Food Services - Schools
Cater Link is a leading food service provider within both independent and state education sectors. Our 'Fresh Food Policy' in schools - a refreshing move away from convenience and fast foods - has proved hugely successful and has earned us a reputation for quality and innovation,
"There is no such thing as bad food, only poor diet. By being selective about the choices available, we have found that we can steer young people towards a balanced diet."
Tony McKenna, Managing Director, Cater Link
Our aim is to meet nutritional needs while providing an edited (but sufficient) choice menu. We do this by discouraging the use of convenience foods and reducing 'fast food' to a minimum.
We've got plenty of good ideas to help enhance the catering service in schools, from 'Healthy Eating Week' to national days, including inspiring signage and menu displays to counter and static displays.
In schools where meals are paid for on the spot, we can offer the Cater Link Cashless Smartcard System which enables the school to do away with the need for cash to be carried on a daily basis. Pupils' money is credited to a Smartcard registered in their name, to be spent in the school restaurant. No one gets left out pupils on free meal entitlement are issued with identical cards on which the entitlement value is recorded electronically. Use of the Smartcard can be extended for other purposes such as library borrowing.
Cater Link's food service in schools also extends to providing ideas for revenue-generating special functions such as parties and wedding receptions.
"Until Cater Link came on the scene at St Benedict's, the meals served were rather like you'd get from a fast food outlet. The type of food on offer has changed dramatically, with more menu choices for our junior boys and an entirely different approach to cafeteria-style dining available to seniors."
Catherine de Cintra, Finance Manager, St Benedict's School, West London.
"Our pupils are now getting better food, in the right quantities and everything runs very smoothly. We've also taken Cater Link's fresh food policy on board and its innovative approach to menu choices has been effectively communicated."
Mary Stannard, Head of Finance & Estates, St Edmund's School, Canterbury.
