Sodexo cooks up tasty videos with social impact for Focus Ireland

A series of tasty video recipes ‘cooked up’ by Sodexo Ireland chefs for its charity partner Focus Ireland has just been launched. Entitled ‘A Simple Guide to Everyday Meals’ it is the first-ever recipe video series developed on behalf of Focus Ireland, supporting its strategic aim to develop essential life skills for families exiting long-term homelessness.

The video culinary ‘first’ also underpins Sodexo’s commitment to provide skills-based mentoring and needs-led services to support local communities, as part of its Social Impact Pledge.

Photo above shows from left to right: Jennifer Rabe, head chef for Sodexo at Bord Bia and John Core, group business manager for Sodexo at VHI, with Nicola Stewart from the Focus Ireland Family Centre.

Filmed in Bord Bia’s demo kitchen in Dublin, Sodexo’s volunteer chefs demonstrated how to quickly prepare and cook tasty, nutritious, budget-friendly family favourites. Each recipe is packed full of nutrition, with almost all of them designed to feed a family of four for around ten euros each. The dishes are made using standard supermarket ingredients using the minimal amount of kitchen utensils.

A print copy of the cookbook ‘A Simple Guide to Everyday Meals’ will also be available to families accessing Focus Ireland’s Family Centre in Dublin, with tips and advice on what to buy to cook healthier versions of favourite recipes without losing taste.

Sodexo has been long-standing supporters of Focus Ireland, partnering with us and lending their support in many ways. We are delighted to be partnering with them once again for this amazing initiative.

Not only will it provide our customers with the knowledge and skills to create delicious meals, but it will also empower them by building their knowledge on nutrition and further enhancing their cooking techniques.

This will only build on their confidence and will allow them to create and re-create these amazing dishes, time and time again.
Ciara Carty - director of services, Focus Ireland

Culinary director Julianne Forrestal and John Core, one of its group business managers, were two of the senior chefs involved in leading the collaborative project. John has a Master’s in Applied Culinary Nutrition, and he put his skills to good use in developing the right content for the video series.

We are sponsors of  Focus Ireland’s Family Centre and the idea for the video series was born out of a mutual discussion on other opportunities for Sodexo to extend its support, utilising our corporate skills and expertise.

The recipe video series was the ideal solution and a huge thank you to all our chefs who gladly volunteered their time and skills on screen and behind the scenes to make it happen.

I also want to especially thank Bord Bia for giving us the use of its demo kitchen, it was the perfect location to bring the video series  to life.
Julianne Forrestal, culinary director, Sodexo Ireland

Sodexo Ireland is one of the country’s largest workplace services providers, managing staff restaurants, workspace transformation to improve employee experience, facilities management and estate management on behalf of clients in business, industry, healthcare and education.

The Sodexo recipe video series are now live on the Focus Ireland YouTube account, making them accessible for everyone to enjoy.