Market Testing for Provision for the Supply of Frozen Ready Prepared Meals

“Monmouthshire Meals” is a unique and flexible meals on wheels service that provides nutritional food that can be delivered both hot and cold to suit a number of dietary and cultural requirements. Delivering approximately 1,200 meals per week, 365 days of the year, across the whole of the county of Monmouthshire. Which enables the residents to live as independently as possible within their own homes. There is an expectation that the prepared meals would be delivered to a dedicated central location within the County twice a week for onward delivery by Council staff in specially adapted vehicles. The “Monmouthshire Meals” strap line is “more than a meal” as the staff are actively encouraged to spend time with service users plating their meal, making a drink, having a chat and assisting with small chores around the house as and where possible. The council is seeking to conduct preliminary market consultation before commencing the procurement procedure. The objective of this consultation is to understand the current capacity of the market to provide frozen plated meals and to establish what potential exists to develop a quality, nutritionally balanced meal to further enhance this much-valued service. The Council’s vision is to use locally sourced and seasonal ingredients for its meals in an attempt to add nutritional benefits to the dining experience whilst reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the local economy. Interested suppliers would need to be able to provide a range of dishes that would enable the service to offer a good choice of meat based, vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian meals and a range of hot and cold desserts to cover four choices of meals a day on a four-week rolling menu. We would also need to be able to access meals to suit all dietary needs and an extensive range of meals that comply with the ITSI regulations. Interested Suppliers are invited to submit a written response to the “Market Testing Questionnaire” attached to Paulinebatty@monmouthshire.gov.uk Or stephaniebosley@monmouthshire.gov.uk no later than 28th February 2021