How Greensleeves Care Improved Quality and Cut Costs with Avendra International

Ovidiu Cimpeanu, Catering Manager at Clarendon Lodge, part of Greensleeves Care, shares how they overcame challenges like price fluctuations, inconsistent fresh produce quality, and delivery issues with the help of Sarah Garnade from Pelican Procurement Services (now Avendra International).

Greensleeves Care is a leading not-for-profit charity operating 28 care homes across England, dedicated to providing exceptional support that helps thousands of older adults live with dignity, comfort, and independence.

An array of plates with desserts

Delivering Quality & Savings

Ovidiu shares, “Previously, we were using our local grocer, but prices fluctuated on a daily basis, and the quality was getting worse. So, we asked Sarah to help us.”

She carried out a price review and put forward three suppliers that met their product and service needs.

“They all showed savings versus our previous supplier. She also arranged product samples to be delivered to the home before making the decision, to ensure the quality was right.

Based on all of this, we chose to work with a supplier that offered not only the highest savings, but also deliveries that met our requirements and their product quality, price and service are very good.”

Sarah implemented the contract with their specific service requirements, and orders can now be placed via Avendra International’s user-friendly eProcurement system, Pi.

Ovidiu says, “Our residents love roast dinners, so our top three ordered items are broccoli, potatoes, and parsnips!”

Building on the success of the fruit and vegetable review, Ovidiu enlisted Sarah’s help to establish a fresh fish supplier that could deliver better quality at competitive prices.

“Sarah helped us tailor the contract to our needs, and we now receive fresh fish to our required specifications,” he shares.

PI ordering system

Online Ordering

The catering team now places orders via Avendra International’s online ordering module.

Ovidiu shares, “In my previous role, we had to place an order with suppliers over the phone - and a lot of orders were placed through answering machine messages. Looking back, it was fairly chaotic. You never knew if your message was fully understood or if the products were available in stock, there were missing items and lots of mistakes in deliveries. Comparing the two, Pi is so much better.

Pi gives direct access to products and prices, managed by Avendra International. It alerts us if items are out of stock, so we can choose alternatives. Errors can be tracked and corrected, and it allows multiple orders with different delivery dates and suppliers. Online ordering is much quicker too.”

Conclusion

Ovidiu concludes, “In the time I’ve worked at Clarendon Lodge, the catering team has worked closely with Sarah, and I believe this partnership will continue as we’ve seen great results so far.”

We get it, and we can help.

If you want to review supplier prices, explore new options, organise tastings, or learn more about the Pi system, contact us on Hello_UK@avendra.com.