Crussh opens first hospital site in Birmingham

Crussh Fit Food & Juice Bars has opened its first outlet outside the South East today, in Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital.

The opening, in partnership with Sodexo, is compliant with the CQUIN framework to improve healthy food for NHS staff, visitors and patients, and includes the voluntary national SSB (Sugar – Sweetened Beverages) reduction scheme.

The new Crussh café will offer breakfast pots, toasties, salads, wraps and healthy treats, alongside freshly pressed juices, smoothies and organic and Fairtrade coffee. There is also a focus on plant-based items with 70% of the Crussh range being vegetarian and 45% vegan.

“We couldn’t be more excited about opening at Birmingham Children’s Hospital,” said Crussh CEO Shane Kavanagh. “Positively impacting people’s health and wellbeing is what drives everything we do and being able to work with Sodexo on the operation at Birmingham children’s hospital has been very rewarding so far. We hope people enjoy our food and drink and we look forward to being part of the hospital’s community”.

Stuart Winters, CEO of Healthcare, Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “Our ambition for the future with Birmingham Children’s Hospital was to have a clear emphasis on healthy food, and we will be able to achieve this through the introduction of leading brand and innovator, Crussh.

“Food plays such a key part in the healing process, so it is fantastic that we can bring the wealth of knowledge in healthy eating and nutrition through Crussh to the benefit of all the children, young people, their families and staff across Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Parkview Clinic.”

And Dr Chris Chiswell, consultant in Public Health Medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “We know that providing our staff, patients and visitors with nutritious and healthy food options is important. Eating well and maintaining good levels of hydration contributes hugely to overall well-being and the new catering offer being provided by Sodexo is hugely exciting.

“Work continues on improving not only the food and drink options on offer, but also the facilities our children, families and colleagues experience. Feedback so far has been very positive.

“Along with changes to our outlets across the hospital, in-patient catering has also been also been improved with 95 per cent of all food enjoyed by children and young people prepared freshly on-site.”

The new opening follows last year’s franchise deal between Crussh and Sodexo which will see Crussh open outlets across all Sodexo businesses from workplace catering to universities, hospitals & government locations across the UK and Ireland. Crussh opened its first site in partnership with Sodexo, at City, University of London, in March 2019.