Aramark wins contract for University Hospital Limerick service

A company which has drawn controversy in the past due to its links to the direct provision system in Ireland has won the contract to provide the cafe / cafe retail service for UL Hospitals.

Clare Live has seen a memorandum sent out to members of the UL Hospitals management team.

It reads: “A procurement tender process which supported the renewal of the café / café retail service provider contracts for UL Hospitals recently concluded. I wish to advise that Aramark will commence their contract across UL Hospitals on September 28, 2024. Further particulars shall follow surrounding mobilisation, aesthetic reconfiguration and go live.”

The value of the contract is not known.

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The document goes on to say Operational Services and UL Hospitals “look forward to working collaboratively with Aramark to support service deliverance”.

The global company has over 250,000 employees, operates in 22 countries and serves nearly two billion meals per year.

Aramark has drawn controversy in the past due to its links to the direct provision system in Ireland.

Two years ago a contract with the National Gallery of Ireland caused discontent among many gallery staff who wrote to its board warning of potential reputational damage given Aramark’s links to the direct provision system in Ireland.

Staff said the association with Aramark was “in direct conflict” with years of work the gallery had put into building relations with asylum seekers and those in direct provision, reported the Irish Times.

In 2018, Aramark distributed leaflets on the UL campus explaining their role in direct provision following a boycott from the Students’ Union.

In 2015, residents of Knockalisheen asylum centre, on the outskirts of Limerick city, complained about the quality and lack of diversity in relation to the food being served. A one-day hunger strike at Knockalisheen ended after talks with the management company Aramark.

On their website Aramark describe themselves as "a leading food service partner".

"We work with organisations across a range of market sectors in Ireland. We know that great food is important to everybody and at Aramark our teams share a passion for hospitality, delivering great things for our people, partners and communities.

"We serve over 250,000 meals across hundreds of client sites each day, keeping our customers across Ireland fed and refuelled.

"We pride ourselves with hiring and retaining the best culinary talent in the market."

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Clare Live endeavoured to find out more about the new contract from the communications team at the University of Limerick Hospitals Group.

The communications team were asked what the contract will entail and what the patients and staff can expect in the coming weeks and months. They were also asked if they would like to address previous issues raised over Aramark.

They failed to respond to the query. There was also no response to a follow-up query a number of days later. 

The same query was sent to to Aramark but this too was not replied to.