He will be supported by Louise Carter in her new role as deputy general manager, who will lead on innovation and fostering apetito’s NHS partnerships.
The announcement was made as part of the company’s 25-year celebration as a healthcare meals provider.
To mark the occasion apetito invited its long-term partners and industry professionals to its main manufacturing site in Trowbridge, Wiltshire to share celebrations of the milestone and thank those who ‘continue to support and shape our journey’.
Those attending looked back at apetito’s journey through the sector that started in the year 2000 with its first partner Derriford hospital, to the present day and the more than 600 sites that it now services.
This journey has seen the introduction of its CarteChoix plated meal system and its ‘training and operations’ function that supports customers.
Its range of ‘Specialist Nutrition’ has helped transform the landscape of dysphagia dining for patients – work that was recognised in 2016 when apetito won its second Royal honour, a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Following this came two further prestigious royal accolades, with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development awarded in 2019, and a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2024.
Relating to its work in sustainable business practice, apetito also revealed the latest milestone for its closed-loop recycling scheme, which has now recycled more than 2m trays from NHS customers alone.
Future investment plans were also detailed including the build of its brand-new manufacturing facility in Trowbridge, Kitchen West, that aims to be one of the most sustainable food manufacturing facilities in the UK and provide additional capacity to meet the increasing demand for its meals.
Alongside this, new product innovations and concepts were showcased to attendees by the meal provider aiming to keep expanding and enhancing its offering in step with market trends.
Neil Hargreaves of apetito said: “It’s been a privilege to gather everyone together and celebrate 25 brilliant years of serving nutritious meals to patients.
“This special event was a moment to reflect how far we’ve come to become a trusted partner in the sector, as well as share our vision for the future and the innovation we’re deploying to enhance our offering even further.
“As a business, we’re more determined than ever to support excellence in hospital catering as well as the NHS’ journey to Net Zero – alongside our own.
“None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication of our team and the trust of all our partnering sites. To everyone who’s been part of this story – thank you, and we’re looking forward to the years ahead.”