Heads of Ayr: Heads-Up For Healthier Food
According to park catering manager, Scott Mulveny, and owners Craig and Edna Rankin, the healthyliving award fitted in well with their commitment to use locally sourced produce and suppliers: ‘The main thing we wanted to do was to add more healthy options for kids in particular,’ explains Scott. ‘We reviewed the menus and introduced a variety of dishes including homemade soup, salads, baked potatoes and sandwiches, and we introduced pure fruit juice and fresh fruit, and changed our yoghurts to versions containing less fat and sugar.’
Because the park is open from Easter until October and attracts families and school groups from all over the UK and abroad, the healthyliving award allowed Heads to provide their visitors with a larger choice of options than had previously been available:
‘We still offer things like burgers and chips,’ continues Scott, ‘although these are now sourced from a local supplier and are cooked in a healthier way.’
Although they succeeded in attaining the award, the granting of it wasn’t a foregone conclusion:
‘We are always on the lookout for more local producers and suppliers but the hardest thing for me was sourcing some of the healthier products such as baked crisps, as none of my usual suppliers stocked them,’ concludes Scott. ‘However, as wholesalers become more aware of the award it should become easier for companies to source these foods in the future, and on the basis of visitor satisfaction alone, it’s definitely been worth the additional effort.’
