Synbiotix by SINGU is the only complete facilities management software built specifically for the healthcare sector. For over 20 years we've partnered with NHS Trusts and Health Boards across the UK, helping busy estates and catering teams realise more every day through fully integrated software. Our XCater catering information system connects every stage of hospital catering — from supplier, to back door, to ward floor — supporting Cook Fresh, Cook Chill and Cook Freeze services. Built with chefs and catering specialists who know healthcare kitchens inside out, XCater helps teams reduce waste, improve traceability and deliver a better patient experience.

Approach to Healthcare

Our approach starts with the people behind healthcare catering, not the software. XCater was developed alongside chefs and catering specialists who have spent years working in hospital kitchens, so the system reflects how those kitchens actually operate - around ward routines, shifting patient numbers, strict allergen requirements and the responsibility of feeding people who are often at their most vulnerable. Rather than asking kitchens to adapt to a rigid system, XCater fits around the way a hospital kitchen already runs, whichever CPU it's on and whether that's fresh, frozen or chilled production. We see ourselves as a long-term partner to catering teams, not just a technology supplier, working closely with ward and catering staff ahead of go-live, and staying involved well beyond implementation.

Impact of Products/Services on Healthcare

XCater has made a measurable difference across the hospital sites where it's in use. Trusts see a reduction in over-ordering and food waste, along with a full digital audit trail of every meal selection and delivery. That gives staff confidence when responding to queries about missed meals or allergens, and clearer oversight of service quality across sites. As one Catering Services Manager put it, the system has "improved control, accuracy and efficiency" across their catering service. Every stage of production also carries its own HACCP check and sign-off, recorded as the meal is made rather than reconstructed from memory, giving kitchens a full, traceable record from ingredient to plate.

Innovation

Food safety and sustainability are built into XCater's daily production process, not bolted on afterwards. Recipes are built once, connected directly to suppliers so nutritional and allergen data pulls through automatically, and the system calculates exactly how much of each ingredient is needed based on portions or patient orders. Food waste tracking sits inside the system as standard, helping teams see exactly where over-ordering or unused stock is building up in real time, while individual items can carry a CO2 figure to build a fuller picture of a kitchen's footprint. With NHS Trusts now required to report food waste annually as part of their ERIC return, XCater's built-in ERIC reporting means teams can pull those figures straight from the system rather than reconstructing them manually.

Future Direction

We're continuing to evolve XCater alongside the NHS, with ongoing development focused on an even more intuitive interface, faster workflows and deeper integration with trust-wide digital systems.