Sheffield Software House Woos Sweden

 

Independent software house, Fretwell-Downing Hospitality (FDH) is fresh back from holding a forum with Sweden’s local authority catering departments and as a result is on the brink of signing several lucrative contracts for its nutritional analysis software.

 

The Sheffield-based company’s Saffron Nutrition nutritional analysis software is already a market leader within the UK local authority sector following the introduction of the nutrient standards on school meals.

 

Now FDH is beginning to make inroads into the public sector market in Sweden amid a similar drive by the country to improve healthy eating habits among children.

 

The forum, held in Stockholm, brought together kommuns (local authority) representatives and Sharon Seddon, head of catering and cleaning at North Lincolnshire County Council to discuss the UK school meals experience after Jamie Oliver’s high profile campaign, and how Saffron Nutrition is being used as a support tool.

 

Andrew Markwell, FDH’s sales director explains: “We’re in the final stages of negotiation with several Swedish local authorities for our software which we have adapted to suit the local marketplace.

 

“Even though Sweden does not regulate the nutritional quality of its school meals – which has been the driver over here – the country is nevertheless interested in drawing on the UK experience and recognises the value that software can play in menu planning.”

 

Breaking into the overseas market will be a major milestone for FDH which is forecasting 10% growth this year on a current turnover that is in excess of £2.5 million, having already achieved a 23% increase in sales over the last 12 months.

 

The firm, which began as a subsidiary of the parent company’s catering business, now operates as a separate business developing hospitality-specific management information systems.

 

As well as looking overseas for growth, FDH is also forging ahead with opening up other new UK markets for its nutritional analysis software, particularly in the light of the Food Standards Agency’s aims to encourage the restaurant and fast food sectors to divulge to diners the calorie content of the meals being served.