The report found two in three independent schools recently surveyed stated they find achieving high-quality meals to be a top catering challenge and over 25% of schools feel pupils’ nutritional needs are not being met.
It also found 85% of respondents expressed concerns about the rising cost of school catering. Apetito says these three factors are having serious consequences on schools’ ability to provide high quality, nutritious meals to pupils.
Rupert Weber, general manager for education at Apetito, said: “When we set out to compile this research, we wanted to create a report which examined the true position of independent school catering in an increasingly tough economic climate.
“Partnering with the Independent School Association has allowed us to dive deep into the challenges, the solutions and the successes schools face when it comes to putting meals on the table that pupils love, meets their diverse needs and fits within the costs parameters that schools are currently juggling.
“We believe this will be a valuable resource, enabling schools to share and learn from the experiences of others. This collaboration is more than research; it’s a commitment to setting new standards for school catering that we hope will signpost the future.”
The report, which is being made available for free to independent schools, has been undertaken to help them better understand the current landscape of school catering and offer insights into how teams can manage their catering services.
Speaking on the report Rudi Lockhart, chief executive of the ISA, added: “Our gold supply partner Apetito has immense experience in the catering landscape and in meeting pupils’ nutritional needs whilst serving an excellent dining experience.
“Apetito was able to gather data from the heads in our association for this report which provides a really valuable snapshot of the nature of catering in independent schools right now. It helps to identify the different needs that schools have, the particular challenges that they are facing, and the ways that schools can make sure they continue to do the very best in catering for pupils and staff.”
Register for free to gain access to the report here: https://education.apetito.co.uk/shaping-the-future