Compass Group UK & Ireland

🇬🇧 Celebrating 25 years of British Food Fortnight 🇬🇧 During the Labour Party Conference, Compass Group UK & Ireland hosted a special reception with Love British Food and WineGB to mark the milestone, bringing together leaders from across food, farming, hospitality and public policy to celebrate the businesses and people who help feed our nation. 🍽️ Guests enjoyed a menu inspired by the nations and regions of the UK, crafted by the culinary teams at Levy and Liverpool Experience Campus and paired with the best of British wine. 🎤 Keynote speaker Dame Angela Eagle MP set the tone for the evening, and the message in the room was clear: Britain has some of the best food and drink in the world. 👏 That's down to talent. From farmers, growers, fishers and producers to manufacturers, chefs and hospitality teams, the sector offers people from every background opportunities to develop skills, build careers and make a difference in communities across the UK. The event highlighted the industry's role in creating routes into employment and supporting skills development. British food deserves to be celebrated. So do the people whose skill, dedication and hard work make it possible every single day. A huge thank you to the chefs and hospitality teams behind a menu worthy of the occasion, and to everyone who joined us in raising a glass to British food and drink. Here's to the next 25 years 🥂 #BritishFoodFortnight #LoveBritishFood #BritishFood

We have partnered with Youth Employment UK, and social mobility charity Futures For All to create an initiative which will support entry-level jobseekers. This forms part of our wider Classroom to Careers programme, to help young people develop the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to progress into sustainable and meaningful employment. This next phase includes the Classroom to Careers course – a joint initiative, which is designed to help further address the UK youth skills gap and boost social mobility by giving students aged 14–19 direct access to structured, employer-led career pathways. It provides a 3-stage progression pathway: 1. Explore Careers with Youth Employment UK – A flexible 1-hour interactive online module featuring seven learning units, real apprentice stories, and quizzes covering diverse pathways from culinary and hospitality to HR, finance, and digital roles. 2. Remote Insight Days with Futures For All –This partnership is now introducing live, interactive virtual sessions running early next year, featuring workplace simulations, live Q&As, and direct engagement with industry staff. 3. In-Person Work Experience with Compass Group UK&I – 3-to-5-day hands-on placements running May–July 2027 on-site at official Compass venues across the country. “Our Youth Voice Census findings clearly show that young people want to work, but a lack of work experience and confidence remains their biggest barrier to securing entry-level roles. The Classroom to Careers course offers a direct solution by connecting online career exploration and virtual insight days directly with meaningful, hands-on work experience.” Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE DL FCGI FIEP, CEO of Youth Employment UK Read more - https://lnkd.in/eMg3Y8th #OurSocialPromise #TeamCompass Jonathan Foot and Barry Rotherham

We started the new academic year with the expansion of our Junior Chef Academy, helping even more young people develop culinary skills, grow in confidence and discover exciting careers in hospitality. This outreach follows previous success across areas including the Midlands, southern England and South Wales. The free culinary masterclasses are now being rolled out to some schools in areas such as London, the North and the East of England, having recently also launched in Scotland for the first time. Our plan is to reach over 1,500 students in the next 2-3 years, as part of our Classroom to Careers initiative. As former participant and now Level 2 Commis Chef Apprentice, Oliver Brewer, said: “Taking part in the Junior Chef Academy changed my life. It’s thanks to the Academy that I’m in my current role, as I was offered the job through one of the Chefs that helped me during the programme. I also wouldn’t have found my love of cooking and a career as a chef if I hadn’t taken part.” Craig Harvey, Operations Manager, Junior Chef Academy at Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “The Junior Chef Academy not only builds confidence in the kitchen and develops valuable culinary skills, but also inspires a genuine passion for cooking. It’s brilliant to see the young people engaged and enthused by their experience, and we hope this enthusiasm will encourage participants to pursue further education, apprenticeships and rewarding careers within the culinary sector. The JCA is already changing lives and opening doors, so we’re excited to see this progress even further as we roll out to new areas.” A huge thank you to our chefs, schools, partners and sponsor Brakes UK for helping us inspire future careers. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eYn-484d #JuniorChefAcademy #ClassroomToCareers #OurSocialPromise #TeamCompass Craig Harvey, Jonathan Foot and Business in the Community

🤍 We're proud to have launched the Within Elevate Mentoring Programme, bringing together mentors and mentees from across our business to support development, share experiences and learn from one another. What makes this programme unique is its focus on both traditional mentoring and reverse mentoring, creating opportunities for learning from different perspectives, experiences and ideas. 💭"I'm excited about this programme and the opportunity it provides to support my mentee's development, both personally and professionally." - Jamie Powell, Finance Director, Healthcare 💭"I was particularly impressed by the diversity of mentors and mentees." - Danielle Raffoul, Project Manager Built by Levy 💭"There is so much we can learn from different perspectives, experiences and ideas across our business." - Laura Tighe, Business Director, White Oaks As participants begin their mentoring journeys, we're looking forward to seeing the confidence, growth and connections that emerge through these partnerships. #Inclusion #TeamCompass

🥗 This #FoodieFriday, we're celebrating Dine Contract Catering Ltd's latest initiative!   Making healthier choices easier, Dine has introduced Nutritionist's Pick across its menus, helping customers quickly spot nutritious and balanced meal options selected by Registered Nutritionists.   “𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘱 – 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺.” - says Roz Witney, Founder and Lead Nutrionist at The DNA Nutritionist.   A great example of putting wellbeing on the menu👏   Dine Contract Catering Ltd   #TeamCompass #Dine

🏆 Double success at the Foodservice Equipment Journal (FEJ) Awards 2026! 🏆 We're incredibly proud to celebrate two outstanding colleagues who have been recognised at the Foodservice Equipment Journal (FEJ) Awards 2026. Scott Freeman, Culinary Director at ESS – Defence, Energy and Government Services, received the Outstanding Service to the Industry Award, recognising 30 years of dedication to the foodservice sector, culinary excellence, sustainability, and the development of future talent. Alex Rowe, Director of Food at Vacherin, was named Executive Chef of the Year, recognising his inspirational leadership, commitment to chef development, innovation, sustainability, and the transformation of Vacherin's culinary proposition. These awards are a testament to the passion, expertise and dedication that exist across our business every day. Congratulations to both winners on this fantastic achievement 👏 #TeamCompass

Colleagues from across White Oaks, the senior living division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, recently joined residents to build and decorate bug hotels, creating an opportunity for connection, creativity and conversation, while supporting biodiversity in their communities. Laura Tighe, Managing Director at White Oaks said: “These events help strengthen the sense of community, encourage social interaction and create meaningful moments, while also highlighting the importance of environmental initiatives within care home communities. It was fantastic to see these sessions being thoroughly enjoyed by both residents and colleagues, and we’re thrilled to hear that residents are already asking when the next activity will take place.” This brings to life Our Social Promise - a commitment to give back to local communities and positively impact one million lives by 2030. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eEeMwakJ #Volunteering #CommunityEngagement #TeamCompass

Last week our sustainability teams were busy sharing insights at the inaugural Footprint Festival.   It was brilliant to be part of a fantastic schedule, which covered sustainability issues, learnings and solutions impacting our sector. With thanks to our Compass experts 👏 Jonathan Davies, CEO, International at Levy – who covered the success of venison on our menus Luxey Dayanandan RNutr, Head of ESG, Restaurant Associates UK – took part in the panel on planetary health to plate, asking can we really shift diets at scale? Nicky Martin RNutr, Head of Nutrition, Foodbuy Group – who joined a panel about progress on the Bang in Some Beans initiative Rak Kalidas, Chief Creative Officer and Susie Crabbe (ANutr), Sustainability Manager, Levy – took part in a panel about future food trends Rees Bramwell, Sustainability Director, Compass One - covered healthier, lower-impact food within healthcare Thomas Rhodes, Head of Culinary - Procurement and Sustainability, Levy – led a wild venison masterclass with Lake District Farmers Tony Hickey, Food and Offer Menu Manager, Chartwells Schools State Schools and 🌱Andrew Furness, Sustainability Lead, Foodbuy Group - demonstrated the benefits of using fava bean flour   Colin Wheeler-James from Ground Up Cookery School talked about fermentation and led a foraging tour, with two of our Forward with Marcus Wareing participants, Josh Malone and David Green.   It was also fantastic to hear from Sir Charles Godfray FRS, Director of the Oxford Martin School, who works with us as our Chief Climate and Sustainability Advisor, who opened the festival.   Thanks to all our speakers who shared their valuable knowledge 😍 Gather + Gather, ESS – Defence, Energy and Government Services #TeamCompass #FootprintFestival

As part of National Inclusion Week, our Armed Forces Network was delighted to welcome Will Bateman, grandson of Jack Bateman, one of the founders of Compass Group, for a special event celebrating our heritage.   The Armed Forces Network is one of six inclusion networks across Compass Group UK & Ireland, supporting veterans, reservists, military spouses, service families, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and our Defence communities, while helping to create a culture where every colleague feels valued and supported.    We hosted lunch with Will, members of the UK Executive Team and Armed Forces Network leads. Will brought our Compass history to life through stories, literature and memorabilia linked to his grandfather. He reflected on Compass' beginnings during the Second World War, when the company was established to provide meals for workers supporting the war effort in munitions factories. More than 80 years later, the values of supporting people, creating opportunity and fostering a sense of belonging remain at the heart of who we are.    #NationalInclusionWeek #InclusionAndBelonging #ArmedForcesNetwork #ArmedForcesCovenant #Veterans #Reservists #MilitaryFamilies

As part of Chef Appreciation Week (14th - 18th September), we wanted to give a shout out to our Vacherin team and its next generation chef talent programme, PLATE 💥 Congratulations to the team as its first cohort graduates and these talented young chefs take the next step from college into careers with Vacherin 👏 Vacherin created PLATE in partnership with Capital City College and Chef Sabrina Gidda to give young chefs meaningful support throughout their education, greater exposure to the industry and a clear pathway into employment with guaranteed roles within the business on graduation. It’s great to see Vacherin leading the way in supporting the next generation of culinary talent and helping more young chefs build a future in our industry. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eHMa-6aH   #ChefAppreciationWeek #OurSocialPromise