Bright Futures Educational Trust has awarded Sodexo a £5 million school meals contract for all 12 schools in its portfolio. This is the first time that the foundation has chosen a single service provider. Sodexo was an established caterer for the past ten years at Altrincham Girls’ High School.
Sodexo delivers its Food & Co school meal offer to three secondary schools, two special education and seven primary schools. The schools are located in Greater Manchester and Blackpool.
Steve Hawkins, Schools Managing Director of Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted that the Trust has chosen Sodexo to provide school meals for all twelve schools. Our team at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls have done an outstanding job over the past ten years and their commitment to providing excellent service coupled with a great our fresh food offering has helped us win this coveted contract.
“We are already welcoming our new colleagues to our team. The roll-out is phased, with eight schools having been commissioned since 1 September, with the remaining four scheduled to open at the end of the first semester.”
The Trust chose Sodexo for its innovative and flexible Food & Co offer, which was tested by over 20 students from Blackpool and Manchester during the tender. In all schools, Sodexo transforms dining halls with student input through the Agents for Change program, which is an important part of its Food & Co offering.
Sodexo understands that each school in the Trust has its own unique profile, and its Food & Co offering allows each school and its Agents for Change to use its menu to select foods that its students will enjoy.
Anna Sharpley, head of business and commercial finance at Bright Futures Educational Trust, said: “Throughout the tender, Sodexo demonstrated its commitment to providing healthy, nutritious meals that young people enjoy, while minimizing the environmental impact of food services through a food waste reduction and social impact perspective.
“This commitment and very successful taste tests with our students make Sodexo our partner.
“We are both committed to the approach that in everything we do, we are accountable to the children, families and communities we serve. At Bright Futures, we are important for mental and physical health and well-being.
“Providing interesting, nutritious and tasty meals is very important to our children. We look forward to seeing all of our dining halls revamped with Sodexo’s colorful Food & Co designs and our students benefiting from the healthy, balanced and popular food provided by the Sodexo teams.
