Working in the office isn’t always the healthiest environment to be in. It’s common knowledge that clock watching, repetition and boredom can all be appetisers, plus being seated for eight hours of your day isn’t what you’d call, ‘being active’. All this sitting and munching isn’t that great for your body or your heart and finding ways to change the dangerous patterns will help. Move around more, take the stairs, not the lift and walk or ride a bike to work. Choose healthier options for your ‘boredom snacks’ like fruit and lower fat alternatives, and drink fewer fatty drinks. A great alternative we’ve found is the Options Vending Machine Drinks.

Options are a brand by Twinings, who have been in existence since 1706. Their drinks are made from real coffee with less than 62 calories a cup and comes in three tempting varieties: ‘Dreamy Cappuccino’, ‘Luscious Latte’ and ‘Melting Mocha’. Unsweetened and with no HVO’s (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils); the only thing you need to add is hot water, for deliciously frothy and creamy, low calorie café coffees in an instant!

Options Benefits:

• Less than 62 calories a cup
• Made with real coffee
• Easy to make
• Requires no equipment to create delicious café coffees
• The sachet range is perfect for self serve occasions
• Branded Point of sale available
• Options Cafe Coffees are suitable for vegetarians

We’re not saying that the Options Drinks will be every ones ‘cup of tea’, even though they seem to have become a national favourite. So we’ve come up with a selection of other beverages for you to choose from, just in case.

After spending so many years quenching our thirsts, no one knows better than Twinings how to deliver the perfect cuppa. For more than 300 years Twinings have built up an unrivalled reputation for quality and continue to innovate within the beverage market. Twinings comprehensive beverage portfolio also includes Options low calorie hot chocolate, Ovaltine malted drinks, Iced Tea, Mainstream tea, Speciality Coffees and Luxury Hot Chocolate.

Twinings Softer Side

Twinings is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership – a co-operation between many of the largest tea manufacturers to ensure the tea they use is ethically sourced; that workers on tea estates are fairly treated and enjoy decent living and working conditions.

Ethical Tea Partnership uses independent monitors to check that conditions on tea estates meet or exceed local laws, trade union agreements and some international standards. Areas monitored are: Employment (including minimum age and wage levels), Maternity, Health & Safety, Housing and some Basic Rights. Ethical Tea Partnership also works to encourage improvements where needed.

Ethical Tea Partnership works in partnership with tea producers to share and develop ideas on how to improve ethical sourcing. Ethical Tea Partnership is a long-term worldwide initiative. Its aim is to monitor every tea estate that supplies its members with Camellia sinensis (the plant we know as tea).

Stewart Superior are a company based in Uxbridge Middlesex, UK. They were founded in 1995 and are a company who specialise in supplying niche products to global resellers of Office Supplies. Their customers include the largest players in the industry and they distribute all over the world from their base in Uxbridge. Standing out above the rest, their company has been built on service, competitive pricing plus the ability to develop new product lines for their customers to carry and profit from. They are able to offer their customers a healthy and competitive price for all of their office products and have the ability to handle large contracts easily and efficiently.

Their range includes Stewart Superior Catering Utensils such as baking trays and other such items, but also their Laguna range which is made up of various catering utensils such as; cooking utensils, cups, mugs and glasses, plus flasks and urns, each of these being available at Office 365. With the vast decline of glass being allowed in offices today, in particular Government buildings, the new polycarbonate materials offered by the Stewart Superior Laguna range makes the perfect alternative. It looks like glass, will not chip or bear and is guaranteed for 2000 dish washes, so it actually proves a better option to your standard glass options!

The Stewart Superior Cleaning Equipment range, falls under the SSeco brand. SSeco offers a range of 100% biodegradable plastic products that encourage customers to stay environmentally focussed. Buying eco friendly normally comes with a big price tag, but not with our SSeco products. They are competitively priced and of excellent quality. They believe that being green doesn’t have to mean compromise.

The Green Bit

Stewart Superior are committed to:

• Continually improving the way they work and the products they supply.
• The prevention of pollution.
• To comply with all legal and voluntary requirements.
• To set objectives and maintain programmes which support this environmental policy.

SSeco are one of the UK’s leading environmental brands and supply products that are 100% Oxo biodegradable, and have gained full ISO14001 accreditation. SSeco decided to seek accreditation and set up a team. This team assessed the company’s activities and developed and implemented systems to control and reduce their affects on the environment. This accreditation demonstrates to their customers and the public that they have taken responsibility for their environmental impact. They recognise their responsibility to identify, control and improve the environmental impacts resulting from their business operations- as such they are fully ISO14001 accredited having been assessed against rigorous internationally recognised standards; achieving ISO status demonstrates their commitment to the environment and environmental management systems.

We’ve discussed the benefits of using disposable catering supplies with you before, and talked about the use of plastic cutlery. Today, we’d like to introduce you to a great range of disposable plates, bowls and cups by Robinson Young. The company, who were founded in 1972, provide the efficient solution to sales, marketing and distribution of non food FMCG products. They supply a comprehensive range of non food disposables and cleaning/hygiene products used in all types of catering and food service operations.

Using disposable plates, bowls and cups is one way of being environmentally aware. At Office 365, we believe in ‘Green’ and this is why we believe in biodegradable ‘crockery’. These items are made for disposable use, and are frequently used outdoors (camping, excursions, and BBQs for instance), at fast-food or take-away outlets, or provided with airline meals. So many companies and families buy the first pack of plates they can find, the most brightly coloured and when the parties over, bin them. With most disposable cups, plates and bowls being non-biodegradable, a large quantity that go to landfill will sit there for many years just adding to the planets waste disposal problems. Whenever physically possible, we should be looking for the biodegradable alternative, just like our Robinson Young products. We all know that there will always be the need for disposable plates and things, nobodies asking you to stop using them, just start thinking about which ones!

Remember when purchasing a Robinson Young product, they are totally committed to quality and aim to ensure long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty by focusing on customer needs and expectations and delivering first class customer service. So if you’d like Disposable Plates, Cups and Bowls with this quality assurance, come to Office 365.

The Green Bit

Robinson Young Limited recognise that to a greater or lesser extent, every organisation has some impact upon the environment, and so are committed to a policy of continuous improvement in the way in which they manage their environmental responsibilities. Central to their policy are the following objectives:

• Monitor the effects of their directly-controlled activities and seek to minimise any adverse impact upon the environment.
• Minimise waste and ensure that there is effective control, which promotes recycling where possible and provides responsible disposal, particularly with regard to hazardous wastes.
• Promote environmentally responsible policies in all its commercial activities, including purchasing and investment.
• Work closely with customers and suppliers, so that environmental awareness is extended throughout the supply chain.
• Use energy supplies efficiently and to reduce the impact of their transport operations by the use of shared loads and backhauling distribution systems.
• To encourage their employees to consider environmental responsibilities and to integrate these considerations into relevant business operations.
• Comply with current legislation, and beyond this to adopt a best-practice approach to their environmental management policies.

Being ‘Green’ is becoming increasingly more important to our planet and many more individuals than ever before are standing up and making a change. At Office 365, we believe in ‘Green’ and this is why we believe in plastic re-usable cutlery. Plastic cutlery is made for disposable use, and is frequently used outdoors (camping, excursions, and BBQs for instance), at fast-food or take-away outlets, or provided with airline meals. As so many of you may know, reuse is higher on the agenda or ‘waste hierarchy’ than recycling and of course, disposal. Prevention of use or minimal use are higher still, so from this point of view, the best thing to provide would either be no cutlery (and get in a mess eating with our fingers) or the more sensible option, reusable cutlery. Whenever physically possible, we should be using reusable cutlery. Yes, it can require a little extra people power, such as a dishwasher for example, however, as it is re-usable, you will not need to keep replacing it, saving you money in the long run. Also, unlike other types of cutlery made of stainless steel or wood, plastic cutlery can be bought at economical rates.

For those who are just looking to save on the washing up, use plastic cutlery to ensure you are entertaining and not in the kitchen! That is unless you don’t mind washing up of course, in which case these are, as mentioned, washable and reusable. The issue however, is when it comes to disposable plastic food ware, we use plastics made from an un-renewable resource; petroleum, and give them a pitiful lifetime of just one use before dropping them in the bin, where they work their way to landfills and linger for hundreds of years. So maybe it’s better to stick them in the dishwasher!

The above featured product made by CaterX, is a premium cutlery set comprising 50 each of knife, fork and spoon in a reusable display box. You can also make an additional saving of 24% when you purchase from us! For a full range of plastic knives and forks, take a look at the site.

Yes, you heard right, we even stock catering equipment…

Every workplace has the facilities for drinking water and so will need a constant supply of disposable cups to use. Whether for you workplace or for your home, maybe you have a function to organise? You’d be pretty lost without your catering equipment. Here at Office 365 we have quite a range of Plastic Cups and Plastic Cutlery among other useful catering supplies, here’s an example of both to demonstrate.

Plastic Cutlery

CaterX are a company who provide quality yet affordable plastic cutlery among other catering equipment. These can be useful for either disposable or re-usable purposes.

• CaterX Premium Cutlery Set
• Quality plastic cutlery
• 50 each of knife, fork and spoon in a reusable display box
• White

The set featured to your right is available for just £12.14 that’s a saving of 24% off the recommended retail price!

Plastic Cups

Robinson Young supply a comprehensive range of non food disposables and cleaning/hygiene products used in all types of catering and food service operations.

Robinson Young Budget Cups are available in packs of 1000. Ideal for cold drinks but not suitable for vending. These budget cups are made from plastic and are available for just £23.96, that’s 37% off the recommended retail price.

The Green Bit

Robinson Young Limited recognise that to a greater or lesser extent, every organisation has some impact upon the environment, and are committed to a policy of continuous improvement in the way in which they manage their environmental responsibilities.

Central to their policy are the following objectives:

• Monitor the effects of their directly-controlled activities and seek to minimise any adverse impact upon our environment.
• Minimise waste and ensure that there is effective control, which promotes recycling where possible and provides responsible disposal, particularly with regard to hazardous wastes.
• Promote environmentally responsible policies in all its commercial activities, including purchasing and investment.
• Work closely with customers and suppliers, so that environmental awareness is extended throughout the supply chain.
• Use energy supplies efficiently and to reduce the impact of transport operations by the use of shared loads and backhauling distribution systems.
• To encourage employees to consider environmental responsibilities and to integrate these considerations into relevant business operations.
• Comply with current legislation, and beyond this to adopt a best-practice approach to environmental management policies.

I do like a nice cup of tea. Especially when I’m at work. Not only is a cup of tea a refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage, it is also the perfect opportunity to break the monotony of work!

We stock six of the most popular tea brands, Tetley, PG Tips, Twinings, Typhoo, Yorkshire Tea & Clipper (personally, I’m a PG Tips girl). They’re available in either decaf or the normal caffeine version, as individually wrapped bags or as one giant (well, large) bag. We also have the Clipper Fairtrade teabags.

For those of you who like to be adventurous with your tea, we also stock green tea with lemon, peppermint, camomile and a berry variety too. And for those who are facing an impending tea crisis, all tea is available on a next working day delivery service, subject to stock levels (this is free if order is over £30 before VAT. Remember, there’s no such thing as too many teabags).

Click below to start shopping:

http://www.office365.co.uk/Catering/Beverages/Tea-1.htm

…Right, time for a cup of tea!

I’m having a sweet tooth day today, so just thought I’d let you know we do much more than Stationery and Furniture!

We have a lovely range of teas, coffees, soft drinks, hot chocolate and water. Why go to the supermarket when you can order them along with your stationery order? Or are you tired of always making the office’s tea, try this Kenco Singles Machine – its perfect as it has a little something to suit everybody’s wants.

Go on treat yourself on your next order! Try the Cadbury Variety Bags – something for everyone! Or surprise yourself with Pringles (Thinks to herself – Pringles? We sell Pringles? Why haven’t I bought any yet??)

Hmmmm – I knew something was eating into our profits – Ed!