Lewisham Council agrees new deal with Chartwells

Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has provided the catering for 78 schools and two civic centres in Lewisham for the past 10 years. In this time, the partnership between council and caterer has seen the introduction of many new initiatives and in 2005 Lewisham Council became one of the first local authorities in the country to serve fresh food and provide a freshly prepared menu in its schools. The new three-year contract, with an additional two years based upon performance, went out to competitive tender but with many plans for future initiatives, Chartwells was chosen to continue the catering for the 20,000 students in Lewisham, one of the largest councils with which the caterer works. The new and ongoing programmes provided by Chartwells include Meet the Grower sessions, where Chartwells' suppliers teach children about how food goes from farm or sea to their plate, promoting a message of sustainability in line with Compass' Corporate Responsibility Framework and the council's "Green Borough" status. The new contract will also see the introduction of a Training Kitchen which will be used in curriculum time for home economics lessons to promote a cooking culture and for parents who want to gain confidence in cooking healthy meals. Councillor Robert Massey, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: "The development of a Lewisham/Chartwells' school catering charter will ensure that each school will be empowered to take positive measures to ensure that our children's meal service ranks amongst the best in London."