The agreement covers 48 locations in the North West and 48 locations in the East of England. This sizable win comes at a time when only five per cent of all care home catering is outsourced.

As part of the contract, Elior will create a range of menus that offer nutritious, yet much-loved food, using a bespoke nutritional programme that can be tailored to reflect local tastes. It will also meet the needs of residents with a wide range of dietary requirements, including diabetes and dysphagia.

Rachael Junge, Managing Director in the North West commented “At Four Seasons we pride ourselves on providing Special Resident Experiences and the food we serve on a daily basis is a huge part of our residents’ day.  Our partnership with Elior has helped us to consistently offer nutritious meals that residents love.”

Following its successful tender, Elior has demonstrated its capabilities through a ‘proof of concept’ trial at eight homes in Manchester. It has introduced its concepts and systems smoothly at these sites, and has now started to roll out its plan across the remaining 88 sites.

Sunil Bhatt, Four Seasons Health Care procurement project manager says: “We partnered with Elior because of their vast bank of care catering expertise. By letting Elior manage our catering, we’ve freed up our home managers’ time, so they can focus on delivering very good care within their homes.”

Robin Comerford, healthcare development director for Elior said: “We’re looking forward to bringing our sector-specific expertise to Four Seasons Health Care. Food is one of the most important aspects of the care home. It improves the residents’ quality of life and is a focal point for friends and families. By raising the standard of catering, we’re revealing the excellent service residents receive, and helping Four Seasons Health Care increase occupancy.”

The contracts will see more than 500 care home team members become part of Elior. There has already been significant support for the development, with around 120 Four Seasons chefs, home and general managers attending a well-received engagement day in Manchester.

Here Elior unveiled the new opportunities available; showcasing its nutritious and appealing meals through food sampling, and sharing information about its varied training programme, which covers topics from computer skills to allergen awareness and health and safety compliance.