Partnering with Full Circle Farms
Sodexo Live! partnered with Full Circle Farms – a unique regenerative farm in West Sussex – in November 2021 to continue in its commitment to sourcing fresh, locally grown ingredients and reducing food waste across the UK.
Across the world, Sodexo Live! serves 30 million guests across more than 3,200 events each year, and is driven to create the finest menus, partner with the most renowned chefs, and connect with the tastiest local produce.
Full Circle Farms offers urban restaurants an opportunity to own and grow on their own plot of farmed land. Each plot is allocated a full farming team who work with the chefs to assess the restaurants' requirements and grow and deliver the best produce for them.
The farm does not use any fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or weed killers. Instead, farmers build soil fertility using organic compost and manures. This helps improve all ecosystem processes, such as the water cycle and mineral cycle availability. Animals are also used to help manage the land. For example, a pig will support the turning of the soil and mixing-in of green renewers. This process feeds the nutrients back into the soil to help produce vegetables such as beetroot and kale.
Sodexo Live! has purchased 1.5 acres of land at Full Circle Farms to grow organic vegetables, specifically for Sodexo Live! chefs to use in menus. So far, over 2.7 tonnes of organic vegetables have been used across client sites where Sodexo operates.
Leftover ingredients from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 were supplied to the farm to create compost and fertiliser to grow the crop of fruit and vegetables for the 2022 event. The fruit and vegetables have also been distributed to other Sodexo Live! partners such as Ascot Racecourse.
Ben Dutson, food innovation director of Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, explains:
When we first met with Tom and the team at Full Circle Farms we knew that we wanted to support the brilliant work they’re doing. Both our organisations are passionate about fresh ingredients, sustainability and educating the next generation of hospitality workers, so it was the ideal opportunity to collaborate.
"As part of our commitment to providing world-class training for our team and the best possible experience for our guests, we want to lead by example and embed sustainability, food provenance and education into everything we do, and our partnership with the farm will help us do just that."
Tom Morphew, CEO of Full Circle Farms, is passionate about the overwhelming benefits of regenerative farming and educating people about where their favourite ingredients come from.
Tom said:
“Our aim is to reduce and re-think food waste and provide top chefs with an amazing range of flavours though our fruits and vegetables. I’m passionate about the overwhelming benefits of regenerative farming and educating people about where their favourite ingredients come from. We believe our ‘full circle’ farming model gives our produce its amazing taste.
“As a company, we don’t choose to partner with just anyone. The reason we chose to partner with Sodexo Live! is not only because of their philosophy behind growing food and producing amazing meals, but because of Sodexo Live!’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and helping people.”