A Barnsley company is helping to fuel the recovery of hospital patients by transforming the way meals are delivered to their bedsides. 

Anglo Caledonian Enterprises Ltd is the only UK company to supply state of the art ISECO patient meal trolleys and systems which are designed to keep meals as fresh, tasty and safe to eat as when they leave the production kitchen.   

The first major system the company installed delivers 850 meals to patients at the Royal Bolton Hospital twice daily.

Director Nigel Senior explained:  "Eating well plays a huge part in helping hospital patients to get better.  Traditionally hospitals transport meals on trolleys that use harsh convected hot air which often means food has dried out or deteriorated by the time it gets to the wards so, of course, it's unappetising.     

"ISECO use clever and gentler thermo-contact technology to present pre-prepared food perfectly and safely every single service.  The equipment has already revolutionised hospital and nursing home catering in European countries like Holland, France and Germany and we're now able to bring the same innovation to the UK."

The trolleys range from all-purpose trolleys which transport food in bulk to units that hold individual portions on trays. 

Single units can also transport both hot and cold meals at the right temperature. Refrigeration within the trolley can be produced by a built-in compressor, by a docking system or by a system called Carbo-Fresh, which injects liquefied carbon dioxide - dry ice - into the unit. 

Said Nigel:  "The feedback we've had so far supports our conviction that ISECO equipment can vastly improve the quality of hospital meals served throughout the UK.  There are many other benefits too. They save energy and reduce waste and spillages as well as being much more cost-effective by saving time in their operation and cleaning."

Anglo Caledonian Enterprises has recently reached an agreement with the NHS Supply Chain which means that hospital trusts can procure its food services systems without going through the usual costly and lengthy open tender process. 

It is envisaged that the development could bring in orders of up to £8 million worth of equipment per year.  A hospital in Northern Ireland has already ordered over £100,000 worth of trolleys via the new contract.  

The firm has moved in to new premises in St Mary's Street, Penistone, and, if it expands at the anticipated rate, it aims to open a local base for technicians.  

A total of 40 trolleys supplied by Anglo Caledonian enterprises have been in use at Royal Bolton Hospital for the past year.  In 2010 Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust won two national awards for its catering services.

Catering manager Margaret Meadows said the trolley had been a huge success from the start and had reduced energy usage by at least 25 per cent.

She said:  "My pet hate is luke warm food.  We want every patient on the ward, including the last to be served, to receive their meal in the condition it left the kitchen and at exactly the right temperature, and the results we're getting are excellent. Patients feel the service is now far less institutionalised and that there is more of a homely feel to the way we present meals."

Anglo Caledonian Enterprises is receiving help with its IT system through the Enterprising Barnsley programme, which supports local companies with growth potential.  

The programme has led to 630 jobs and the protection of 397 posts since it was set up in 2009.

Enterprising Barnsley is a partnership between Barnsley Development Agency, Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre and the University of Huddersfield's Barnsley Campus.   

The programme has attracted £2.89m investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe's support for the region's economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme.