Through ‘groundbreaking’ work with development chef Mathieu Eke, who won Public Sector Catering’s 2025 Special Contribution Award, the watercress grower is partnering with farms in Dorset and Hampshire to make watercress a staple on NHS menus.
If successful NHS patients, hospital staff and visitors will have access to delicious and nutrient dense foods that have been locally and sustainably sourced, which help hospitals meet their Net Zero commitments and growers to reduce farm waste.
Phase one of the programme is to trial fresh watercress in hospital dishes and to undertake product testing using fresh watercress in individual quick freeze (IQF) portions, Cresto (frozen watercress pesto) and flavoured ice lollies featuring watercress extract to aid patient hydration.
These trials will initially occur in hospitals across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire but with a view to extending the collaboration more widely if successful.
Tom Amery, managing director of The Watercress Company, said: “This pilot project is a win-win: for the environment, for the NHS, and for the health of the patients. Watercress is nutrient-dense, easy to grow locally, and fits beautifully into sustainable menus.
“We’re keen to see it championed in hospitals as both a culinary and a clinical asset and can support this through direct delivery of fresh produce, helping patients experience the taste and health benefits of watercress straight from the farm. Working with Mathieu and his team to develop and trial recipes is an extension of the way in which we support our product with evidence-based research.”
The watercress pilot is supported by Public Sector Catering Lifetime Achievement winner Philip Shelley, senior operational manager & national lead for Net Zero Food at NHS England. His role is to seek excellence and innovation in hospital catering, and he sees clearly how the use of watercress can support patient recovery, boost flavour and nutrition while supporting British growers and cutting food waste.
To demonstrate how easily fresh watercress can be incorporated into healthy, simple dishes, over 40 healthcare chefs from across the Wessex region will be attending a showcase day arranged by the Chefs’ Forum and The Nutrition Advisory Team on TWC’s Waddock Farm in Dorchester.
The event on 26th August will include a farm tour to see how watercress is sustainably grown, a talk on the health benefits of the leafy superfood and live cooking demos by Mathieu Eke and Al Brady, chef consultant to The Watercress Company.
Mathieu Eke, who is development chef at Yeovil District Hospital, added: “We’re working towards ambitious net zero targets — and food has a vital role to play. Reducing waste, sourcing local produce, and designing menus that nourish both patients and the planet is essential work that supports systems change. Our work here is not only transforming hospital food but also serving the wider community and looking after the environment.”