Gilbertstone Primary School ~ Catering Tender

The successful Supplier will be required to provide Catering services for Gilbertstone Primary School.

The successful Supplier will be required to provide Catering services for Gilbertstone Primary School.

We have happy, hardworking children who are proud of their school and who want to learn and staff that go the extra mile to enable children to be the very best that they can be.

Through our strong inclusive ethos and caring values, children develop a range of personal qualities and skills to support their educational development and prepare them to make a positive contribution to the world around them.

Our Golden Rule: ‘Treat others as you wish to be treated.'

We currently have our meals delivered; however, we have a small kitchen on site and would prefer if fresh meals were prepared at the School, we have previously been informed that this could be successfully managed for our 417 pupils.

We would welcome duo bid submissions from each contractor, offering either a prepared on-site or delivered meal service option.

This is the first time that the School has put their catering requirement to competitive tender. The contract will commence on 1 January 2025 for an initial period of five years, ending on 31 December 2029, with no subsequent opportunity to extend for a further period.

The Client expects the successful Supplier to enable the continued development of catering through the provision of an innovative, healthy food service, with fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients being prepared, if possible, in the small kitchen on-site. The Client expects the successful Supplier to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement their stated target. The Client requires year one menus to be fully compliant with the Food for Life Silver standard.

The contract covers the scope for the provision of catering services, which currently includes only lunch, however the School would also like a morning break service if produced on site, all hospitality and free issue requirements. There is a ‘before & after School Club’ that is managed directly by the School. Meals shall be charged at £2.65 on consumption for the first year of the contract, with hospitality and free issues at net cost.

The Client intends to focus heavily on healthy, fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce and sees the catering service as an exciting opportunity to complement the overall pupil experience, through the regular introduction of new ingredients, themed and promotional events. The successful Supplier will be required to play their part in acting as a catalyst for improvement of the pupil experience.

The successful Supplier will work closely with the Client to manage the provision of catering and the overall ‘meal experience. The value of the current catering contract is circa £130K.

Contractor’s thoughts regarding how to support the schools’ catering improvement objectives within the term of the initial contract are welcome. The school has a ParentPay ‘cashless system’ and parents generally pay on a day-to-day basis, with pupils selecting their meal preference from one of two options at the point of service

The Client invites bidders to consider offers of appropriate capital investment.

See SQ Document for more information.