TOP caterers at Renfrewshire’s main hospital were declared the best in Britain at a glittering awards ceremony for serving up great grub.

The team behind the meals served at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley were given the title of Catering Service of the Year at the Hospital Caterers Association awards.

Around 3.6 million meals are served each year across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s 12 hospitals.

READ MORE: New £5m intensive care unit officially opened at Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital

The crew at the RAH stood out from the crowd for their work in devising a variety of nutritious meals by working with dieticians and patients.

The service, which is the only health board in Scotland to employ a full-time dietitian, was also recognised for effectively introducing more choice as well as cutting down on levels of food waste. Staff now have more accurate food preparation plans based on actual, rather than projected, meal uptakes.

Kate Murray, head of catering, said: “To win this award is a wonderful testament to all the hard work the catering service has carried out to ensure patients at the Royal Alexandra Hospital have a wide choice of nutritious and appealing meals.

“As a service, we’re determined to give our patients meal choices that suit their needs. We continually speak with patients to ensure we receive ongoing feedback on what we’re doing right and take on board any potential new ideas we can introduce to the service. 

“We’re very proud to win this award as it recognises our commitment to developing and creating meals that are nutritious and play a part in helping patients recover more quickly and also give patients a range of options to suit their tastes and requirements.”

Read all the latest from Renfrewshire and beyond