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Sussex Uni Food, the foodservice partnership between the University of Sussex and Chartwells Universities, has been recognised at the prestigious Cateys awards, with two awards celebrating excellence in leadership, social impact and sustainability.

The awards, held on Friday 9 October, saw Mark Lawrence, Contract Director at Sussex Uni Food, named General Manager of the Year.

Sussex Uni Food also won the Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) Award, recognising its work to embed sustainability across its operation, combining environmental action with initiatives designed to create a lasting social impact.

The CSER Award recognised a range of Sussex Uni Food initiatives, including:

• The Supported Internship Programme, which provides training and work experience for young people affected by autism.
• Social Impact Coffee, Sussex’s ground-breaking scheme to share 65% of the profit from coffee bean sales for the Arts Piazza Café with charities chosen by our students.
• The Sussex Saver meal, which provides hot, healthy meals in Eat Central every day from only £2.50.
• The Returnable Cup scheme, which has prevented 65,925 disposable cups going into landfill since 2024
• Ongoing initiatives to provide sustainable, locally sourced produce across our campus food outlets.

A shared achievement

Reflecting on Sussex’s success at the awards, Mark said, “these awards are proof of what can be achieved when talented people with a shared ambition are given the opportunity to succeed.

From our Executive Chef Michael King to our Social Impact and Sustainability Manager Sandra Juan Delgado and all the wonderful, dedicated staff who work in our campus outlets, I’m proud to lead such an incredible team, working to deliver a sustainable, inclusive and socially responsible food service for the University.”

Echoing Mark’s comments, Helen Power-Hosking, Associate Director of Commercial Services at the University of Sussex, said, “it was a pleasure to see the Sussex Uni Food partnership recognised at a national level. The team work incredibly hard to put students’ priorities first, whether that’s providing free, healthy meals during exam periods, reducing food waste year-on-year, or engaging new local partners to provide delicious ingredients from local Sussex farms. I’d like to thank the whole team for their continued contribution to the University’s sustainability success.”

Visit the University website to find out more about the values that guide the Sussex Uni Food partnership and follow us on Instagram for upcoming events and initiatives.