Count Me In! Healthy Catering champion joins the Cotswold Chef on DVD
Cotswold Chef Rob Rees has joined forces with Count Me In! to front the Healthy Catering Challenge DVD – part of Tewkesbury's Count Me In! initiative to encourage traders to service healthier options.
Over the past nine months, officers from Gloucestershire Trading Standards Service have joined forces with freelance nutritionist Gemma Heiser to visit the traders and evaluate the content of their most popular dishes. Following analysis at Worcestershire Scientific Services, they are in the process of returning to the traders with advice on how reductions in fat, salt and sugar can be made, and in a year's time the success of the Challenge will be evaluated.
Of the traders, The Bay Tree in Church Street, has made particular improvements and so was selected to be the focus of the Healthy Catering Challenge DVD which is now available to view in the gallery.
Rob Rees says: “Simple and tiny changes to the menu for the better can make a real difference to the health of customers and when well managed, the profits of our industry. It’s a real pleasure to have been involved in this project.”
Filming took place in Tewkesbury earlier this year for the short DVD which provides an overview to the Challenge and interviews with owner of The Bay Tree Andrew Heath, Cotswold Chef and DVD presenter Rob Rees and nutritional expert Gemma Heiser.
Adrian Jevans, Gloucestershire Food Vision and Count Me In! board member, said: “It is very encouraging to see these businesses making significant inroads into offering up healthier food for their customers. We are already seeing some positive changes to the food being offered on the menus which is great news for Tewkesbury, its residents and all who visit.”
Also taking up the challenge is Polly’s Pantry in Northway Lane, which has been busy sourcing new low fat and salt options and as a result have made significant changes to their menu.
Eddie Coventry, Head of Gloucestershire Trading Standards said: “As a council we are constantly looking for new ways to tackle the healthy eating agenda and this is an excellent way of doing just that. We are delighted to be part of this and are confident that we will be seeing some very worthwhile results.”
The DVD can be viewed in the Count Me In! website gallery