BonCulina UK, with a new commercial team in place headed by experienced NHS catering professional Mark Smith, has secured five new contracts and one retention, including Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, since acquiring Anglia Crown in May.
BonCulina has strengthened its commercial team with three new appointments and been appointed foodservice supplier to Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, the most recent of six contracts awarded in recent months.
Mark Smith has joined BonCulina as Head of Healthcare Sales to lead the commercial team, responsible for hospital-delivered meals. He brings extensive foodservice and NHS catering experience, having previously been general manager of a significant production facility.
National Account Managers Kevin Cowley and Catherine Jones complete the trio of new appointments, joining National Account Manager Colin Clarke, Commercial Co-ordinator Karl Adams and Company Dietitian Ruth Smith, who was recently appointed Chair of the British Dietetic Association’s Food Services Specialist Group.
All team members bring NHS catering or foodservice experience, supporting BonCulina’s mission to deliver high-quality chilled and frozen multi-portion and frozen plated meals into healthcare, care homes and other public sectors.
As previously communicated, BonCulina’s healthcare division in the UK grew by more than 50% from May to September, following the acquisition of Anglia Crown. Since then, the new commercial team have secured five new contracts and one retention.
Food service specialist BonCulina has just been awarded a two-year contract to supply meals to eight sites belonging to Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Based around Liverpool and with services in Southport, Warrington and the region, Mersey Care is a large organisation with a wide range of community and in-patient mental health care for some of the most complex individuals in the NHS. The Trust’s catering manager Martin Currell said: “The extensive product range and quality on offer from BonCulina has allowed the Trust to create a varied menu cycle with nutritious flavoursome dishes, which is so important for our longer stay patients. As sustainability is key to us, we also greatly appreciate BonCulina using recyclable packaging. By offering flexible deliveries to suit our storage facilities at the different sites, BonCulina meets our food service requirements very well and we look forward to developing our partnership.”
Mark Smith, Head of Healthcare Sales at BonCulina UK, said: “This recent growth was a challenge but we’re very pleased to have successfully mobilised these new contracts quickly, with our operations and commercial teams working closely together. The new contracts are a testament of the implementation of a new approach, with the shift from Anglia Crown’s production mentality to BonCulina’s customer-centric catering approach.
“I’m extremely proud to lead this team and excited for what we can deliver together. The breadth of experience, knowledge and sheer passion for hospital catering is off the scale and I look forward to creating a new service standard in foodservice that goes beyond delivering great meals, as well as meeting our ambitious growth strategy.
“The new team has recognised the need for a new approach by listening to our customers, improving standards across the board and showing proactivity and flexibility in line with our company values."
BonCulina UK is now looking at building on its growth in the UK and potentially also extending its reach to adjacent markets.
On the photo from left to right: Kevin Cowley, Ruth Smith, Mark Smith, Colin Clarke, Catherine Jones and Karl Adams.