ESS Government, specialist provider of foodservice and facilities management to central government, secure environments and emergency services clients, successfully delivered over 33,000 meals to the 13,500 Metropolitan Police officers who were providing essential support during the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s largest street festival.

160 ESS colleagues worked across the three days, having spent three months planning with the Met to ensure optimal support for the event.

In addition to catering for officers on duty, the company fed the force’s horses and dogs who were working throughout the event.  

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The ESS team provided:

  • 4,358 Cooked breakfasts

  • 11,346 Hot meals from 8 separate locations

  • 17,434 Packed meals

  • 30,000 + Hot drinks

ESS has been providing catering and hospitality for the Metropolitan Police since October 2022. As well as services in headquarters buildings, office facilities, stations, custody suites and the Hendon training centre, the company delivers planned and emergency operational feeding.

When supporting operational requirements, serving nutritious meals that sustain officers physical and mentally throughout long shifts is key. ESS’ operations, culinary and nutrition teams have developed an offer that includes satisfying hot meals, packed meals to keep officers fuller for longer and healthier snacks with slow-release carbohydrates and protein.

It is a great pleasure to express my gratitude for the ESS team’s dedication, resilience and meticulous planning to ensure the smooth running of Notting Hill Carnival’s operational feeding. Your actions ensured that officers and staff deployed over the Notting Hill Carnival felt well supported in what is a challenging but rewarding operation. I do not underestimate the time and effort required to plan and deliver such fantastic results.

Clare Davies, Chief People and Resources Officer – Metropolitan Police

Supporting the Met Police as they work to ensure that Notting Hill Carnival goes ahead smoothly is a privilege. Our operational feeding offer has been carefully designed to meet the needs of busy officers working in a variety of roles and locations. I’m incredibly proud of all our colleagues who were involved in supporting this event – the months of detailed planning, collaboration and commitment truly paid off, with the meal numbers delivered speaking for themselves.

Richard Jones, Managing Director – ESS Government