Nursery-catering company Zebedees is celebrating 25 years in business and has been awarded the Eat Well Start Well Award from Surrey County Council.

The award scheme, developed by the Public Health team at Surrey County Council is a part of its whole systems approach to obesity and supports early years care providers to ensure that the food they offer provides appropriate amounts of energy and nutrients and encourages children to make healthy choices.

Early years settings in Surrey who use Zebedees catering service are now eligible for a fast track application to achieve the award at their own nursery.

Zebedees’ lunch and tea menus go above and beyond current government guidance for menus for early years settings in the UK, meaning the children they cater for attending full-time childcare are receiving a nutritionally balanced diet throughout the week.

Zebedees deliver lunchtime meals to nurseries, created from scratch and freshly cooked each morning, arriving hot and ready to serve. Each morning chefs prepare hot lunches, which are then portioned up for each setting and transported in specialist temperature controlled boxes, which ensure that the meals retain their heat until service at lunchtime.  They also offer a choice of hot or cold afternoon teas and other optional extras such as fruit boxes and salad boxes and meals for young babies from 6 months.

“We are honoured and excited to have achieved the Eat Well Start Well Award from Surrey County Council after 25 years in business. At Zebedees, we believe that nourishing young minds and bodies with wholesome, delicious meals is a privilege and a responsibility. This achievement reinforces our commitment to serving nutritious food that fuels the growth and development of the next generation, setting them on a path to a healthy and prosperous future,” said Diana Flowers, business manager at Zebedees.

Since its inception in 1998 Zebedees has grown from a humble start-up into a renowned industry leader, known for its dedication to providing top-tier catering and food services. Over the past 25 years, Zebedees has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs and tastes of its customers while maintaining a steadfast commitment to excellence, including their collaboration with The Baby & Child Nutritionist Charlotte Stirling -Reed.

“This milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of our incredible team, the trust of our valued customers, and the support of our partners. We are excited about the future and remain committed to delivering exceptional food experiences for the next 25 years and beyond,” said Steve Parsons, co-founder of Zebedees.

He added; “Since our start-up in 1998, we have grown our business to 90 employees, 26 delivery vans and 300 clients throughout the South East of England. The vast majority of our clients are London, Sussex, Kent and Surrey based.”