Sodexo Acquires Majority Shareholding in Fooditude

• Content
• News
• Sodexo Acquires Majority Shareholding in Fooditude

02 December 2020

Sodexo has today announced it has taken a majority shareholding in Fooditude, the London-based delivered-in office food services provider. 

This represents a significant milestone for Sodexo in offsite food production and food delivery, allowing the business to grow its new digital-enabled and consumer-focused food services.

Fooditude founders Dean and Sam Kennett will retain shares in the company and will continue to operate the business under the Fooditude brand alongside their existing team.

Dean Kennett, managing director and founder of Fooditude says: “I couldn’t be happier about our decision to join forces with Sodexo to bring the Fooditude brand to new audiences across the UK and beyond.

“We have ambitious plans for growth after 15 successful years as a premium workplace caterer to London’s most forward-thinking businesses and partnering with Sodexo will accelerate those plans." 

Fooditude produces fresh food from a 20,000 sq ft central production unit (CPU) in London that is delivered to corporate clients. Its client base is predominantly with media and technology organisations, with key clients including Netflix and Pinterest.

By investing in Fooditude Sodexo is not only adding a successful food brand to its portfolio, it is adding significant offsite food production, which will accelerate the roll-out of delivery models, such as Good Eating Company Delivered, launched in August 2020.

Shifts in Consumer Food Habits

Changes in lifestyles brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic have resulted in huge shifts in both working patterns and consumer food habits. Sodexo’s latest (October 2020) Harris Interactive tracker revealed that 88 per cent of UK workers who worked from home during the pandemic would like to continue to do so, with three days the most popular option (35 per cent).

As a result, organisations are reviewing their real estate and looking at the role of food as a benefit, either as a way to entice people back into the office, or indeed to support their productivity at home, with healthy food delivered in.

A growing trend is the acceleration of food delivery and consumer demand to access food services digitally. This trend is likely to challenge traditional onsite food services, as consumers look for more flexibility and choice. Indeed, the Harris Interactive tracker found that half of employees stated that when they return to the office, they are less likely to visit the staff restaurant; and 60 per cent of those wanting to continue working from home stated they were interested in food delivery (lunch & snacks) and when asked what improvements could be made by their company’s foodservice provider, 26 per cent stated the ability to order food to be delivered.

Picture: a photograph of some chefs working in a kitchen

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 02 December 2020

Share

Related Articles