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PFHC shares a vision of a future where both people and the planet can thrive.

By supporting a strong and resilient healthcare service, we aim to champion world-leading, sustainable food provision that nourishes patients, communities, and the environment. 

To achieve this, we collaborate with and equip UK hospitals to serve inclusive, delicious, nutritious, plant-rich meals that: 

Meet NHS and BDA Nutrition and Hydration standards

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    Offer low-carbon menu items to help meet net zero targets
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    Achieve high patient and customer satisfaction scores 
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    Offers a more inclusive menu for reasons of faith, health, beliefs
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    Can reduce waste and support local sourcing 
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    Are cost effective and potentially profit generating 
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    Set the standard for healthy and sustainable eating
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    Support patient recovery 
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    Support staff health and wellbeing 
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    Ensure the long term viability of the NHS 

How do we make all of this happen?

Our innovative consultancy service offers wide-ranging support for NHS trusts and private healthcare settings to successfully adopt plant-rich food cultures. 

Our services include, but are not limited to:

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    Dietetics and nutrition expertise and training
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    Plant-based culinary training for catering and food service teams 
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    Menu and recipe development 
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    Guidance on use of behavioural nudge techniques
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    Evaluation and impact analysis 
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    Communication and messaging support
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    Board engagement and business case development 
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    Engagement and education of healthcare professionals 
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    Collaboration with NHS sustainability teams 

Why work with us?

We have a successful track record of implementing food change in healthcare settings, schools and other institutions. Our coalition benefits from a deep knowledge of, and senior relationships across, the NHS and catering industries, alongside successful partnerships with national and international institutions.

Together, we represent an extensive network of healthcare, dietetic, food and sustainability professionals, offering unrivalled skills and expertise in plant-based food excellence.

Collaborate with us

Partner with us on a ground-breaking pilot where we support you to deliver successful sustainable menu and food culture change in your staff and visitor restaurant and/or patient food services. 

Each pilot is bespoke and crafted to your setting’s unique catering needs, allowing us to respond to regional and cultural food sensitivities, overcome site specific challenges, and build on your team’s food service vision.

As part of your pilot, we can:

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    Arrange a site visit to get to know your team
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    Deliver training to hospital staff
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    Deliver plant-based sustainability & nutrition training
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    Audit existing menus
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    Offer business case development support
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    Develop and supply new recipes 
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    Facilitate taste-testing
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    Partner on menu development
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    Enter your menus for an Award 
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    Implement choice architecture and behavioural nudges 
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    Train culinary and service staff
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    Support with internal communications
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    Collect data/feedback for impact measurement
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    Provide feedback, results analysis, and pilot recommendations 

What people say

"If we are to drive positive change across healthcare, then partnership working will be at the core of any success. The Plants First Coalition has worked tirelessly to drive a collated approach to plant rich menus across our NHS sites. This has included educational events, workshops and supplier engagement. If we are to have a purposeful and long standing change of direction, then support for choice and healthier outcomes should be prioritised.”

Philip Shelley
NHSE National Lead For Net Zero Food

“As a renal dietitian, I’m increasingly aware of the need to balance patient-centred care with wider sustainability goals. A more plant-forward approach, when applied thoughtfully, has the potential to support both health outcomes and environmental impact. The Plants First Healthcare Coalition is playing an important role in bringing together evidence, expertise and practical solutions to help make this shift both achievable and clinically appropriate.”

Angeline Taylor
Lead Renal Dietitian at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Trust & Chair of the BDA Kidney Dietitian Specialist Group

“Sustainability should make up a core part and be ingrained into our dietetic practice. The work Plants First Healthcare does alongside NHS Supply Chain, can help to bridge that gap, supporting patient goals and improving sustainability for the NHS. With a clear evidenced based approach we can empower hospitals to provide sustainable options across patient and staff/visitor food services, helping to drive meaningful change for the health of everyone who steps foot into the NHS.”

Idrees Anwar
Lead Dietitian NHS Supply Chain: Food

“Working in partnership with Greener By Default (PFHC member) to successfully increase the plant based ratios within our hospital canteen was both inspiring and impactful. PFHC proved to be an outstanding partner – strategic, committed and genuinely focused on delivering meaningful change.”

Michelle Nolan
Sustainability Manager, Royal National Orthopedic Hospital NHS Trust

“I think it’s a great idea to have a plant-rich approach. It's really important that we not just care for the patient, but care for the planet at the same time. The plant-rich menus have been a huge success. Patient choice was preserved and sustainability enhanced.”

Wan Mak
Head of Dietetics and Nutrition, Sodexo

“Working with Greener By Default (PFHC member) has been invaluable in accelerating our approach to sustainable, health‑promoting catering across our Hospitals. Their evidence‑based support and collaborative style, helped us deliver meaningful carbon reductions while improving the overall food experience.”

Matthew Hicks
Head of Non-Clinical Assurance, Nuffield Health

“What inspires me about Greener by Default’s (GBD) work is the way it helps healthcare turn ambition into practical and meaningful action. By working with GBD, we have reduced the carbon emissions of our menu without any impact on patient choice and quality, and are looking forward to rolling this out to our Fitness & Wellbeing Centres too. Making healthy, sustainable options easier to choose is a simple but powerful way to support both individual wellbeing and planetary health.”

Dr Davina Deniszcyc
Medical Director & Charity Director, Nuffield Health

“Society is facing the triple whammy of climate change, affordability and diet-related diseases. It makes ethical and fiscal sense to embrace more plant-rich diets because they can be healthier, better value and more climate-friendly. The PFHC is doing crucial work to make this a reality with benefits to people, planet and the NHS purse. What’s not to like about this triple dividend?”

Professor Kevin Morgan

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Win an award!

By taking part in a pilot, you can enter the nationally-recognised, ProVeg Hospital Plates Award scheme, which rewards efforts to embed more sustainable hospital menus and helps hospitals to deliver against legislative net zero targets. Upon submitting your menu, your hard work can be recognised with a bronze, silver, gold or platinum award.

Find out more

Use our recipes

The Plants First Healthcare Coalition is proud to have developed plant-rich recipes for the NHSE recipe bank. These recipes are suitable for cooking at scale, meet BDA Nutrition and Hydration guidelines, are are highly cost-effective, culturally varied, and importantly - are delicious.

Find recipes

Join our network

Not quite ready to start a pilot but want to stay in the loop?

Sign up to join a global community of trailblazing healthcare professionals shaping the future of healthcare. Get exclusive event invitations, upcoming webinar updates, and delicious plant-rich recipes - plus the chance to connect with like-minded peers worldwide.

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