Foodservice Cateys 2025: Healthy Eating Champion – Ellie Olds, Holroyd Howe

This year’s Healthy Eating Champion, Ellie Olds, has transformed the way schools approach food and wellbeing. Over the past 12 months, her work has rippled through classrooms, kitchens and dining halls, shaping habits that will last a lifetime.

Following two promotions in two-and-a-half years, Olds is now head of nutrition at Holroyd Howe, overseeing nutritional strategies for the caterer’s entire portfolio, impacting the lives of thousands of pupils.

One of her most noteworthy achievements has been the development and delivery of eating disorder training to Holroyd Howe team members. Through this initiative, she has educated 527 individuals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to support vulnerable individuals and fostering a culture of care and awareness within the organisation.

Olds has also been instrumental in shaping the future of education by helping to add nutrition and healthy eating to the curriculum for children aged 3-18. More than 8,000 children have been educated in healthy eating in the past year alone, helping to create a healthier generation and instilling valuable habits from an early age.

She played a key role in supporting Children’s Mental Health Week, particularly with her contributions at Collège Français Bilingue de Londres, where she provided education and practical support to pupils, staff and families, and also developed the ‘Go with the Flo’ campaign, which focuses on menstrual cycles and nutrition. The campaign has been incredibly well-received by young women who access Holroyd Howe’s services, addressing a vital but often overlooked topic with sensitivity and insight.

Olds is sharing her nutrition expertise with Holroyd Howe’s team through Mission Nutrition, an accredited training programme endorsed by the Association for Nutrition that educates chefs on the fundamentals of school catering and childhood nutrition. The programme aims to promote healthier food choices and educate staff to deliver meals that support the wellbeing and development of young people. All this expertise has seen her become a valued part of the caterer’s sales team, helping to secure new business by contributing her knowledge and persuasive communication skills.

Olds’ personal experience with Type 1 diabetes also informs her work, and her openness has helped demystify the condition and inspired others to take ownership of their health.

Olds has established herself as a trailblazer within the organisation and the wider industry – she picked up an Acorn Award earlier this year too – making her a much-deserved recipient of her award.

What the judges said

“Ellie is a very inspiring and influential figure in the nutrition sphere. She is a credit to the profession and her far-reaching work will actively impact generations to come in an incredibly positive way.” Idrees Anwar

“Ellie is the definition of ‘when passion meets business’ and delivers incredible results. She’s leading amazing initiatives to empower people about nutrition.” Valentine Rey

“She is living and breathing the aspects of a Healthy Eating Champion, leading in such emotive areas as women’s health and children’s mental health.” Phil Shelley

The shortlist

• Lizzie Foskett, BaxterStorey
• Ellie Olds, Holroyd Howe
• Gary Periti, Sodexo UK & Ireland

See previous winners of the award