Healthier Catering Commitment

Healthier Catering Commitment 

Obesity and Royal Borough of Kensington Chelsea

 In young Londoners one in three is either obese or overweight. In the Royal Borough of Kensington Chelsea 36.4%. of year 6 children are overweight or obese, which is above the national average and slightly below the London average. Amongst reception age children, 23% are overweight or obese, which is above both the London and national average. 

If the problem is not tackled by 2050 nearly 60% of the UK population could be obese, costing £45.5 billion.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of multiple health problems including several of the major causes of death and disability in the developed world. Diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some of the most common cancers and chronic diseases.

With around half of Londoners eating a takeaway at least once a week, the food consumed out of the home can play a part in Londoner’s health. It is in the food outlets that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea can have an impact, through schemes such as the Healthier Catering Commitment project.

Healthier Catering Commitment Award

Restaurants, takeaways, sandwich bars and other caterers that offer healthier food options can now apply for The Healthier Catering Commitment (HCC) Award. The scheme is run by the council in partnership with the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM). The majority of London boroughs are taking part.

The Healthier Catering scheme publicly recognises caterers who are seen to be:

• committed to promoting good health by providing a range of foods that meet customer demands for healthier choices
• committed to providing a good standard of hygiene and have achieved a ‘3’ rating or above under the food hygiene rating scheme

Eating well is an important factor in helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. 

The scheme is aimed at encouraging outlets to take some simple steps to reduce saturated fat, reduce salt and offer healthier alternatives such as smaller portion sizes. The scheme is based on the principle that small changes can make big differences.

Who is eligible for the Healthier Catering Award?

All types of catering establishments are eligible to apply for the scheme including: sandwich bars, pubs, restaurants, business caterers, leisure centres and takeaway outlets.

What benefits does the award have for you?

The scheme is continuously promoted to increase public awareness. You will be given a window sticker to promote your award on your premises. A list of award holders will also appear on the ALEHM website, which is regularly accessed by the general public. Free nutritional advice will be given to you by one of our Environmental Health Officers. Caterers in the past have also found that the award helped to:

• increase the number of customers visiting the establishment
• increase secondary spending, as people remained in the establishment for longer