Western Leisure Services
Overview
Since opening in 2015, Western Leisure Services has progressively implemented the Healthy Choices guidelines in its community leisure facilities, Eagle Stadium and AquaPulse.
Both facilities are now compliant with Healthy Choices requirements, as they provide at least 50% GREEN (Best choice) foods and drinks, and no more than 20% RED (Limit) items.
Results
As a result of their efforts, sales of RED cold drinks have fallen by approximately 65% at both venues, while sales of GREEN and AMBER (Choose carefully) foods and drinks have increased slightly. Profit and loss data showed no clear change over time at either venue.
Customer surveys support the changes, as a large majority of respondents support healthy food and drink initiatives in sports and recreation centres, and agreed that these venues have a responsibility to promote and support healthy eating.
And interviews with WLS staff identified the following key themes for successfully implementing a healthy food and drinks initiative:
- staff time and knowledge resources
- supplying healthier alternatives (not just reducing unhealthy ones)
- knowing your customer base
- integrating Healthy Choices into the overall strategy for a vibrant café business
- the initiative’s sustainability
- vision and support from people in leadership positions.
Supporting material
Watch how they did it in the video below:
[Text displayed on screen] Healthy Choices at Western Leisure Services.
[Text displayed on screen] Bruce Mackay, CEO, Ballard, Western Leisure Services.
[Bruce Mackay, CEO, Ballard, Western Leisure Services] This facility was opened in 2015, and it incorporates aquatics pools, gyms, cafe crash and two huge water slides.
The city of Wyndham is growing. The role that we’re taking here is aligned with building healthy communities.
Having the healthy choice options and guidelines in our cafe aligns what we say we’re going to do with what we do.
[Text displayed on screen] Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] One of the first things in the plan was to communicate it to the wider business, to get them on board as well, and then more specifically, communicate it to the cafe team members.
So my role was to work closely with Vanessa, a nutritionist who Council gave us access to, to get our menus compliant, get our planograms and displays compliant, and try and communicate that more than 50% of your offering needs to be classified as green and no more than 20% red.
[Text displayed on screen] Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services.
[Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services] It wasn’t going to work if I came in and said, okay, this is the menu and we need to implement this.
They know their customers, they know the local community, and they also know practically what might and might not work.
My role involved completing menu assessments. So my job then was to provide some recommendations in terms of what needed to be done to get across the line.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] It seemed huge and really daunting at first, but once we started getting into it, it became relatively seamless.
[Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services] We started with changing all of the drinks to meet the guidelines and then moving forward onto your cold food, your hot food, your snacks.
It’s really important to break it down and make it achievable. Approaching it in a staged way. Initially finding suppliers we found challenging.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] We had to be really open and honest with our suppliers, saying, this is our goal. You’re either with us or you’re not.
[Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services] We’re really lucky in that the Healthy Eating Advisory service developed Food Checker, which is an online system which can assess menus.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] It’ll tell us if we’re compliant with our ratios.
[Bruce Mackay, CEO, Ballard, Western Leisure Services] There’s been no financial impact. The study that we’ve recently had done demonstrates that the financial impact is pretty much insignificant.
[Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services] The feedback from customers has been really positive. Consumers have actually been really happy with the new sandwiches. They’ve been getting more to choose from.
[Bruce Mackay, CEO, Ballard, Western Leisure Services] About 89% of customers have supported the implementation of the Healthy Eating Guidelines. We’ve just found that people take the alternative.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] We’ve seen our red drinks drop by 65%. Water sales have skyrocketed.
[Bruce Mackay, CEO, Ballard, Western Leisure Services] If you decide to go down the path of implementation, you’ll need help.
You need buy in from the management group, you need assistance from partners like the Healthy Eating Advisory Service, internal council departments, but it’s not insurmountable and it’s well worth doing.
[Vanessa Korfiatis, Healthy Eating Officer, Western Leisure Services] Contact the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. They’re a really great first point of call, and they’ll provide the mentorship training and point you in the right direction.
[Chetan Patel, Services Group Manager, Western Leisure Services] We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. Really think about why we’re in the business that we’re in.
It’s to promote healthier lifestyles, to take the plunge, have a plan, have a phased approach. Be bold and make the bold decisions.
[Text displayed on screen] www.heas.health.vic.gov.au
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The Healthy Eating Advisory Service acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past and present.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service is delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians at Nutrition Australia Vic Division, with support from the Victorian Government.
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