Addressing the Challenges in School Catering and Recruitment

The second in our series of ‘Back to School’ brief articles, is from Cadaema associate, Aidan Ross, Owner and Managing Director of Cantium Catering Consultancy. He addresses the challenges that all schools face in delivering catering services for their students.

Aidan has enjoyed a long career in the food industry, learning to cook with his grandma he went on to be a successful chef, progressing to Operations Director for a large catering company. In 2020 he set up his own company, Cantium Catering Consultancy and now provides a range of services to support schools, helping to improve not only their food choices, but also their operational efficiency.

Post-COVID, the education sector continues to battle with labour shortages and maintaining adequate staffing levels remains difficult with many chefs, leaving the industry, either through choice or redundancy. Large but justified minimum wage increases and London Living wage add further pressure on school catering finance. Additionally, the lack of free movement throughout the EU to the UK has caused a reduction of European Nationals, historically relied upon across the catering sector, further worsening staff shortages

Beyond staffing issues, schools are also contending with significant budget pressures. Rising food and energy costs, plus salary increases have led to financial strain, with many schools operating on deficit budgets. While academies and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) may have more budget flexibility compared to state schools, both are feeling the squeeze, particularly when it comes to maintaining or upgrading equipment and ensuring consistent food quality.

Despite these challenges, ensuring compliance with the School Food Plan remains crucial. The temptation for caterers to cut corners and offer cheaper, less nutritious options, is understandable given the pressures they face. However, this compromises the health and well-being of students as well as the perception of the sector from students and parents. Schools and councils must hold caterers accountable, ensuring that they deliver high-quality, nutritious meals rather than a ‘diet of beige’ relying on overly processed, cheap to produce foods.

In many state schools, the quality of food has much room for improvement, which is particularly concerning given the importance of good nutrition for children’s development. While primary schools often receive more scrutiny, secondary schools face additional complexities due to the more commercial nature of their food offerings.

Improving school catering is not just about budgets and labour. It’s about making a holistic commitment to the health and well-being of students and embedding this crucial part of the school day into the curriculum and pastoral and safeguarding obligations of schools.  Ensuring that pupils and students receive nutritious meals while also addressing the recruitment and financial challenges the sector faces  will be key to the ongoing viability of this important activity.

Get in touch if you would like more information on how Cadaema can support your school or MAT in addressing these challenges.