Through our partnership with a leading health and wellness retailer we’ve reimagined distribution centre catering, creating a modern, tailored food service that aligns with the client’s values and the employees’ working schedules.
The client operates a busy distribution centre with mixed shifts across the workforce, including a vital night team of 20–30 colleagues. Recognising the restaurant’s critical role in the business and aware that the on-site facility hadn’t seen investment for over two decades, the company wanted an environment and service offering that reflected its strong commitment to wellbeing. The goal was to address the nutritional challenges of shift work and promote a wider range of healthier choices.
The client sought a catering partner to revitalise the distribution centre, improve employee satisfaction and create a service model that met the complex needs of shift-based operations.
The transformation began with a complete refresh of the front-of-house environment. The space has been reimagined into a bright, welcoming dining area where employees can relax and connect. New lighting, furniture, and finishes have created a pleasant, modern atmosphere that encourages people to stay, socialise and enjoy their break time.
Alongside the refurbishment came a redesigned catering model that reflects the diverse needs of the distribution centre. With both day and night operations to support, flexibility and responsiveness were vital. We introduced a dedicated evening service for night shift workers, a first for the site, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their shift pattern, could access high-quality, nourishing meals.
The service remains affordable for employees while maintaining commercial sustainability. When shift and break times were adjusted shortly after launch, our team responded quickly, adapting service schedules within days to ensure continuous alignment with operational demands.
The site’s layout presented unique logistical challenges. The distribution centre comprises two separate buildings: the main facility housing the central kitchen and restaurant, and a production building located across the road. Employees in this production building often had limited time for breaks, making access to hot, fresh meals challenging.
We implemented a simple yet effective trust-based solution. Employees in the production building pre-order their meals through an app, and freshly prepared dishes are delivered to a designated collection point at set times. This system ensures speed, quality and choice, without unnecessary cost or complexity.
The cornerstone of this partnership is open dialogue and continuous improvement. Every month, the Eurest team hosts “You Said, We Did” sessions, inviting groups of 10–20 employees to share honest feedback about the food, service and experience.
These sessions have become a vital two-way channel, strengthening engagement between employees, the Eurest team and the client. From menu adjustments to service tweaks, employee insights are acted on and outcomes are reported back the following month. This approach has empowered the workforce to feel part of the change.
One of the most memorable examples came from the menu itself. As a large percentage of the employees are Eastern European, many of them Hungarian, the catering team brought in authentic regional dishes to reflect the workforce’s cultural diversity. After feedback in these sessions told the team that a traditional goulash recipe could be improved, the catering team worked directly with the distribution centre employees to refine it. The new version was so successful that it has since been shared across Compass UK&I.
Our relationship with this client goes beyond day-to-day operations. Quarterly strategic review meetings bring both sides together to share updates, identify emerging challenges, and co-create solutions. This proactive approach means issues are anticipated and ensures that the service continues to evolve in line with the business and its people.
As part of this, we identified that the client wanted to find new ways to reinforce their commitment to health and wellbeing. The restaurant now champions nutritious choices and the importance of hydration. New flavoured water taps offer plain, sparkling, and fruit-infused options, all subsidised by the client as a wellbeing perk.
The results have been transformative. The refreshed dining environment and shift-responsive catering model have improved the employee experience and strengthened welfare across the distribution centre. Engagement has grown through regular feedback sessions, while the tailored menu celebrates the cultural diversity of the workforce. Agility and collaboration have ensured seamless service, even as operations evolved.
This partnership directly supports the client’s health and wellbeing values, aligning service innovation with their culture of care. Together, we’ve created a space that enhances wellbeing, fosters connection and reflects a shared commitment to people and purpose.
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