A social enterprise that’s been feeding hearts and minds in South Manchester celebrates its tenth birthday this year.
Good Mood Food is a catering company with a difference. Its food is made fresh every day, using the best ingredients, it delivers hot and cold buffets around Manchester just like all good caterers – but the difference is all about outcomes.
The company provides supported work-based placements for people with mental health issues, helping them to develop a range of skills, access training and advice and learn about the benefits of good nutrition. There are up to 25 volunteers on placement at any time, so the last ten years have seen more than 500 people pass through. Many have gone on to seek further training or employment in catering; all have benefited from being given a chance to learn, build trust, collaborate and gain confidence in the workplace.
‘Mental health’ is an umbrella term which includes depression, anxiety, phobias, OCD, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress and eating disorders: 1 in 4 of us experience a mental health problem each year in the UK. Because Good Mood Food is part of the mental health charity Manchester Mind, all profits go towards funding mental health support services such as advice, mentoring and counselling.
“Our ethos is simple,” says Sharon Kelly, the company’s catering manager: “Studies have proven that a healthy, balanced diet can improve mental health. We place an emphasis on using ingredients that are good for body and mind. We cook from scratch, source our food from small-scale local producers wherever we can and we work to minimise waste. What makes us unique is that we combine this idea with educating and supporting our volunteers in a sociable as well as an educational environment. And because we’ve no shareholders, all of our profits go back in to helping and supporting people in Manchester.”
There’s a wide range of buffet options on the Good Mood Food menu, from samosas to salads, sandwiches to hotpot. They can cater for large-scale exhibitions and events, or deliver lunches for your team meetings and workshops. Order online or talk to Sharon to discuss bespoke menus or special dietary requirements.
If you’re hosting a party or event in the run-up to Christmas, ask them for a quote and feel good in more ways than one.