Scaling Uniform Supply Across the UK & Ireland: The Nourish Contract Catering Case Study

Nourish Contract Catering, a family-owned business with offices in London and Mountmellick, Co. Laois, has spent over two decades serving fresh, homemade school meals to pupils across the UK and Ireland.

Key Facts About Nourish Contract Catering:

• A growing catering business needing consistent, branded uniform for their expanding kitchen teams.
• Specialists in fresh, homemade school meals built on good-quality ingredients.
• A trusted, award-winning name in education catering, with an ethical and sustainable approach.
• Around 1,500 staff, operating across 370 sites in England and 17 in the Republic of Ireland.

“Over the past three years, Essential Workwear has been a valued partner in supporting Nourish’s continued growth. As our business has expanded significantly, now employing over 1,500 team members, our uniform requirements have grown alongside us, making it essential to have a reliable and responsive supplier we can depend on.

Essential Workwear has consistently supported us throughout this journey, providing quality garments, excellent customer service and, crucially, the fast turnaround times required in the fast-paced hospitality industry. Having their own in-house branding factory enables them to respond quickly to our changing needs, ensuring our teams receive their uniforms when they need them.

Their flexibility, efficiency and commitment to supporting our business have made them a trusted partner, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Essential Workwear as Nourish continues to grow.” – Jo, Office Manager

The Challenge

Nourish were growing fast and their previous uniform supplier couldn’t keep up. As the business won new school contracts across the UK and Ireland, they needed a workwear partner who could scale at the same pace: kitting out catering teams quickly, consistently and to a standard that reflected the Nourish brand.

Nourish needed branded, hard-wearing uniform for busy kitchen environments, delivered reliably as their teams expanded and a supplier who could grow alongside them rather than hold them back.

Our Solution

Around three years ago, Essential Workwear stepped in to give Nourish exactly that, a supplier who could match their ambition. We started by sampling across their entire uniform range, so Nourish could see and feel the quality first-hand and get the fit, branding and finish exactly right before rolling anything out.

From there, we became the supplier for their full catering uniform: branded aprons, chef shoes, polo shirts and fleeces, everything their kitchen teams need to look professional and work comfortably, day in, day out.

And when Nourish wanted to bring a bit of seasonal personality to their teams last Christmas, we were ready to help. We designed a festive take on their logo so they could kit their staff out in branded festive aprons for the season, a small touch that showed the kind of flexible, hands-on partnership we’re proud to offer.

The Result

What began as a solution to a growth problem has become a genuine partnership. Over three years, we now supply their teams not just across the UK, but in Ireland and the EU too.

As Nourish have grown, we’ve grown with them: scaling supply to match new contracts, keeping their uniform consistent across every region, and staying flexible enough to turn around the extras, like those festive aprons, that make their teams feel part of something. Today, Essential Workwear is Nourish’s go-to uniform supplier, and the relationship continues to expand alongside their business.

It’s a partnership built on exactly what Nourish value in their own work: quality, reliability, and growing together.

Grow With Essential Workwear

Whether you’re kitting out a handful of staff or thousands across multiple sites, we’ll keep your team looking professional and feeling confident and we’ll grow with you every step of the way. From branded uniform and aprons to PPE and seasonal one-offs, we make workwear that’s truly essential, every day.

Ready to find out what Essential Workwear can do for your team? Get in touch today for a chat and a quote.

📞 0330 822 8273 ✉️ sales@essentialworkwear.com 🌐 essentialworkwear.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What uniform does Essential Workwear supply for catering teams?

We supply everything a professional kitchen and catering team needs, including branded aprons, chef shoes, polo shirts and fleeces. Everything can be branded with your logo and tailored to your team’s roles and sizes.

Can you brand the clothing with our logo?

Yes. We print and embroider your logo across your uniform for a consistent, professional look and we can get creative too, like the festive version of the Nourish logo we designed for their seasonal aprons.

Can you supply uniform across the UK, Ireland and the EU?

Yes. We supply teams across the UK, Ireland and the EU, and we’re set up to scale with you as you win new contracts or open new sites — keeping your uniform consistent wherever your people work.

Can you handle large, multi-site uniform rollouts?

Absolutely. We support businesses of every size, from a handful of staff to thousands across hundreds of sites, with reliable supply and a dedicated point of contact to keep everything on track.