CH&Co launches calorie-counted range for Wellbeing Being Well campaign

Independent catering group CH&Co has launched a range of calorie-counted sandwiches and salads as part of its Wellbeing Being Well healthy eating campaign.

The new range of 10 sandwiches and five salads will be available in 50 of the caterer's 140 restaurants nationwide from today, labelled Wellbeing Being Well Light (WBBW Light).

The initiative forms part of CH&Co's commitment to the Government's Responsibility Deal to improve public health. The caterer has currently signed up to two of the three pledges: one is to reduce salt to the 2012 target levels by the end of next year and the other is to eliminate artificial trans fats, which it has already achieved.

Caroline Fry, managing director of CH&Co, said: "The introduction of our WBBW Light range is the first step on our journey towards potentially complying with the final Responsibility Deal pledge asking caterers to introduce calorie labelling on all standard recipes."

CH&Co chefs worked with the company's consultant nutritionist, Amanda Ursell, to ensure each "light" option is nutritionally balanced and as healthy as possible. Each recipe has been analysed and Ursell is currently working on a range of desserts which will be introduced at a later date.

She described the process as complex but emphasised that the main priority was to make sure the food tasted great too. "Dressings, fillings, breads and protein items have really come under scrutiny and it has been fantastic working so closely with CH&Co chefs to achieve the right balance," she explained.

"It's good that they are getting into the spirit of this and taking their responsibility so seriously because they can make a big impact on people's diets during the working day."

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By Janie Stamford

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