Bright Futures Educational Trust has awarded Sodexo the £5m school meals contract for all 12 schools in its portfolio. It is the first time the Trust has chosen one provider. Sodexo was the incumbent caterer for the past ten years at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.
The new contract which is for three years with the option to extend a further two will see Sodexo deliver its Food & Co school meals offer at its three secondary, two SEN and seven primary schools. The schools are situated in Greater Manchester and Blackpool.
Steve Hawkins, managing director for schools, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted that the Trust has chosen Sodexo to provide school meals across all twelve of its schools. Our team at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls have done an outstanding job over the last ten years and it is their commitment to delivering service excellence combined with our great fresh food offer that has enabled us to win this sought-after contract.
“We are already welcoming our new colleagues to our team. There is a staggered roll out with eight schools mobilised since 1 September with the remaining four scheduled to go live at the end of the first half term.”
The Trust chose Sodexo due to its innovative and flexible Food & Co offer which was taste-tested by more than 20 students from Blackpool and Manchester as part of the tender process. At all schools Sodexo will be transforming the dining halls with input from the students through its Agents for Change programme which is an important element of its Food & Co offer.
Sodexo understands that every school within the Trust has its own individual profile, its Food & Co offer enables each school and their Agents for Change to use its selector menu to choose the dishes that appeal to its student population.
Anna Sharpley, Director of Business & Commercial Finance, Bright Futures Educational Trust, said, “Sodexo demonstrated throughout the tender process their commitment to provide healthy, nutritious meals that young people enjoy and whilst doing so minimising the impact food services has an on the environment through its actions to tackle food waste and through its approach to social impact.
'It is this commitment, and very successful taste tests with our students, that make Sodexo our partner of choice.
“We are both committed to the approach that in everything we do, we are accountable to the children, families and communities that we serve. At Bright Futures we are big on mental and physical health and wellbeing.
'The provision of interesting, nutritious, and tasty meals is so important for our children. We are looking forward to seeing all our dining halls revamped with Sodexo’s colourful Food & Co designs and seeing our students benefit from the healthy, balanced and popular food that the Sodexo teams will deliver.”
