Workplace services provider Sodexo Ireland is poised to ‘stir up’ corporate food services with the launch of Fooditude and the opening of a new cloud kitchen in Dublin
In December 2020 Sodexo acquired a majority shareholding in Fooditude, one of London’s leading names in ‘delivered-in’ workplace catering. Fooditude has been operating since 2005, with household name clients that include Netflix and Pinterest.
The arrival of Fooditude is an important step as Sodexo grows new digital-enabled and consumer-focused food services.
Food is ordered in advance via the Sodexo Twelve Pay app that provides an ‘order-to-delivery’ experience. Fooditude’s offsite production capability allows organisations to review their real estate and re-model existing kitchen space for valuable business activities.
The launch of Fooditude in Dublin is an evolution of Sodexo’s Vital Spaces proposition, which aims to provide a new approach to help employees transform their workplaces with a connected, people-centric approach.
Commenting on the news, David Fox, managing director, Sodexo Ireland, said: “At Sodexo, we recognise the importance of innovation and anticipating the needs of our clients and their employees, all with continued focus on improving the quality of life of all those we serve.
“Fooditude is part of the transformation of our food services. Launching this new model for food services allows us to support our clients, as the role of the workplace is changing and evolving. For us – it’s all about making it easy and putting food at the heart of the employee experience and offering the digital-first experience that consumers expect.”
Fooditude continues to be run by husband-and-wife team Dean and Samantha Kennett, who have strong personal connections to Ireland. A craft team will operate out of its new Dublin cloud kitchen at Clarehall in Santry.
Fooditude co-owner and former chef Dean Kennett virtually met prospective clients and showcased the company’s offerings at Dublin Tech Summit on 17th June. Mr Kennett said: “Our London clients have been asking us to come to Dublin for a while and now we’re here! We have over 15 years of experience in bringing food and fun to the workplace. Our motto is ‘feed yourself happy’ because there’s nothing like a tasty meal to put a smile on everyone’s face – and we’re looking forward to putting a few smiles on faces in Dublin!”
During the pandemic, Mr Kennett and the Fooditude team delivered 40,000 meals to vulnerable residents in Southwark in London. As a result, the BBC programme, Masterchef UK, invited Dean Kennett to be a guest diner and judge on its recent broadcast celebrating COVID-19 Food Heroes.
For more information on Fooditude and Vital Spaces, click here.