Dear valued Catered Fit member,
We use the word “healthy” a lot around here. Usually in regards to the macro nutrient and preservative-free meals we are cooking and delivering, but today we feel it is our responsibility to talk about the steps we continue to take in response to the COVID-19 virus.
Food safety has always been a top priority of ours, and in this day and age, we feel it is important to share with you what exactly that means to us as a business. We have an A rating from the health department and our offices and kitchens are cleaned and sanitized as normal business practice. While we feel confident our food-handling and hygiene practices are above average we are not taking the threat of COVID-19 lightly. Over the last several weeks we have taken small steps to ensure the health and safety of everyone we consider a part of the Catered Fit family.
As the novel coronavirus begins to have more of an impact on our communities, we wanted to take a moment to talk to you about some of our new precautions and practices that have been implemented to keep our team, our customers and our communities healthy.
Greetings: We love high-fives and fist-bumps as much as the next person, but we are foregoing all handy greetings and opting for a friendly foot-tap as a hello!
Working from Home: There are definitely many roles that can’t be done remotely (like our incredible chefs) but we are lucky that there are some roles that can. We support the idea of working from home and encourage our team to be remote on occasion to help us limit just a bit more of the human-to-human contact.
Paid Sick Leave: Catered Fit offers paid sick leave to all employees and we take it VERY seriously. Now more than ever, we encourage anyone feeling under the weather to stay home. It is important that our employees do not feel pressure to work through sickness, and by offering paid leave it allows people to make a decision from a place of wellness not financial concern.
Communication: Information is key and critical. We think it is our duty to inform our team with updates on the virus and any new information shared by the CDC. Being well-informed about health and safety practices (and implementing those practices) is one of the most effective ways to prevent spread of a virus. We also share tips and tricks on our social media!
Hand Washing: Thorough hand-washing is a staple in food service, but we have taken it a step further by implementing hand-washing training and best practices not just for our kitchen staff but to our entire team. It is not uncommon to see our team at the sink singing to themselves to be sure they get in a full 20-second hand wash.
Cleaning: It has always been our practice to fully clean and sanitize our offices and kitchens nightly. We have an incredible full-time custodial staff that prides themselves on the cleanliness of the office. More than just a nightly scrub down, our team is disinfecting all-day everyday.
Hair Nets, Masks & Gloves: If you have ever seen any photos of our team, you will have noticed anyone in the kitchen is in a hair net (and beard cover if applicable) and gloves! Our hygiene practices have always been thorough and followed strict guidelines set by the health department, in the age of COVID-19 we take these practices even more seriously and our team is wearing and changing gloves with a higher frequency to further prevent any possible contamination. We have also implemented a mandatory mask requirement. All staff now are required to wear face masks covering their nose and mouth when in the facility.
With the questions of big crowds and public gatherings, it is no doubt many of our members are looking to us, now more than ever, not just an option for their convenience but as a way to limit their exposure to the novel coronavirus in places like grocery stores.
Our goal remains the same, to deliver the freshest, healthiest and highest quality meals directly to your door. We are confident that our kitchens are safe and we are continuing to monitor an ever-changing situation. If you have any questions or ideas, please let us know!
Thank you,
Catered Fit Family