Feeding hungry minds

30 November 2011

The Chafford School secondary school, a specialist business and enterprise college in the London Borough of Havering, has chosen ISS Facility Services Education to deliver fresh, locally sourced meals for its 1000 pupils.

As part of the contract, ISS will invest £70,000 to provide a modern catering facility, capable of feeding the imaginations of ever more discerning learners. This investment will provide the school with flexible facilities including cashless payment, new bespoke service counters, better cooking equipment and safe, hygienic dishwashing facilities.

ISS will introduce a range of nutritious Hot Deli grab and go items as well as Theatre Cooking (where students can see, hear and smell food being cooked) and its range of fresh home cooked meals of the day. It will also provide new product ranges such as ‘Bowl Food’ and ‘Quick Serve’ giving students’ hot and healthy meals served in a way that is really appealing to their age group.

Overall, the aim is to create a wow with ISS’ contemporary ‘Food…’ marketing concept based on the quality and freshness of its food offer. ‘Food…’ is a concept that allows every school to have an almost unlimited blend of colours, images and idea combinations available to them. A second unique element is that it relies on images rather than ‘catchy’ phrases to convey the food ethos and offer.

The refurbished restaurant will also be used by the nearby Brady Primary School, whose learners will utilise the facility before the secondary school pupils do. ISS will produce a freshly cooked daily menu with a choice of main meals and desserts specifically for younger learners. It will offer packed lunches delivered to Brady or enjoyed at The Chafford School; serve the hot meals from the new counters suitable for primary pupils; and introduce its popular Food Force 5 marketing concept for primary schools.

Mark Davies, MD, ISS Facility Services Education, said: “We are excited by the prospect of working in partnership with The Chafford School to develop an inspirational and cost effective catering service that will be one of the highlights of the school day. Our service will bring the catering into the 21st Century with healthy, fresh, delicious food cooked on energy-efficient equipment, served at attractive new service counters and with vibrant signage.”

Cheryl J Hassell, Headteacher, The Chafford School, added: “We have a clear mission – the achievement for all through the pursuit of excellence. This applies as much to nutrition as learning. Good nutrition makes a positive contribution to student attendance, wellbeing and attainment. ISS will not only invest in new infrastructure, but it is introducing new food concepts that provide a balanced diet at an affordable price, but in menus that our pupils will actively enjoy. Eating is an important part of life that should be fun at the same time and the new approach that we are introducing with ISS will allow our learners to experience this.”