Sodexo Live! hosts a sustainable showcase at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Sodexo Live! soared into the 2022 summer event season, surpassing pre-pandemic sales by serving 9,000 showground visitors and 4,500 hospitality guests at the world-famous Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show.
For over 30 years, Sodexo Live! has worked with the RHS to deliver world-class experiences in food and hospitality and, in 2022, a new plant-based dining concept was piloted at the show in the Thames View Café and a Champagne Terrace Bar was introduced (sponsored by Pommery Champagne), alongside official hospitality at Jardin Blanc.
In addition to the plant-based Thames View Café, Sodexo Live! also introduced Soul Deli at Rock Bank food market as another innovation for 2022. Combining gourmet flavours with street-food convenience, the team used middle eastern flavours to serve up delicious food made with craft from seasonal and sustainable ingredients. Showground visitors raised a glass-or-two to the jubilee this year, consuming 16,000 glasses of Pommery Champagne.
Returning to RHS Chelsea Flower Show for its sixth year, Jardin Blanc - delivered in partnership with double-Michelin-starred chef, Raymond Blanc OBE - provided hospitality guests with truly memorable experiences centred around fresh and sustainable produce, with menus inspired by the ‘Simply Raymond’ book and television programme. Guests relished in the experience of Jardin Blanc, as post-event consumer surveys reported a universal five-star rating from guests.
Jardin Blanc is famous for bringing together inspired contributors from artists to entertainers to create elevated experiences for its guests. One such partnership is with The Garden Army as part of a commitment to sourcing fresh, locally grown ingredients and reducing food waste across the UK. CEO of The Garden Army, Tom Morphew, held talks at Jardin Blanc with guests throughout the week, speaking about the benefits of regenerative farming on the environment and how horticultural therapy can have a positive impact on wellbeing and mental health.
With a long-running heritage in embracing sustainability, the team delivering RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year committed to take action on food waste. This is in accordance with Sodexo’s Appetite for Action 2022 report, which provides recommendations for both organisations and the government on how food waste can be measured and reduced. All food waste at the show was recycled on-site, and perishable produce was donated to City Harvest – a charity distributing surplus food to feed those local communities most in need.
The long overdue return of hospitality has not been easy or straight-forward for anyone in the industry, but we are delighted to have been able to partner with the RHS to deliver a fantastic offering, beginning our season of major events in a hugely positive way - partnering with Raymond Blanc OBE once again, and introducing new concepts that both reflect changing consumer preferences and provide responsible service that protects the planet.