Michelle Hanson, Sodexo

Michelle Hanson is Commercial Director for Sodexo UK & Ireland. In this region, Sodexo employs around 43,000 people, and provides on-site services to clients at over 2,300 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure and defence sectors. Sodexo are the first caterer of their size to achieve Marine Stewardship Council chain of custody across all their sites and are keen supporters of Sustainable Fish City. Sodexo provides food for public and private sector organisations, including many of London’s attractions such as the HMS Belfast, the Cabinet War Rooms and the Chelsea Flower Show.

On Sodexo signing up to Sustainable Fish City, Michelle commented, "MSC certification of our restaurants and cafés was an ambitious target that we set ourselves as part of the Better Tomorrow Plan, our sustainability strategy to 2020."

"Like most people, we were alarmed to hear about declining fish stocks. Through Marine Stewardship Council certification, we believe we are making a real difference in helping to protect the world's fish stocks."

"Traceability of our fish from boat to plate has always been very important to us.  With the MSC Chain of Custody certification, we have complete assurance that every step of the supply chain has been certified to ensure that we know that every piece of MSC fish that we serve comes from a well managed fishery."

"We are passionate about sustainable sourcing at Sodexo and have really engaged with our staff and customers at each of our sites with training initiatives and promotional material to get everyone working together to support sustainable fishing."

Find out more about the Sodexo sustainable seafood commitment at: http://uk.sodexo.com/uken/corporate-citizenship/sustainable/seafood.asp

Read comments from other people involved in Sodexo's sustainable fish procurement:

   

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  Allegra McEvedy MBE, chef, writer and presenter
  "To stand by and do nothing, say nothing as we slowly drain the oceans of their livestock is to make one complicit, and that's just not a position with which I was comfortable."

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  Caroline Bennett, Moshi Moshi
  "I am determined to do something about the way we fished the seas. We know the problems, we don’t even need any additional information to know how to fix them: we just have to get on and do it. No excuses."

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  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Fish Fight
  “I have been travelling around the UK meeting fishermen, marine conservationists, politicians, supermarkets bosses, and of course fish-eating members of the public. It has changed the way I think about fish.”

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  Raymond Blanc OBE, Chef Patron, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
  “Good ethics should be part of everyday business. Many restaurants and caterers in this are helping to protect our precious marine resources. They should get rightful recognition and inspire others to do the same.”

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  Rosie Boycott, London Food Board
  "Taking a sustainable approach to fish is critical to the food security of our city. It is shocking to think that within our lifetimes, we could lose some of our favourite species from the seas forever."

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  Silla Bjerrum, Feng Sushi
  "Ensuring the future supply of fish is very important. Eating fish can be a component of a healthy lifestyle. Future generations rely on us to pass on healthy seas and maintain biodiversity."

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  Tim Hughes, Caprice Holdings
  "It’s our duty to impart our knowledge to a wider audience, so everybody realises how important it is to cherish our fish stocks. I will continue to champion lesser-known species in plentiful and sustainable supply."