Social media object: Array ( [0] => Array ( [social_media_icon] => link [social_media_link] => http://www.sodexo.com/ ) [1] => Array ( [social_media_icon] => facebook [social_media_link] => https://www.facebook.com/SodexoUKIreland ) [2] => Array ( [social_media_icon] => twitter [social_media_link] => https://twitter.com/sodexouk_ire ) )
URL: string(6) "sodexo"
Page object: WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 14937 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-11-27 15:43:26 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-11-27 15:43:26 [post_content] => [post_title] => Sodexo [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-11-27 15:43:26 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-11-27 15:43:26 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.ie-today.co.uk/dashboard2/dashboard2/?post_type=marketplace&p=14937 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => marketplace [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )
News article object: WP_Query Object ( [query] => Array ( [post_type] => Array ( [0] => post ) [post_status] => Array ( [0] => publish ) [posts_per_page] => -1 [orderby] => date [order] => DESC [tax_query] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [taxonomy] => post_tag [field] => slug [terms] => sodexo ) ) ) [query_vars] => Array ( [post_type] => Array ( [0] => post ) [post_status] => Array ( [0] => publish ) [posts_per_page] => -1 [orderby] => date [order] => DESC [tax_query] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [taxonomy] => post_tag [field] => slug [terms] => sodexo ) ) [error] => [m] => [p] => 0 [post_parent] => [subpost] => [subpost_id] => [attachment] => [attachment_id] => 0 [name] => [pagename] => [page_id] => 0 [second] => [minute] => [hour] => [day] => 0 [monthnum] => 0 [year] => 0 [w] => 0 [category_name] => [tag] => [cat] => [tag_id] => 1291 [author] => [author_name] => [feed] => [tb] => [paged] => 0 [meta_key] => [meta_value] => [preview] => [s] => [sentence] => [title] => [fields] => [menu_order] => [embed] => [category__in] => Array ( ) [category__not_in] => Array ( ) [category__and] => Array ( ) [post__in] => Array ( ) [post__not_in] => Array ( ) [post_name__in] => Array ( ) [tag__in] => Array ( ) [tag__not_in] => Array ( ) [tag__and] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ( ) [post_parent__in] => Array ( ) [post_parent__not_in] => Array ( ) [author__in] => Array ( ) [author__not_in] => Array ( ) [ignore_sticky_posts] => [suppress_filters] => [cache_results] => 1 [update_post_term_cache] => 1 [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1 [update_post_meta_cache] => 1 [nopaging] => 1 [comments_per_page] => 50 [no_found_rows] => ) [tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [taxonomy] => post_tag [terms] => Array ( [0] => sodexo ) [field] => slug [operator] => IN [include_children] => 1 ) ) [relation] => AND [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( [0] => ehieterm_relationships ) [queried_terms] => Array ( [post_tag] => Array ( [terms] => Array ( [0] => sodexo ) [field] => slug ) ) [primary_table] => ehieposts [primary_id_column] => ID ) [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( ) [relation] => [meta_table] => [meta_id_column] => [primary_table] => [primary_id_column] => [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( ) [clauses:protected] => Array ( ) [has_or_relation:protected] => ) [date_query] => [request] => SELECT ehieposts.* FROM ehieposts LEFT JOIN ehieterm_relationships ON (ehieposts.ID = ehieterm_relationships.object_id) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ehieterm_relationships.term_taxonomy_id IN (1291) ) AND ehieposts.post_type = 'post' AND ((ehieposts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY ehieposts.ID ORDER BY ehieposts.menu_order, ehieposts.post_date DESC [posts] => Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 210 [post_author] => 63 [post_date] => 2018-10-05 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-10-04 22:00:00 [post_content] =>In the wake of the ‘Those who can, teach’ campaign that ran in 2000 a cruel affix emerged from the playground: ‘Those who can’t, teach PE’. This taunt reflected the ascribed order of physical education at the time – the ‘lesson off’ lesson, the subject that non-academics could take solace in.
Fast-forward 18 years and look where we are now. Mental wellbeing is now at the core of schools’ itineraries, and physical education has been recognised as a fundamental part of that as educators seek to support the whole child, rather than support the antiquated academia-only model that has loomed large in generations past. Liz Laybourne, Headmistress of Burgess Hill Girls, agrees: “Our whole ethos is about educating the whole child. So for us, the extra-curricular programme is incredibly important because whether it’s sport or another extra-curricular activity, we believe if the girls get involved in those activities it will actually help them perform better in their academic studies.”
Arguably independents have a greater burden of responsibility when it comes to a more holistic method of education. Naturally boarding schools have long since had an enhanced duty of care, but additionally scholarship pupils and similar high performers also need rounded support to ensure they have the strength of character to support their capacity for performance.
Laybourne sees supporting student wellbeing with a two-pronged approach: top-down and ground-up: “We as a school need to actually take some control, and intervene if we feel they’re putting too much pressure on themselves. But it’s also celebration as well, recognising what they’re doing. Whether that’s playing for Sussex or competing for their school, it’s about recognising that, celebrating their success and letting them know that we believe in what they’re doing.” As any office worker will attest, recognition for successes can go a long way towards bolstering self-belief and mental strength ahead of challenges, instead of watching out for the axe to fall.
Glenalmond College students
For Graham Smith, Director of Sport at Glenalmond College, making students aware of support channels is key. “Ensuring the pupils understand that there is help available from a multitude of different sources, should they require, is crucial. Awareness of mental health support has to be very visual,” he comments. “It is the responsibility of all staff involved with the pupil to keep an eye on how they are doing mentally.”
For Glenalmond these support sources encompass coaches, teachers, pastors and school nurses. With such a range of help available it’s no surprise that regular communications with and regarding the pupil, are key. Smith confirms: “A discussion with the pupil about what they want to do, their schoolwork, sports training and their participation in representative games will take place regularly and we chat with the other staff often to see how they are doing in class.”
While these are prudent measures for top performers and the anxiety-inclined, all this doom-mongering is not to detract from the very real advantages of physical activity for students, a subject which Smith is content to wax lyrical on. “Lots of staff comment
on how our pupils’ concentration and behaviour is improved by regular participation in sport, whether this is our main competitive sports or more recreational sports used as a pastime. A senior rugby player recently changed his predicted grades from D to B through improved focus and concentration.”
And it’s not just the teachers that have tuned into the benefits, claims Smith. “During the last exam period, we noticed a lot more girls attending the early morning strength and conditioning sessions to work out, which in turn helped calm their nerves and anxieties they were experiencing from the pressure of final exams.”
Girls' football festival
Educating the whole character
This is a world view very much in line with that of Andy Collins, Acting Deputy Head of Millfield. “It is my firm belief that academic performance and adolescent wellbeing are synergistic; one cannot flourish without the other,” he comments. “At Millfield, we not only teach pupils academic and cognitive skills, we also encourage them to listen to their bodies and challenge thoughts which are not positive, so they can manage their own physical and mental health as they take those all-important first steps after leaving school.” Again, echoed in Collins’ words is the shift towards educating the whole character, building the confidence required to live in an always-on world of academic pressures, social media and the endless and eternal documentation both have arguably devolved into.
But there’s another inescapable side to wellbeing, and its name is nutrition. While once school dinners were an all-beige vat-ladled monstrosity, today, awareness (thanks Jamie!) is creating a paradigm shift in how we feed our new generation of academics. For Wan Mac, Head of Dietetics and Nutrition at Sodexo it’s a shift that can’t come fast enough. “One of the most obvious, yet under-recognised factors in the development of major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition. The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapid pace. As well as its impact on short- and long-term mental health, the evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.”
With these damning illnesses it seems almost churlish to mention the short-term effects on academia and sporting performance, but these are certainly just as well documented.
Attitudes in schools are changing as nutritional awareness becomes more widespread, but there may still be a crucial neglected area: the nutritional mindset of the students themselves. For a generation raised absorbing highly sophisticated ad campaigns that run all the way from first ad to point of sale, making healthy choices can be more challenging than is first perceived.
For Amanda Ursell, Consultant Nutritionist for CH&CO Independent, this conditioning is a battle that can be fought both ways: “[CH&CO] have carried out research that shows how the use of ‘social norm’ messaging can gently nudge pupils towards healthier choices, without overtly making a fuss about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.”
For Mac, countering a negative psychological mindset is about giving real estate to whole foods and working to equip students with their own nutritional know-how: “Our counters are regularly refreshed using vibrant, colourful and seasonal displays. However, providing a nutritious and wholesome lunch is only half the battle. We also need to equip today’s children with the skills they need to feed themselves – therefore we aim to encourage and support healthy eating as well as providing recipe cards to inspire.”
Additionally vending machines, the former mainstay of the nutritionally barren packaged good, is undergoing its much-needed modern revamp as schools seek to keep the convenience while canning the empty calories. Tom Allen, Food Development Director of Independent Schools at Sodexo, agrees. “Overall, vending machines are a lot better than 10 years ago,” he comments. “If they are full of water and dried fruit rather than crisps and sugary drinks then they can offer access to nutritious snacks in a convenient manner.”
Ursell agrees: “It is absolutely possible to stock vending machines with healthy and nutritious options, from drinks to snacks and sandwiches. There are now ‘all green traffic light’ cereal bars on the market, which are nut-free, that along with mixes of dried fruits can make ideal snacks.”
There’s no doubt we’re in a challenging age of adolescent pressures and schools are rightly looking to minimise the issues they face while still encouraging students to reach their potential. While the current watchword is undoubtedly ‘wellbeing’, it seems the current maxim is ‘teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’, with schools and caterers alike seeking to empower young people with the strength of will to pave the path for their own excellent health. And with rapid technological and social changes creating an uncertain horizon, perhaps it could be argued that instilling solid mental fortitude is, in fact, the only certain defence against an ever-shifting landscape.
[post_title] => Want to help your students? Give 'em health [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => want-to-help-your-students-give-em-health [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-10-04 11:26:19 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1309 [post_author] => 60 [post_date] => 2017-07-08 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-07-07 22:00:00 [post_content] =>After a thorough process of research King’s Schools Taunton (KST) have decided to contract their catering operations to Independents by Sodexo, starting this summer.
KST which comprises King’s Hall School (the prep school) and King’s College (the senior school) had something of a mixed approach before the move. King’s Hall had already contracted its catering out for a number of years, while the college managed it in-house. The schools are run as a joint company and it made sense to put in place a single solution for both.
The King’s Hall contractor has provided an excellent catering provision for the school over its 18-year contract and the in-house operation at King’s College had worked well for many years. The standard of catering was generally considered very high, but governors and management felt in the end that the expertise which a catering company could bring, along with the benefits of a uniform approach across both schools, made a change desirable.
A shortlist of three contenders was drawn up and bursars and headteachers embarked on a tour of local schools to investigate the quality of the catering provided by each. The standards in all cases were extraordinarily high, as was the enthusiasm and dedication of the catering staff we met. In the end the decision to go with Sodexo was a narrow one. The size and reach of the company, and the career opportunities it could provide for our own catering staff, along with the excellent references and a first-rate showing in the final presentation tipped the balance in their favour.
Very importantly, the catering staff at both schools have embraced the move and are looking forward to working with the new management.
Tracy Cullen, Domestic Services Manager at King’s, commented, “We are excited about working with Sodexo from July and look forward to taking our catering operation to the next level.” The Headmaster, Richard Biggs, added, “I have seen what Sodexo has done in other schools and am delighted that we will soon be enjoying the same exciting and innovative approach to food here at King’s. This is good news all round.”
With over 750 pupils across both schools, and a majority boarding population in the college, the catering operation is sizeable. The £1.4m contract will provide not just the regular three meals a day for the whole school community but will also take on the catering for the many extra dinners, sports and other functions, hospitality and balls which take place in the schools each year. There is also a plan to open a new café in the college within the coming year.
King’s College is an independent co-educational boarding and day school with more than 460 pupils aged 13–18 years. Its sister school, King’s Hall School, is a prep and pre-prep with more than 300 boys and girls from the ages of two to 13. It offers full, weekly and flexi boarding for children from the age of eight. Both schools are members of the Woodard Corporation, the largest group of Church of England schools in England and Wales.
This is first time King’s College has outsourced its catering and the first time the two schools have worked together on their food provision. Sodexo will be tasked with providing a joined-up approach to catering across the schools, offering pupils and staff a wide range of dishes, with an emphasis on fresh, nutritious and seasonal food.
[post_title] => A big meal deal at King's School Taunton [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-big-meal-deal-at-kings-school-taunton [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-21 14:03:54 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1409 [post_author] => 52 [post_date] => 2017-05-28 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-05-27 22:00:00 [post_content] =>As schools break up for half-term and look ahead to the summer, the holiday plans are starting. For many pupils that will include a visit to the cinema.
Will it be Wonder Woman, The Mummy or Spider-Man (Homecoming)? Maybe it will be another in the Transformers franchise or the new Pirates of the Caribbean film – or perhaps even a return of the minions with Despicable Me 3: We don’t yet know which heroes or villain will win as the battle of the Summer blockbusters get underway at the UK’s cinemas, but we do know who will decide. It will be young people – many of them school age.
Together, 7-14 year olds and those 15-24 make up 45% of all cinema admissions, according to the British Film Institute. It’s not just the films either, it’s the whole experience - the big screen, the popcorn and the company. Cinemas also increasingly offer live screenings of events, theatre and concerts, too. Despite the prevalence of online streaming services and movies on demand, young people still love a night at the movies. And that may be something schools can use in another area – extra-curricular activities.
There’s strong evidence such activities can benefit pupils. In the jobs market, research shows that 70% of businesses believe extra-curricular activities make school leavers and graduates stand out from the crowd. Before that, they play an increasing role in university admissions.
But those pupils willing to join in with these activities aren’t always those who could benefit most, and some extra-curricular activities, no matter how beneficial they are, prove a hard sell. Young people on the whole like watching movies in their free time; they’re not always so keen on science club, homework help and extra maths tuition.
But perhaps schools can change that. Most don’t want to force young people to participate in extra-curricular activities, but we can encourage them. A free night at the movies, as a reward for participating, may be the way to do so.
Eyes on the prize
While cinema is hugely popular among school-age children and teenagers, it’s not always accessible to them. For older pupils or parents, the rising price of tickets is off-putting. Close to three quarters (72%) of 16-24 year olds say it’s the key reason they would avoid the cinema.
It’s not surprising, then, that free tickets are widely and successfully used as incentives in a whole range of settings, including schools. They make an excellent reward: well-loved, flexible (since people can usually choose their film), suitable for all, and – more than most vouchers – self-contained; a £5 or £10 voucher does not go far in a retail environment, but a ticket or pair of cinema tickets is, in itself, a valued reward.
Free tickets provide schools with a cost-effective way to reward regular attendance, achievements or behaviour at extra-curricular activities. They can be used as a general incentive to encourage participation; a shared experience to reward and bind teams or clubs together; or a way to promote inspiring or relevant films, whether it’s historic biopics or adaptions of a curriculum text.
There’s a final factor, too, that makes cinema tickets an attractive incentive not just for pupils, but also for schools: they’re easy to administer. That’s particularly true as both schools and cinemas have moved online.
Online portals and apps, used for homework assignments, school news, payments and communication with parents, are widespread. These also provide an effective, easy-to-use platform through which to promote incentives, track attendance and deliver rewards. No more vouchers getting lost at the bottom of school bags – if they get brought home at all; pupils or parents can just log-on, get their codes and book their seats in the local cinema online.
As schools search for ways to ensure they’re being effective with their resources outside the class a well as in, such incentives could be the one to watch.
Chris Baldwin is Director of Consumer Programmes at Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services.
[post_title] => Give extracurricular activities some star quality [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => give-extracurricular-activities-some-star-quality [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-05-26 15:06:30 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2048 [post_author] => 14 [post_date] => 2016-11-05 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-11-04 23:00:00 [post_content] =>After a successful pilot phase in three countries, Sodexo is set to deploy the International Food Waste Coalition’s first action-oriented programme, SKOOL, designed to help schools reduce food waste, exclusively across the company’s sites in Europe.
The programme aims to educate children, optimise meal production in school cafeterias and promote value chain collaboration among food service companies.
Consumer waste accounts for three-quarters of food wasted at school.
In fact, nearly one fourth of every child’s plate at the canteen ends up in the bin. Both children and kitchen staff are key players in reducing food waste today and can serve as the best ambassadors of change for a better, more sustainable future.
With this in mind, in June 2015, Sodexo and other founding members of the International Food Waste Coalition developed a pilot project, SKOOL, with an ambitious goal: to build a school food value chain without food waste.
The results from the pilot phase – which was deployed across six schools in France, Italy and the United Kingdom from January to July 2016 – reported an average of 12 per cent food waste reduction, corresponding to 2.5 tons of food waste avoided. Over 4,500 meals were saved, equivalent to over €9,000.
Not only does food waste prevention lead to increased savings and new business innovation, it fosters employee motivation and teamwork around a positive project
Since September 2016, Sodexo has been deploying the programme exclusively across its client sites.
An extension phase aims to increase the number of European countries to benefit from the programme, double the number of children directly sensitised, and double the total amount of food production covered by the programme. SKOOL will now play an integral part of Sodexo’s commercial offer for schools, demonstrating the steadfast commitment by the company to reduce food waste across all of its segments.
“The SKOOL programme will provide significant benefits to our network of schools and suppliers. Not only does food waste prevention lead to increased savings and new business innovation, it fosters employee motivation and teamwork around a positive project. Integrating the new programme into our schools offering will help Sodexo and our clients more accurately track food waste and implement effective measures to tackle the issue at every interaction across the food chain,” said Damien Verdier, Group chief strategy, Sodexo.
The project also led to the development of a comprehensive educational toolkit that explains in-school and at-home assignments that raise children’s awareness and knowledge about food waste and a detailed kitchen methodology that outlines best practices for staff to optimise food production. The materials are available in three languages and will be accessible online for the 2017 school year.
[post_title] => Sodexo expands waste prevention scheme [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo-expands-waste-prevention-scheme [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2016-10-26 14:08:56 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2352 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2016-07-28 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-07-27 22:00:00 [post_content] => The commitment marks a major step forward in the animal welfare strategy of the Group. “Our objective is to work collaboratively with our partners to support and contribute to the progressive transformation of the whole industry” said Michel Franceschi, Sodexo Group SVP Supply Management. Sodexo will take advice at the international level from specialized NGO partners Compassion in World Farming, Humane Society International, and The Humane League to define and implement an action plan to ensure the company and its suppliers can achieve this goal within the next nine years. Neil Barrett, Sodexo Group SVP Sustainable Development, said: “For a company like Sodexo, which sources approximately a quarter of a billion shell eggs worldwide on an annual basis, addressing animal welfare is a significant undertaking, due to the complexities of our supply chain and differences in agriculture practices around the world.” Sodexo in Belgium has been sourcing 100% cage free eggs since 2008, while Sodexo in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have been sourcing 100% cage free eggs since 2015. Sodexo in North America has switched to cage free shell eggs in 2015 and is committed to source all liquid eggs solely from cage-free hens by the end of 2020. [post_title] => Sodexo to ban caged-hen eggs by 2025 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo-to-ban-caged-hen-eggs-by-2025 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-11-27 09:27:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-11-27 09:27:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3065 [post_author] => 39 [post_date] => 2015-12-01 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-11-30 23:00:00 [post_content] =>Students at Brentwood are tucking into a set of 10 different sustainable meals, which have an increased nutritional content, use ingredients which are responsibly sourced, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Green & Lean has been launched by caterer Sodexo and conservation charity WWF. Staff and pupils at Brentwood have the chance to try each of the special dishes twice over the six-week trial. Meals include beef dishes, curry and frittata.
Sodexo’s executive development chef for Independent Schools, Tom Allen, said; “It was really important that the meals we created tasted great. The idea was to make small changes to popular, well-loved dishes that would up the nutritional content and reduce the environmental impact, without dramatically changing the taste or the look of the dish.
For example, the Green & Lean lasagne contains more carrots, onions and celery than [our] original recipe and less beef mince. It also contains wholemeal rather than white flour pasta.”
Plant-based foods have to account for at least two thirds of the volume of each meal; refined grains are replaced with whole grains; and meat and fish has to have relevant certification, such as MSC or RSPCA Assured. They include favourites such as beef lasagne, chicken and leek pie and Lancashire hot pot.
Nick Hughes at WWF said; “The food we eat – growing, producing and consuming it – has a massive impact on the planet. We have found that food is responsible for around 30% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Brentwood School is one of the eight schools taking part in the trial. All the schools have received promotional materials to help explain the ethos and principles of Green & Lean to students and staff.
The 10 criteria for Green and Lean meals are:
[post_title] => Brentwood pilot Green & Lean scheme [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => brentwood-pilot-green-lean-scheme [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2015-11-24 15:32:13 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3740 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2015-04-30 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-04-29 22:00:00 [post_content] =>
- Plant-based foods account for at least two-thirds of the volume (g) of each meal
- Animal protein accounts for no more than one-third of the volume (g) of each meal
- Fruits and vegetables are sourced according to seasonality
- Refined grains are replaced with whole grains
- No salt is added to the finished meal
- Sugar is Fairtrade and added sparingly to meals
- Dairy products that are lower in fat should be used
- All fish is MSC certified; pork and chicken is RSPCA Assured; beef is British
- All meals are served to standardised portion sizes
As consumers become ever more aware of food provenance and its importance for welfare (as well as taste), so it becomes increasingly important for caterers to ensure that their food is sustainably and ethically sourced. With a focus on cooking fresh food from scratch, Independents by Sodexo is renowned for the seasonality, provenance and freshness of its menus. Behind this approach lies a strategic approach to managing our supply chain, building trusting, mutually beneficial and long-term relationships with suppliers.
All our suppliers are vetted by an internal vendor governance team, visited on site, and required to sign our animal welfare policy. Sodexo has had MSC certification for its sites since 2010 – our aim is to make sure all fish we supply is sustainably sourced. Uniquely among independent school caterers, all our fresh meat and dairy is Red Tractor certified. This means that it is sourced in the UK from farmers who ensure conditions meet stringent EU standards on animal welfare.
Sodexo has become the first caterer to supply pork and eggs from Freedom Foods suppliers – where welfare standards are set by the RSPCA – to all its 70-plus independent schools. For a supplier to gain the Freedom Foods certification, animals must be free to roam and express natural behaviours. Our main pork supplier for pork and sausages is Freedom Foods farmer Dingley Dell, a family-run Suffolk business where all pigs are reared outdoors.
As part of a holistic approach in independent schools, we are also committed to educating pupils on the benefits of eating sustainably. We have produced point-of-sale and counter-top materials which aim to explain certification marks such as MSC and Red Tractor in simple terms. We work closely with the MSC, who have visited several of our schools to talk about fish conservation using their mascot Murdoch the Cat and have provided additional lesson plans and materials for our catering managers to deliver in schools.
We are also using our ‘2Eat’ school Twitter accounts to give students and their parents information about the provenance of the food we serve to them, using competitions to build engagement.
As to the future, Sodexo will continue to focus on welfare, sustainability and applying the highest possible standards to the food we serve in our schools.
Jeremy Alderton is managing director, Independents by Sodexo
[post_title] => The only way is ethics [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-only-way-is-ethics [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2015-04-28 07:13:21 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [7] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3742 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2015-04-28 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-04-27 22:00:00 [post_content] =>
There may be nothing new under the sun, but catering companies supplying independent schools are serving up some shiny innovations now the summer term is here. The reduction of food waste, the wish to offer older pupils a high-street-like food experience, the current popularity of baking and superfoods and a desire to celebrate overseas cuisine have featured or will feature in numerous tasty initiatives. It’s not surprising, then, that one company reports winning new contracts with schools seeking similar pupil engagement.
Children around the country will soon learn about eco-friendly food production thanks to an exciting initiative. “According to Wrap (the waste management experts) food waste can cost the education sector around £250m a year,” says Kate Martin, managing partner of the Brookwood Partnership. “As school caterers, we are continuously seeking out ways to lessen the impact we have on the environment. This is why we have a dedicated team to ensure we operate sustainably. Reducing food waste is an issue with which we can influence and educate our teams as well as the pupils. Next month, our on-site catering teams will engage pupils in our third annual Planet Matters Day. Held on the fifth of June in conjunction with World Environment Day, this company-wide activity provides the opportunity to promote and celebrate our environmental programmes.
“We know children really care about their environment and that they can take small steps which can really make a difference. So, new for 2015, is our latest initiative against plate waste – Captain Wasteless. Developed for preparatory school pupils, and to continue the success of other waste initiatives, our award-winning superhero will help to promote a plate waste campaign and help educate young pupils. Having achieved a 47 percent reduction in food waste from other initiatives, we envisage that Captain Wasteless will increase this reduction further. Still only in its initial roll-out, the initiative is already having a positive impact with one site recording a 10 percent reduction in food costs and another school reporting a 41 percent reduction in waste.”
The rise of the sixth-form café continues to be a popular trend in catering for the independent schools sector, according to Kevin Hopper, general manager client services, independent education at Harrison Catering Services. “Harrison has refurbished and relaunched a number of these cafés in the last two years and several other schools we work with have plans to refurbish over the summer,” he said. “They have become a real focus for bursars and heads when considering new contracts because they offer a wide range of benefits. For students they give the sixth formers, who want to be treated more as adults, a place all their own where they can relax with their friends. This in turn allows the catering provider to introduce a food and beverage offer more like that which students experience on the high street. Sixth-form cafés can really mirror the high-street coffee culture, keeping the students on site, which many schools want to encourage.”
Kevin identifies benefits from sixth-form cafes accruing to schools. “They can help with retention as students move from year 11 into sixth form and also help schools keep pace with students’ changing tastes as they move toward university. Additionally, when dining space is at a premium, offering another service area can help reduce congestion. The café space can then also be used for different types of events outside of the school day, such as parents’ evenings and during summer schools, creating additional income streams, providing further funding for reinvestment in the food service or used to support other school activities. Finally, competition for prospective students remains stiff in the sector. Independent schools are competing against each other and top maintained schools and academies, so they seek to differentiate themselves in any way they can. A sixth-form café can be a real point of difference for a school when marketing itself to prospective parents and students.”
“Instilling a love of good food goes far beyond helping pupils to make healthy eating choices. It’s about engaging with them and involving them in the process towards a healthier and balanced diet,” says James Goodwin, Wilson Vale chef manager at the Mount School in York and current holder of Independent School Caterer of the Year in the Educatering Awards 2014.
Food is an integral and exciting part of daily life at the school, where James manages 17 staff and a busy catering operation for 400 pupils ranging in age from three to eighteen, including 100 boarders. For example, he holds regular bread-making workshops championing and supporting the Real Bread Campaign. Freshly baked focaccia, ciabatta, malted wholemeal, semi-sourdough, soda bread and many more breads now appear on the menu every day.
Similarly, a recent sushi workshop proved very popular, with Japanese dishes including salmon and vegetable rolls, spicy salmon rolls and salmon nigiri. Says James: “All our chefs across our 25 independent school contracts have been trained in real breading skills, sushi-making and many other craft skills, and everyone is encouraged to share them with pupils.”
Wilson Vale’s independent schools portfolio now represents 25 percent of the business, which employs 550 staff nationwide and has a projected turnover of £22m for 2015.
Food theatre, unusual ingredients and healthier fast food are all trends currently sweeping the dining halls in the independent school sector.
At contract caterer Holroyd Howe’s independent schools, there has been a sharp rise in demand for handmade grab-and-go options over the last few years, with sixth-form cafes and tuck shops revamped to offer healthier homemade snacks and drinks. This trend for healthier fast food is increasingly popular because it makes school food more accessible and enticing for pupils.
The trend continues into the dining hall, where vibrant salad bars are filled with superfoods, ancient grains such as quinoa and lean protein, and street food stations offer freshly cooked noodles, Vietnamese pho and grilled chicken kebabs. Offering such a wide variety of cuisines at each service also helps to address the needs of an increasing number of international students and of specific diets.
Independent school catering has also become increasingly influenced by restaurant and hotel culture, where presentation is as important as the quality of the food. More time is spent designing visually engaging food displays, and menus often include fine dining options such as duck breast with caramelised red onions and chocolate fondant with homemade ice cream.
Sodexo continues to go from strength to strength, winning several contracts in the last 12 months. In September it started providing catering and hospitality services to The Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, Middlesex and in January began a five-year contract providing catering services at Wycombe Abbey, Buckinghamshire. Rhiannon Wilkinson, headmistress of Wycombe Abbey, says: “Sodexo is committed to using healthy cooking practices, the promotion of a balanced diet and use of ingredients which are sustainably and ethically sourced. We are confident Sodexo will take Wycombe Abbey to new culinary heights.”
Sodexo’s catering is in safe hands, according to Jeremy Alderton, managing director, Independents by Sodexo. “Our chefs play a vital role in delivering great food every day to Independents by Sodexo customers and we are committed to developing their culinary skills. Chefs of all abilities have the chance to develop their skills through our craft-training programme, whether they are fully qualified, an apprentice or undergoing an NVQ. Chefs are supported centrally by expertise from Tom Allen, our executive head chef, who oversees the development of unique, seasonal menus that get children excited about food. Additionally, chefs benefit from training in our regional ‘innovation hubs’, where they can collaborate on new ideas.”
In other news, a three-week tour organised by Sodexo saw students at several UK independent schools, including Manchester’s Chethams School of Music, enjoy a traditional Swedish menu created by Swedish chef Daniel Leidstedt. Dishes included baked cod fillet with lemon, cress and horseradish; butter-fried cabbage with celery and egg sauce; and cured char (Arctic trout/salmon) with Jerusalem artichoke cream, trout roe, shiso cress and fried potato. The chef’s visit was part of Sodexo’s global chef exchange programme, now in its eighth year.
With new Ofsted guidelines promoting the importance of nutrition and wellbeing for children, school caterer Pabulum set out to examine what parents understand about key phrases surrounding health and nutrition.
Pabulum caters for many independent schools and recently commissioned a YouGov survey revealing that despite many years of campaigning, some key food and health terms are still misunderstood by UK adults. For instance, the research showed that when asked what the term ‘fresh’ implied, 49 percent of respondents said “bought from a local market in the morning”; 47 percent said “straight from the farm”; 40 percent thought “home grown” and 38 percent said “food prepared in the kitchen from raw ingredients such as meat, fish and vegetables”. Only 10 percent thought the word applied to items on meat and vegetable counters from a local, branded supermarket.
Pabulum, whose new menu includes 94 percent fresh produce, intend to react to the research, with managing director Nelson Williams saying: “Health education is a key part of what we do, and with 10 development chefs all working on creating fresh and healthy meals, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved. We're working hard to create awareness with parents on our fresh ingredients and how we opt for quality ingredients. However, we recognise there is still more work to be done in the sector and we’ve put plans in place to help schools, pupils and their families.”
The Brookwood Partnership W: www.brookwood-ptnrs.com
Holroyd Howe W: www.holroydhowe.com
Sodexo W: www.independentsbysodexo.com
Harrison W: www.harrisoncatering.co.uk
Wilson Vale W: www.wilsonvale.co.uk
Pabulum W: www.pabulum-catering.co.uk
[post_title] => New on the menu [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => new-on-the-menu [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2015-04-28 06:24:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [8] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4170 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-12-23 18:22:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-12-23 17:22:00 [post_content] =>Since September, Independents by Sodexo has been sourcing all the pork and eggs used in its menus for its portfolio of more than 70 independent schools from Freedom Food-approved farms.
Freedom Food is the RSPCA’s farm assurance and food labelling scheme dedicated to farm animal welfare. Farms offering Freedom Food-assured products are assessed annually to check they meet all the relevant RSPCA welfare standards, which are based on the latest scientific, veterinary and practical industry knowledge.
Sodexo believes in “providing fresh and creative food which nourishes and maintains the health and wellbeing of the children it serves”, placing an emphasis on cooking from scratch and not using pre-prepared dishes.
Jeremy Alderton, managing director, Independents by Sodexo, said: “We are proud of our commitment to provide ethically sourced products and this latest step reinforces this. We are now looking at extending our partnership with the Freedom Food scheme with the addition of chicken and other products onto our menus.”
Jeremy Cooper, Freedom Food’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with Sodexo to expand the number of Freedom Food products in their menus. Sodexo has demonstrated its commitment to sourcing ethically and we are looking forward to helping them further.”
[post_title] => Sodexo signs up for Freedom Foods [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo_signs_up_for_freedom_foods [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-12-23 18:22:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [9] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4375 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-10-29 09:54:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-10-29 08:54:00 [post_content] =>While the traditional image of Christmas dinner is of the family gathered together on 25 December, the reality for caterers is of serving festive food and drink across the holiday lead-up. Bespoke refreshments enhance gatherings throughout December and while children’s considerations come first, parents, staff and even choir members’ needs have to be accommodated – and let’s not forget the furniture …
Christmas is one of the busiest times for the Independents by Sodexo teams as they gear up for festive meals, staff parties and carol concerts. As a leading provider of food services and hospitality to many of the country’s best independent schools, Sodexo chefs begin work several months in advance to create Christmas menus and recipes.
Independents by Sodexo's executive development chef, Tom Allen, explains the approach: “Every school likes to have a special Christmas lunch for all staff and students, so a lot of work goes into getting the menus right for those events. We like to offer the traditional turkey, but also create bespoke alternative dishes – for example, duck roulade and herb-crusted fillet of cod.”
Such fresh thinking is also manifested in making one of Christmas lunch’s less popular ingredients more appetising: “We face the usual dilemma of how to encourage pupils to tuck into Brussels sprouts, which many children (and adults!) tend to turn their noses up at. To persuade our students to give their Brussels a try we will be serving them with crispy pancetta, or sliced and sautéed with garlic and cream.”
Other elements of the Christmas food and drink smorgasbord receive special treatment by Independents by Sodexo. “In addition to the traditional set-piece Christmas dinner, our chefs will be busy preparing for staff parties and other events,” says Tom Allen. “We have developed signature recipes for eggnog, shortbread biscuits and, of course, mince pies, which we make in every school. While Christmas is a busy and logistically challenging time, our chefs really enjoy the opportunity to showcase their skills and passion for food.”
To help create a buzz throughout the festive period, Sodexo is running a number of activities and competitions for pupils, including tracking Santa, through which younger pupils can win little snowman toys. For older students, the team has produced a golden ticket competition with iTunes vouchers as prizes.
Inclusivity is similarly important at the Brookwood Partnership, which even ensures those working on Christmas Day can join in the festive feasting. Donna Franklin, head of food at the Brookwood Partnership, says: “As caterers for a variety of independent schools across the country we have to cater for different cultures and faiths as well as for those with food intolerances throughout the year so, for us, Christmas is just another day. With our overseas students we look to create meals they know and recognise. With most schools closed over Christmas, the traditional Christmas fare is presented in the days leading up to the end of term. However, we do have employees working on Christmas Day. This includes Westminster Abbey Choir School. Once the choristers have finished the day’s services they sit down to a well-deserved Christmas lunch.”
Not surprisingly, the preparation for such catering starts well in advance. “Menu planning for Christmas takes place weeks, even months before the actual day, especially when you’re catering for up to 45,000 pupils across all sites. Each year we run a competition where our employees will suggest a Christmas-themed dish which we roll out across the company. This offers our chefs not only a chance to be creative, but also a chance to showcase their speciality dish to others. This year’s competition is to create a ‘milk- and egg-free Christmas dessert’, which is also supporting our communications around the new allergen legislation coming into effect in December. When making the Christmas pudding, many of our chefs will ask each pupil in the school to stir it and make a wish, which is quite fun and engages the pupils in the lead-up to Christmas. This year, our teams are making a homemade gingerbread person for every child to take home as a gift from us after their Christmas lunch.”
It’s not just those enjoying the final results who look forward to Christmas’s special catering – those in the kitchen also relish the revelry, according to Kevin Hopper, general manager, client services, independent education, Harrison Catering Services. “Christmas dinner is one of the most popular meals in our independent schools, due to the menu and to it being a real event and celebration. The great thing about working in independent schools is it isn’t just one lunch service to mark the festive season and then it’s over. You’re also preparing suppers for boarding students, as well as those other students staying onsite for evening activities, and these evening meals are even more popular. The independent school environment provides us as caterers with great opportunities to expand the celebration and make the most of the season over several days.”
With Christmas celebrated globally, Harrison Catering Services’ offerings are similarly diverse – sometimes with input from pupils. “While a traditional menu is always popular (Harrison serve more than 18,000 turkey portions at Christmas time), we also work with our schools to support the educational element by offering a taste of what Christmas is like in different countries and cultures around the world. For example, an Asian-themed holiday menu may feature a turkey roulade with Asian-spiced stuffing with parsley crumbs and lemongrass gravy. A European theme week might feature a different dish from a different country every day. This approach also helps us to engage with the international students at our schools, gathering their input about how Christmas is celebrated in their homelands, which we can reflect on our menus, helping our schools give these students a ‘home away from home’ feeling. In some schools, we have even had students bring in their own family recipes and help prepare them for festive celebrations.”
An impressive array of delicacies for Yuletide functions provides eye-catching and delicious finishing touches. “We also support our schools’ Christmas fairs and markets, providing items like mulled wine kits, specialist brandy butters, cranberry sauce and chutneys, Christmas muffin mixes, fudge and even ‘make your own gingerbread house’ kits for sale to parents, staff and visitors. Like our meals, these items are homemade onsite from fresh ingredients by Harrison’s skilled catering teams. Our staff will further showcase their advanced skills by creating elaborate gingerbread houses as centrepieces of the holiday celebrations, which are either enjoyed by the students at the end of term or in some cases auctioned off to raise money to support the school’s designated charity.”
Flexible thinking can be implemented to allow schools to think big, with spectacular results. “Our catering teams really do go all-out to make the holidays special for the students. At one school where students are spread across more than one dining hall, our team decided to bring the entire school together for Christmas dinner by moving to the sports hall, which they transformed with a marquee, fully laid tables, Christmas music and a tree. The team then served 450 students and staff a three-course meal at their tables.”
Having the right banqueting furniture helps ensure the smooth running of such large-scale catering. Gopak Ltd, established in 1954, has an unrivalled 60 years’ experience in the design, manufacture and supply of high-quality practical and lightweight furniture, such as aluminium-framed folding tables, in which it leads the market. It also offers a wide selection of table and chair ranges to suit numerous occasions. All its folding table and stacking benches are manufactured to BS EN ISO 9002:1994 for quality assurance and come with a five year guarantee.
Whether staging a Nativity play, carol concert or Christmas fair, this family-owned furniture manufacturer and supplier offers a range of Ultralight Staging Systems, Stacking Banqueting Chairs and Contour Folding Tables.
Firm favourites with schools for many years, the versatile, lightweight and spacious Contour Folding Table is ideal for Christmas fairs. As well as having an attractive finish, it is also water-resistant, ensuring the inevitable spillages from craft making, face-painting or food-related activities can be quickly and easily cleaned up.
Gopak’s portable and compact Ultralight Staging System is perfect for schools putting on plays and concerts. Quick and easy to use, assembly requires only one person while its individual lightweight components come together to form an impressively strong stage capable of supporting a uniform distributed load of 1000kg/m2, bringing peace of mind about your performers’ safety.
With such popular school traditions attracting increasing numbers of relatives and friends, Gopak also offers a complete range of stackable banqueting chairs offering the perfect combination of comfort, ease-of-use and stylish aesthetic.
No matter what your needs are this Christmas, Gopak has the furniture to ensure school activities are met with a chorus of approval.
Irrespective of Santa bringing you what you want on Christmas Day, enlisting the experts will ensure the perfect delivery at this festive time.
Sodexo W: www.uk.sodexo.com
Brookwood Partnership W: www.brookwood-ptnrs.com
Harrison Catering Services W: www.harrisoncatering.co.uk
Gopak W: www.gopak.co.uk[post_title] => Season's eatings [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => seasons-eatings [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-10-29 09:54:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [10] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4400 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-10-11 11:43:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-10-11 09:43:00 [post_content] =>
Sodexo is one of 30 UK companies to have signed up to the Responsibility Deal Food Network’s latest salt reduction pledges.
The targets – F9 Salt Reduction and F10 Out of Home Salt Reduction – were launched in March. The first (F9) challenges the industry to further reduce the amount of salt in 76 categories of food by 2017, replacing the previous F2 pledge. The second (F10) is a new set of targets covering the 10 most popular high street dishes and children’s meals.
Commenting on this, Wan Mak, head of nutrition and dietetics at Sodexo UK&I said: “At Sodexo we serve around one million meals every day to a broad range of customers in workplaces, hospitals, schools, prisons, army barracks and at fine-dining venues and events right across the UK. Given this reach, we have a great opportunity to promote healthier eating and we are committed to reducing the amount of saturated fat, sugar and salt in the food we serve.
“As a founding partner of the Responsibility Deal since 2011, we have made good progress in reducing salt. We have done this through a number of measures: by training our chefs to use less salt, by reducing the amount of salt in our recipes, by using lower-salt products (such as unsalted butter and lower salt and sugar baked beans) and by encouraging our customers to add less salt to their food.
“By switching to lower salt margarine, we made a total saving of 191,200g of salt. We have reduced our salt sachets by 2.5g which has resulted in a reduction of more than 45 tonnes of salt a year consumed. We have trained our chefs to be ‘salt aware’ and to look for creative solutions to replace salt with other ingredients, so that we are delivering less salt but aren’t compromising on taste. And finally, we have defined it as company policy that we don’t put salt cellars on dining tables in Sodexo restaurants, which means that people think twice before adding extra salt to their meals.
“In order to work towards the new targets we will continue to drive these initiatives across our business.”
Jane Ellison, Public Health Minister said: “I am delighted by the response we have had from more than 30 major companies and would encourage others to follow suit and sign up. We want to help people to improve their health and the evidence shows that too much salt can lead to high blood pressure which can increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
'The World Health Organisation has recognised the UK as among the world leaders in reducing salt in the diet but we want to go further to help prevent people dying early. The support of the industry, like the commitments given today, is a vital part of this.”
[post_title] => Sodexo signs up for salt reduction [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo_signs_up_for_salt_reduction [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-10-11 11:43:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [11] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4515 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-09-08 12:10:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-09-08 10:10:00 [post_content] =>The contract was won following a competitive tender and is for three years. Anne Magill, business development manager for Sodexo in Northern Ireland, said that Campbell College will act as a flagship account for the development of its education business in Northern Ireland. The contract, which was won in May 2014, will be mobilised in September 2014 in time for the start of the new school year.
Established in 1894 and located in a 100-acre wooded estate, Campbell College has over 1,000 pupils, a mix of day students and boarders, aged between four and 18 years. Campbell College is primarily a boys school but infant girls can attend the on-site kindergarten. Due to its international reputation, it has boarders from all over the world and is well-known for its rugby-playing prowess and famous past pupils, including C.S Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia.
[post_title] => Sodexo lands Northern Ireland contract [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sodexo_lands_northern_ireland_contract [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-09-08 12:10:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [12] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4541 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-08-29 16:04:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-08-29 14:04:00 [post_content] =>In recent years, Sodexo has built on its heritage and is driving excellence in the delivery of catering services in the independent schools sector. Helping to do so is Tom Allen, executive development chef for Independents by Sodexo.
Tom joined the company at the beginning of 2013 and has taken the company’s emphasis on producing fresh food from scratch to a new level. Already known for the care taken in the selection of ingredients, Tom wanted to bring together the 70-plus teams across the UK to share the same vision in providing meals that are appealing and appetising to pupils, while focusing on sustainability, seasonality and provenance and a service which stands out from the crowd.
The independent schools market is changing and, with more competition, schools are realising they need to deliver excellence in everything associated with their establishments, including catering. One interesting development is the increasing number of schools which are removing catering costs from the main school fee. Catering teams are becoming more aware that there is a need to raise the bar and prove their worth not only to schools but also to parents and children.
With a team of highly skilled chefs, Tom started bringing different skills from around the business together to instil not only team spirit but also to showcase and encourage creative thinking. Through the development of innovation hubs, centred at schools which were excelling in all areas, Tom has been able to set a minimum standard that every school should achieve. Visiting teams can see how the hubs work in practice. Tom started with just one innovation hub, but this has grown to seven in the past year.
Tom’s approach to encouraging team sharing has boosted standards of delivery across the company. Along with these hubs, he has been instrumental in developing a series of style guides; these provide both the minimum standard expected in terms of the display and presentation of food counters, and ideas to make them interesting and quirky.
An internal social network for the independents team has been created to match the growth in social media. With some 122 members, Tom encourages everyone to join up and share what they are doing at their schools. This has been a great tool for teams to communicate and has really boosted team spirit and idea sharing.
Back to the food; we all know that a good diet is crucial for young people but catering for their tastes is not easy. Tom is emphatic that for children to adopt a healthy, balanced diet he has to get them engaged with the food on offer. He therefore needs his team of chefs to understand the ingredients they are using and its origins, with regular trips to visit suppliers.
Tom has also driven a partnership initiative with Ecole Lenôtre, a Paris-based leading culinary schools. Every year, Independents by Sodexo produces a new course specifically for chefs with the first focusing on boulangerie. Bread is already baked daily on site but the three-day course provides chefs with the skills to offer more speciality and artisan breads.
Many schools are looking to their catering teams to offer support in other areas other than providing pupil meals, such as open days, sports teas, weddings and corporate events outside of the school term. Therefore the focus for the next course will be on corporate hospitality and will include finger and bowl food, and everything that is suitable for a working lunch.
Tom’s passion for food, his focus on driving up standards and his strong leadership skills have been integral to Sodexo’s recent success in adding new schools to its already impressive portfolio of independent schools from Newcastle to Cornwall.
[post_title] => A recipe for success [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a_recipe_for_success [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-08-29 16:04:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [13] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5003 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2014-01-14 11:02:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2014-01-14 10:02:00 [post_content] =>Michael Godfrey, who leads Sodexo’s catering team at Eton College, was accepted into the Disciples d’Escoffier for his “commitment to promote our industry and to support the development of the profession”.
The Disciples d’Escoffier promotes the work of Auguste Escoffier, the French chef who developed the modern kitchen system and penned the seminal work The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery, which is still referenced today.
Michael who, in addition to his Eton College role, is a training manager for Team UK in the WorldSkills competition, received his sash and certificate from Michael Escoffier, great grandson of the order’s founder, at an induction ceremony at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, London, in October.
Other UK disciples include Gary Rhodes, Raymond Blanc, Brian Turner, Anton Mosimann and Michael’s tutor at university, David Foskett.
In his lifetime Auguste Escoffier earned a worldwide reputation as director of kitchens at the Savoy Hotel. He was known as ‘king of the chefs and the chef of kings’. He invented the Peach Melba, in honour of opera singer Nellie Melba.
Michael Godfrey said: “It is a brilliant honour and one I don’t take lightly. I was chuffed to bits. There was a chef aged 78 being invested at the same time. To be on stage with him at the age of 44 was humbling.”
Jacques Pascier, president of Disciples d’Escoffier UK, said to Michael: “For many years you have shown your commitment to promote our industry and to support the development of the profession in its various aspects. We believe that all those years of hard work and your constant motivation deserve to be recognised and rewarded.”
[post_title] => Eton chef '€˜humbled'€™ by accolade [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => eton_chef_humbled_by_accolade [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-01-14 11:02:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [14] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5028 [post_author] => 17 [post_date] => 2013-12-30 15:35:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2013-12-30 14:35:00 [post_content] =>
Sodexo, the school’s caterer, has been working with Paul Rankin for some 15 years. The visit was organised to open the new dining room at the school, called The Diner. The school council was heavily involved with the design which is based on an American diner theme with red leather seating and high level tables. The Diner is one of five catering areas at the school
On arrival Paul meet with the sixth form DT: Food Technology students before hosting and judging a year 11 ready, steady cook challenge which saw two teams compete. Paul then joined Sodexo staff to serve students lunch in the new look dining room before going to judge the year 8 cake decorating competition. The quality of the entries prompted Paul to show his appreciation via Twitter where he posted a photo of some of the entries, https://bit.ly/IHhJIe.
Mr Neil Spurdell, headmaster at Sheldon School said,“We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Paul. The students loved all the activities they had with him and really appreciated the opportunity to talk to him as he served and mingled with them at lunchtime. His visit to Sheldon has certainly left a lasting impression and has shown our students that food, cooking and eating healthily is important and can be a great deal of fun.'
[post_title] => Sheldon School welcomes Paul Rankin [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => sheldon_school_welcomes_paul_rankin [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2013-12-30 15:35:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 15 [current_post] => -1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 210 [post_author] => 63 [post_date] => 2018-10-05 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-10-04 22:00:00 [post_content] =>In the wake of the ‘Those who can, teach’ campaign that ran in 2000 a cruel affix emerged from the playground: ‘Those who can’t, teach PE’. This taunt reflected the ascribed order of physical education at the time – the ‘lesson off’ lesson, the subject that non-academics could take solace in.
Fast-forward 18 years and look where we are now. Mental wellbeing is now at the core of schools’ itineraries, and physical education has been recognised as a fundamental part of that as educators seek to support the whole child, rather than support the antiquated academia-only model that has loomed large in generations past. Liz Laybourne, Headmistress of Burgess Hill Girls, agrees: “Our whole ethos is about educating the whole child. So for us, the extra-curricular programme is incredibly important because whether it’s sport or another extra-curricular activity, we believe if the girls get involved in those activities it will actually help them perform better in their academic studies.”
Arguably independents have a greater burden of responsibility when it comes to a more holistic method of education. Naturally boarding schools have long since had an enhanced duty of care, but additionally scholarship pupils and similar high performers also need rounded support to ensure they have the strength of character to support their capacity for performance.
Laybourne sees supporting student wellbeing with a two-pronged approach: top-down and ground-up: “We as a school need to actually take some control, and intervene if we feel they’re putting too much pressure on themselves. But it’s also celebration as well, recognising what they’re doing. Whether that’s playing for Sussex or competing for their school, it’s about recognising that, celebrating their success and letting them know that we believe in what they’re doing.” As any office worker will attest, recognition for successes can go a long way towards bolstering self-belief and mental strength ahead of challenges, instead of watching out for the axe to fall.
Glenalmond College students
For Graham Smith, Director of Sport at Glenalmond College, making students aware of support channels is key. “Ensuring the pupils understand that there is help available from a multitude of different sources, should they require, is crucial. Awareness of mental health support has to be very visual,” he comments. “It is the responsibility of all staff involved with the pupil to keep an eye on how they are doing mentally.”
For Glenalmond these support sources encompass coaches, teachers, pastors and school nurses. With such a range of help available it’s no surprise that regular communications with and regarding the pupil, are key. Smith confirms: “A discussion with the pupil about what they want to do, their schoolwork, sports training and their participation in representative games will take place regularly and we chat with the other staff often to see how they are doing in class.”
While these are prudent measures for top performers and the anxiety-inclined, all this doom-mongering is not to detract from the very real advantages of physical activity for students, a subject which Smith is content to wax lyrical on. “Lots of staff comment
on how our pupils’ concentration and behaviour is improved by regular participation in sport, whether this is our main competitive sports or more recreational sports used as a pastime. A senior rugby player recently changed his predicted grades from D to B through improved focus and concentration.”
And it’s not just the teachers that have tuned into the benefits, claims Smith. “During the last exam period, we noticed a lot more girls attending the early morning strength and conditioning sessions to work out, which in turn helped calm their nerves and anxieties they were experiencing from the pressure of final exams.”
Girls' football festival
Educating the whole character
This is a world view very much in line with that of Andy Collins, Acting Deputy Head of Millfield. “It is my firm belief that academic performance and adolescent wellbeing are synergistic; one cannot flourish without the other,” he comments. “At Millfield, we not only teach pupils academic and cognitive skills, we also encourage them to listen to their bodies and challenge thoughts which are not positive, so they can manage their own physical and mental health as they take those all-important first steps after leaving school.” Again, echoed in Collins’ words is the shift towards educating the whole character, building the confidence required to live in an always-on world of academic pressures, social media and the endless and eternal documentation both have arguably devolved into.
But there’s another inescapable side to wellbeing, and its name is nutrition. While once school dinners were an all-beige vat-ladled monstrosity, today, awareness (thanks Jamie!) is creating a paradigm shift in how we feed our new generation of academics. For Wan Mac, Head of Dietetics and Nutrition at Sodexo it’s a shift that can’t come fast enough. “One of the most obvious, yet under-recognised factors in the development of major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition. The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapid pace. As well as its impact on short- and long-term mental health, the evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.”
With these damning illnesses it seems almost churlish to mention the short-term effects on academia and sporting performance, but these are certainly just as well documented.
Attitudes in schools are changing as nutritional awareness becomes more widespread, but there may still be a crucial neglected area: the nutritional mindset of the students themselves. For a generation raised absorbing highly sophisticated ad campaigns that run all the way from first ad to point of sale, making healthy choices can be more challenging than is first perceived.
For Amanda Ursell, Consultant Nutritionist for CH&CO Independent, this conditioning is a battle that can be fought both ways: “[CH&CO] have carried out research that shows how the use of ‘social norm’ messaging can gently nudge pupils towards healthier choices, without overtly making a fuss about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.”
For Mac, countering a negative psychological mindset is about giving real estate to whole foods and working to equip students with their own nutritional know-how: “Our counters are regularly refreshed using vibrant, colourful and seasonal displays. However, providing a nutritious and wholesome lunch is only half the battle. We also need to equip today’s children with the skills they need to feed themselves – therefore we aim to encourage and support healthy eating as well as providing recipe cards to inspire.”
Additionally vending machines, the former mainstay of the nutritionally barren packaged good, is undergoing its much-needed modern revamp as schools seek to keep the convenience while canning the empty calories. Tom Allen, Food Development Director of Independent Schools at Sodexo, agrees. “Overall, vending machines are a lot better than 10 years ago,” he comments. “If they are full of water and dried fruit rather than crisps and sugary drinks then they can offer access to nutritious snacks in a convenient manner.”
Ursell agrees: “It is absolutely possible to stock vending machines with healthy and nutritious options, from drinks to snacks and sandwiches. There are now ‘all green traffic light’ cereal bars on the market, which are nut-free, that along with mixes of dried fruits can make ideal snacks.”
There’s no doubt we’re in a challenging age of adolescent pressures and schools are rightly looking to minimise the issues they face while still encouraging students to reach their potential. While the current watchword is undoubtedly ‘wellbeing’, it seems the current maxim is ‘teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’, with schools and caterers alike seeking to empower young people with the strength of will to pave the path for their own excellent health. And with rapid technological and social changes creating an uncertain horizon, perhaps it could be argued that instilling solid mental fortitude is, in fact, the only certain defence against an ever-shifting landscape.
[post_title] => Want to help your students? Give 'em health [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => want-to-help-your-students-give-em-health [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-10-04 11:26:19 [post_modified_gmt] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 15 [max_num_pages] => 0 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => 1 [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => 1 [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => bad40ea75bb17bee545ae16776d806f1 [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )
Sodexo
Sodexo UK Head Office 1 Southampton Row London WC1B 5HA
What we do
Our positioning in the services industry is original and unique. It is what makes our brand different. In combining the diverse talents of our teams, Sodexo is the only company to integrate a complete offer of innovative services, based on over 100 professions. Sodexo develops, manages and delivers a diverse range of services, designed to improve the quality of life for our clients and customers.
We have an unrivalled reputation for building lasting partnerships with clients through open, transparent relationships based on trust and exceptional performance.
In the UK and Ireland, our 35,000 people are striving to improve the quality of daily life at over 2,000 client locations across all market sectors.