Two Mountmellick natives have been honoured with a prestigious catering award in London.

Nourish Contract Catering, a company established by Annette Ryan from Acragar, Mountmellick,  has won the Education Catering Award at the UK's Public Sector Catering Awards. This recognition is for their work in providing hot meals to school children.

Ms Ryan works along side David Kearns, also from Acragar, who works as an Executive Development Chef in the company.

Pictured: Nourish Contract Catering founder Annette Ryan-Murphy. Photos: Nourish promotional video on Vimeo by Joanne Stills

The catering company has grown and is currently catering to thousands of pupils in over 180 schools, across London and the South of England.

Ms Ryan established Nourish Contract Catering in 2003, and was driven by the desire to introduce healthy, fresh and wholesome meals into schools, against the backdrop of the poor quality, unhealthy options being offered at the time.

Today, Nourish remains a business that prioritises the importance of a balanced and varied diet to a child’s development. Annette is a highly experienced director, with over 25 years of experience and holding two previous directorships before founding Nourish.

"She is constantly prioritising innovation, and encourages an inclusive and open working environment amongst staff. Both as a director and a colleague, she manages to get the best out of everyone," Nourish said of their founder.

"She protects the identity of what was once a small family business, whilst recognising the importance of evolution within an ever-developing society. Her vibrancy and enthusiasm as a leader is truly inspirational and stands testament to the success of the business."

Pictured: Acragar Executive Chef David Kearns

David is a highly experienced Chef with 15 years of craft experience.

"David helps bring the Nourish philosophy to life, trialling and testing new and exciting menu ideas and current food trends, to ensure our lunches are delicious and nutritious each day. His creativity and skill enable the business to continuously innovate and provide a fresh, varied offering," Nourish have said.

Beyond the kitchen, he is passionate about educating pupils on health and nutrition, having created short storybooks for younger age groups and recipe books for all. David offers vital hands-on support to the wider Operations Team, through running Cookery Clubs, Recipe Workshops, and Craft Training.