Oldbury company BMV JV operates two staff canteens for construction workers on the M5 Oldbury viaduct project. Its canteens are operated on a not-for-profit basis and focus on the health and wellbeing of the construction people who use them.

BMV is a joint venture between BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and VolkerFitzpatrick, working on the M5 Oldbury viaduct major renewal scheme for Highways England.

Established in September 2017 by catering manager Sallyann Eccleston, the company canteens won a Gold Award last year in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council’s Eat Out Eat Well scheme, for their high standard of catering.

Sallyann’s vision for the staff canteens was to provide responsibly sourced healthy meals in an environment in which workers are able to relax without leaving the main compounds.

“Our canteens provide catering for the workforce, helping them to stay safe and healthy whilst at work,” she explained. “We even provide a takeaway service so our workforce who are staying in temporary accommodation can have a healthy home-cooked meal after work”.

The canteens serve only Fairtrade coffee and use local suppliers to ensure money is poured back into the local economy. They get through around 400 free range eggs every week, and all the food containers and coffee cups used are biodegradable.

With a focus on health and wellbeing, the canteens offer free fruit every Monday to encourage the workers to get their five-a-day. They have also stopped using salt in the cooking and if customers wish to add salt they have to ask for it at the counter.

Some of the key dishes cooked up and served by the team of Sandwell chefs include a hearty cottage pie, oven-baked paprika chicken packed with vegetables and served with wholegrain rice and seasonal salad, oven baked salmon with lemon served with seasonal steamed vegetables, and plenty of delicious-sounding traditional puddings with a healthy twist.

The staff are all from the Sandwell area, each with their own speciality dish. Some of the team had struggled to find permanent roles in the past, due to family commitments or for other reasons, and are now flourishing with the job security and flexible hours that BMV allows.

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