Appèl wins the catering contract for the University of Twente

Appèl wins the catering contract for the University of Twente

ENSCHEDE, 02-Mar-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — After completing a European tendering process today, 1 March 2018, the final decision on the catering contract for the University of Twente has now been taken. From 1 July 2018, on-campus catering will be in the hands of Appèl, whose FoodCity concept brings a combination of unique food stations to the university, giving each location its own distinctive character. Appèl has been an active force in corporate catering for over forty years, and entered the education sector in 2014 after taking over Markies Catering.

CATERING TO OUR WISHES AND NEEDS
In the preparatory phase, the university carried out an extensive survey of the wishes and needs of the UT community. On 14 September 2017, for example, a Food Market was organized at O&O square, where potential candidates were given the opportunity to present their own ‘single product’. Students and staff visited all the stands and got the chance to sample what the market has to offer. Appèl served up fresh circular soup at this event, which turned out to be quite a revelation for them too: ‘Where we normally have to draw up a proposal based purely on documentation, on this occasion we had a great opportunity to get to know our most important target groups. Combined with an invitation to tender that put the emphasis on entrepreneurship, creativity and pioneering, this fuelled our enthusiasm and fired us up to give our all on this project,’ says Hans Zwartkruis, Sales Manager for the Education Sector at Appèl.

After the Food Market, a number of ‘kitchen table sessions’ were also held and a management delegation from the university was presented with the results. A number of focal points emerged from this phase: internationalization, inclusion of different food cultures, hot meals, products for quick sales, variety within the concept, fresh soups and salads, and more vegetarian options.

FOODCITY: A WORLD OF FOOD ON CAMPUS
The university took ‘Surprisingly distinctive’ as its motto for the tendering process. Under this banner, the aim was to create a standout concept based on a single product at each campus location. This inspired Appèl to take a brand new approach to its on-campus catering, by reimagining the campus as FoodCity.

FoodCity is about encounters, experiences and experimenting. The catering concept comprises a unique collection of single products. From this summer, each catering outlet will take on its own clear identity, reflecting the values set out in UT’s Vision 2020. Existing campus restaurants will be modified and in some cases even fully renovated by Appèl. This will give rise to an exciting combination of food courts, a pop-up store, an Italian restaurant and a cool student bar.

The new buildings to be realized for housing the TechMed Center and ITC are also being incorporated in the plans.

Hans Zwartkruis of Appèl can’t wait to get started. ‘This bold new approach is a perfect fit for us. We always look to the specific wishes of the customer and the opportunities that the locations provide, to create a unique concept. We are very grateful to the university for placing its trust in us. It’s a challenge we are already relishing: pioneering and experimenting are not only part of our own DNA but also at the heart of the university’s vision.’

SMOOTH TRANSITION
The coming months will be all about ensuring a smooth transition from our present caterer Sodexo to newcomer Appèl. Meetings with the various stakeholders at the locations will be planned in the next months, to discuss the renovation plans for the current restaurants.

The modifications and renovations to the restaurants will take place during the summer holidays, to keep inconvenience to a minimum.

FIND OUT MORE
For questions and further details, please contact Eveline Kuypers  e.e.kuypers@utwente.nl, project manager at Campus & Facility Management.

For more general issues, contact Bertyl Lankhaar, spokesperson for the Executive Board, mobile number.: +31 (0)6 2002 7435

SOURCE: University of Twente