The Guernsey Institute Cafe's Journey: A Recipe for Collaboration
Since 2019, we have been collaborating with the College of FE, now known as The Guernsey Institute, on their food provision. At the time, the College relied on vending machines to provide food and with our support, the management team wanted to make sure that staff and students could access healthier and better food to support their health and learning.
Our efforts included engaging with students and staff to gather their views, forming a working party to figure how we could improve and having input from other catering experts with experience in similar set ups. In 2021, this initiative materialised into a “build your own” provision, which early on saw success with increased in sales of healthier options.
Our ongoing collaboration with a number of key figures at the College, the Café Team Leader and servers, the student engagement officer, the leadership team and the principal, has led to further improvements in the menu and overall provision.
This support has resulted in more students opting for healthier choices, such as including salads in wraps, and the cafés becoming hubs for socialising and relaxing during breaks. Part of our work involves auditing the food and drinks against standards to consider alongside the caterer any future changes that are possible.
We have been working hard over the last few years to improve the café’s offering and provision, and also the environment to make it more welcoming for our students and staff. They have become essential spaces for nourishment and social interaction. We are grateful for the support over the years from the Commission and look forward to carrying this on.
We have a developed a great working relationship with The Guernsey Institute, which has positively impacted students’ and staffs’ health. It has also been a great learning opportunity to trial ideas that we can take to other food settings. It’s rewarding to see the benefits our collaborative efforts are having on the College’s community.
The work has informed our approach with other food settings, including other States food providers and community settings like La Vallette bathing pools cafe.
Food businesses that are considering making any type of changes to their food offering or layout, small or large, are welcome to reach out for support and guidance. Please contact us at hello@healthimprovement.gg
For more information about the Eat Well team's work visit the Eat Well page.